The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms on rookie contracts with four of their nine draft picks from the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday. The four who signed are first-round pick WR Devonta Smith, third-round pick DT Milton Williams, fourth-round pick CB Zech McPhearson, and fifth-round pick RB Kenneth Gainwell.
That means second-round pick OL Landon Dickerson, sixth-round pick DT Marlon Tuipulotu, sixth-round pick Tarron Jackson, sixth-round pick LB/S JaCoby Stevens, and seventh-round pick LB Patrick Johnson are the remaining five unsigned draft picks. All are likely to sign in the coming days.
These rookie contract negotiations used to be much more difficult and complicated, but they are largely pre-determined by the rookie wage scale these days. The only reason these signings took as long as they did is likely because the Eagles were waiting until after June 1, when some additional money was cleared from their books.
As for 2021 contributions, at least Devonta Smith is expected to start right away as one of the outside wide receivers. Milton Williams should be a part of the defensive line rotation as long as he shows he is ready to contribute at the NFL level. Zech McPhearson will likewise have an opportunity to compete for playing time—and potentially even start, if the team doesn’t add a veteran outside cornerback. Kenneth Gainwell will have the opportunity to earn his way onto the field as a change-of-pace back to complement Miles Sanders.
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Mike Maher is the editor and publisher of The Birds Blitz and Juiced Ball Era. Follow him on Twitter @mikeMaher and @TheBirdsBlitz and check out his archive for all of his latest stories about the Eagles and the NFL.
