Eagles reportedly 'making a late push' for top WR in draft

At least one NFL insider believes the Philadelphia Eagles could take wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but could this simply be a pre-draft smokescreen?

According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, Philadelphia is making a late push on the Ohio State star.

Smith-Njigba is an incredible talent and worthy of a top-10 selection. The former Rose Bowl MVP played little in 2022 because of a hamstring injury but set school records with 95 receptions and 1,606 receiving yards in 2021.

Perhaps the Eagles really are eyeing a trade rather than adding another stud wideout.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made more than 40 draft-day trades over the past decade. With the No. 10 selection, Philadelphia could add a playmaker such as Texas RB Bijan Robinson or trade up for a defensive player such as Jalen Carter or Will Anderson Jr. Perhaps a more likely scenario, though, involves the team trading down to acquire more picks.

As part of the deal that sent Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, Green Bay holds the 13th pick in Thursday's draft. The Packers need help at wide receiver, but so do the Patriots at No. 14. 

If New England wants to jump the line and beat Green Bay to a top receiver, it must make a trade. With two first-round draft picks, including the 10th overall, Philadelphia would be a perfect trade partner. Heavy.com's Mike Greger believes a Patriots-Eagles trade is a possibility, and he has Philadelphia taking Georgia’s Nolan Smith with the 14th pick.

The timing of Pauline’s story seems curious at best. It’s certainly in Philadelphia’s best interest to have teams believe Smith-Njigba is on its board.  

In 2021, the Eagles used the 10th overall pick on WR DeVonta Smith, a budding star. During the draft last season, Roseman made a trade with Tennessee to add star WR A.J. Brown, so drafting a wideout in 2023 seems unlikely.