The Linc - Draft analyst suggests Mason Taylor could be the Eagles’ pick at No. 32

Vanderbilt v LSU — Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/15/25.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Eagles linked to LSU tight end amid Dallas Goedert trade speculation – ClutchPoints
So naturally, when Todd McShay noted to keep an eye on Goedert in the 2025 NFL Draft and suggested the Eagles could pick LSU tight end Mason Taylor at pick 32 on The Mina Kimes Show, it turned heads around the fanbase for multiple reasons. “I do think with the Eagles, do keep an eye on the Dallas Goedert situation,” McShay noted. “I could see Mason Taylor (at 32). I think Mason Taylor could be interesting there.” [BLG Note: Funny enough, Taylor’s scouting report on NFL.com has Goedert listed as the pro comparison.]

Eagles draft: Amid Dallas Goedert’s uncertain future, TE prospects Mason Taylor and Harold Fannin could intrigue the Birds – Inquirer
Mason Taylor, LSU. When assessing which tight end prospects make the most sense for the Eagles on Day 2 of the draft, Taylor’s profile stands out for a handful of reasons. The 6-5, 251-pound prospect was a three-year starter for LSU, and is the son of Hall of Fame edge rusher Jason Taylor and the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas. Pedigree aside, Mason Taylor has multiple seasons playing at a high level in the Southeastern Conference and won’t even turn 21 until just after this month’s draft. Taylor’s game revolves around a fluid route-running style and an ability to pick up yards after the catch once he gains a head of steam downfield. He’s more smooth than explosive, but he managed 55 catches for 546 yards last season as a focal point in LSU’s offense. When assessing how he would fare as a direct replacement for Goedert, Taylor is yet another prospect whose blocking leaves something to be desired. Perhaps he’ll grow into his frame and make strides in that area, but his college tape does not suggest he’ll be a capable in-line blocker as a rookie.

Eagles 2025 NFL Draft thoughts: 10 things we learned from ‘The Beast’ – The Athletic
2. An unusually strong TE class is worth consideration“As many as three TEs could crack Round 1,” Brugler writes. Further still, “there are no fewer than four — and perhaps as many as five or six — tight ends that deserve legitimate Round 1 consideration.” There have only been five drafts since 2000 in which multiple tight ends were taken in the first round. Three tight ends were taken in 2017 and 2002. Never four. Such a statement about this tight end class by Brugler shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially given the Eagles’ need at the position. The Las Vegas Raiders ought to consider it a steal to have selected Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall last year. Bowers was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro selection as a rookie while totaling 112 catches, 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. Penn State’s Tyler Warren (Brugler’s No. 8 prospect), like Bowers in 2024, is a Top 10 prospect who could also fall into the teens. While Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland (No. 11) are likely beyond Philadelphia’s range, it’s interesting to consider whether Mason Taylor (No. 33) or Elijah Arroyo (No. 41) could be a sensible first selection for the Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles NFL Draft 2025 Positional Needs: Cornerback – BGN
Shavon Revel, ECU, 6-foot-2, 194 pounds, fifth year senior, 24 years old. Prototypical height for a boundary corner and has extremely long arms which allow him to break up passes that other DBs can’t reach (watch third highlight in the clip below); could use some more weight on his frame.

Eagles mailbag: Did one amazing performance skew the perception of the pass rush? – PhillyVoice
Question from @BenButWorse: When are you podding again, boss? SB Nation (Vox Media) killed all their podcasts without warning last April. We (Brandon, mostly) built up a pretty wide listenership, and in an instant it was just gone, with no explanation why, and seemingly no logic behind it. Vox came back to some of their better performing podcasters around the start of last season, wanting to re-launch it, but behind a paywall. I had no interest in that. We weren’t going to ask people to pay for a podcast when literally every other Eagles podcast is free. Maybe that would work in other markets? We tried to explain that a paywall didn’t make sense in Philly, but that seemed to fall on deaf ears. So, I dunno. Last year I had an idea for something a little new and different, but ultimately determined that executing it at a high level would require time that I didn’t have. I should probably think about a way I can pull off that idea that doesn’t wipe out the rare free time and energy I have during the busier parts of the year. So, that’s my periodic podcast update. I do appreciate when people ask. They were fun to do.

Latest Visitors – Iggles Blitz
The Eagles don’t tend to value safety in the first round. Go read this piece by Jimmy Bama for his thoughts. So why bring Starks in for a visit? Howie Roseman has admitted in the past that teams will occasionally bring in a player they don’t have interest in so that they can throw a curve ball to other teams. All 32 teams keep up with who goes where. The more likely possibility in this case is that the Eagles don’t see Starks as just a safety. He gives them a player they can move around if needed. If one of the CBs got hurt, they could move Cooper DeJean outside and then put Starks in the slot.

Eagles pre-draft mailbag, Part 2: Why Howie Roseman could move up in the 1st round — and the players he could target – PHLY
If you’re into precognition, what does your local psychic, tarot card reader, crystal ball or ouija board say about how the Eagles approach this draft? – Ed Helinski. Line of scrimmage! I’ll keep going to that well. By the end of Friday, my guess is the Eagles have added two players along the lines of scrimmage. Safety and tight end are their biggest needs. I still expect the line of scrimmage to be the priority. I think if the Eagles can land an offensive tackle who has guard flexibility, it would be ideal. But at No. 32, you don’t know how the board will fall. I expect the strength late in the first round to be edge rushers. I still think Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is the best outcome for the Eagles if he falls to No. 32. Edge rusher is a bigger need on the line of scrimmage than defensive tackle — my sense is the Eagles are comfortable with the group they have at defensive tackle — but the value and upside of Nolen would be too appealing to pass.

Some potential draft scenarios for the Commanders in round one – What is your move? – Hogs Haven
I always like to view other mock drafts out there and compare them to how I would like to see things play out for the Commanders. It’s a futile exercise, but I have fun doing it – and hopefully it can educate our fan base on some prospects you may not be familiar with. Below I put together a fun, interactive exercise that will hopefully get the comment section flowing. I have given you four different draft scenarios with our top pick. I used my own big board, then ran some sims on Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator to come up with what you see below. The simulator was just a tool I used for guidance, so that, combined with what you see in my notes, is how I arrived at each scenario.

Cowboys roster: Concern that Trevon Diggs will start the season on the PUP list – Blogging The Boys
We had the chance to get a a clearer picture of the situation when we spoke with longtime Cowboys insider Mickey Spagnola who works deep inside The Star at Frisco. According to Spagnola, the expectation at this point is that Diggs could start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. If that holds true, it means Diggs would miss critical time ramping up in camp, time that’s essential for re-establishing chemistry with the defense and getting live reps. More importantly, a stint on PUP during training camp could carry over into the regular season, potentially forcing him to miss games as the Cowboys open their 2025 campaign. While nothing is official yet, Spagnola’s take underscores that the situation may be trending in a more cautious, and possibly more prolonged, direction than the team has hoped.

Shedeur Sanders to work out for New York Giants one more time – Big Blue View
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will hold a final workout for the New York Giants on Thursday in Boulder, Colo., per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. Sanders, who could be the second quarterback selected in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, will work out for a “contingent of officials” from the Giants. The Giants have the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, but have been expected to pass on Sanders — if available — in favor of Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter. The Giants have paid an extraordinary amount of attention to Sanders since last fall. After signing veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Giants don’t have an immediate need at the position. Adding a player like Carter or Hunter could be more helpful to them in 2025. NFL Draft insider Todd Mcshay of The Ringer said “don’t close the book on Shedeur to the Giants at 3” in his most recent podcast.

2025 NFL draft: Teams that could trade up, down in Round 1 – ESPN+
Teams that could trade back into Round 1. Second-round slots: Nos. 33 and 34, respectively. The easiest way to approach this situation is to pair these teams together. After all, the Giants and Browns face the same dilemma. Should they take a quarterback early in Round 1 (Nos. 2 and 3, respectively) or wait until a later round? If either or both pass at the top of Round 1, it could lead to Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart sliding a little, given the lack of clear QB-needy teams overall. The Raiders, Jets, Saints, Steelers and Rams could all look at signal-callers, but none is forced to make a move at the position. Only the Steelers among that group lack a legitimate current option for 2025, and that could change if they sign Aaron Rodgers. That’s all to say, it’s not out of the question that Sanders and/or Dart could be on the board later than expected. And if that happens, I think there could be a race to get back into the first round for one of them. The Browns have the first pick of the second round at No. 33 and 10 total picks. The Giants are right behind them at No. 34 and have eight selections.

2025 NFL Draft: Travis Hunter, Cam Ward among 17 prospects attending this year’s event – NFL.com
Seventeen prospects have accepted invitations to attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on April 24. The group includes three of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class and one of the most fascinating draft prospects in recent memory.

Comparing NFL Draft prospects to anime characters – SB Nation
National Anime Day is on April 15, and in honor of the third greatest day of the year (the first two are my girlfriend’s birthday and Christmas), I figured it’s time we return to the land of the 2025 NFL Draft, and compare them to exclusively anime characters. Previously, I made comparisons to things that had nothing to do with football, but now we’re going to specifically take our comparisons from the world of anime. So charge up your ki and let’s do this!