Legendary ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper hands Eagles one of the best grades

There's going to be a lot of 2024 NFL Draft grades thrown in your face but the one that matters most is from longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. 

Kiper has appeared on the NFL's draft coverage since 1984. 

So, yeah he knows what he's talking about and he absolutely loves what Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles did this year. 

Out of 32 teams, Kiper only handed out two A's. The Eagles were one of them. 

"Roseman landed both of my top-ranked corners in Cooper DeJean (40) and Quinyon Mitchell (22), though DeJean has the versatility to play safety too," Kiper writer. "As I wrote Friday night, the Eagles crushed Day 2, also getting my favorite outside linebacker in the class in Jalyx Hunt (94). All three will help a defense that ranked 30th in points allowed per game (25.2)."

The Eagles were expected to trade up in the first round, but they didn't have to since the draft fell perfectly in their favor. They did trade up for DeJean, but as noted by Kiper, he's a first-round talent corner. 

After trading up, the Eagles traded back twice to get Hunt. He's a player many didn't expect to see go off the draft boards that early, but his athleticism for an edge is through the roof. The Eagles also acquired draft capital along the way. 

"The fun didn't stop there for Roseman, as he made a whopping eight trades over the weekend, the most of any team since 1990. Among those deals were collecting 2025 third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (one of each), setting up Philadelphia for success in next year's draft," Kiper wrote. "As for the Day 3 picks he actually used, running back Will Shipley (127) is an interesting one. He put up 1,200 all-purpose yards in each of the past three seasons. Could he carve out a spot as the third-down back? Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (155) is a value in my rankings; I have him at No. 108 overall -- and, of course, his dad is an Eagles legend. I'm also intrigued by 6-foot-6 wideout Johnny Wilson (185), who dropped too many passes but who has size that can't be taught."

It wasn't just the talent Philly picked or the priority needs they checked off, it was also Roseman's additional eight business decisions he made to set the team up for future success that earned this year's draft an 'A' in Kiper's grade book. 

"Because of everything Roseman acquired in next year's draft and because of the talent he accumulated this weekend, I feel great about making this class an A," Kiper wrote.