The Eagles are still a week away from kicking off the 2026 season, but the draft board is already taking shape. With college football back on the calendar, it’s time to start tracking the 2027 names that could eventually matter in Philadelphia.
This week’s group has a little bit of everything: a speedy wideout at Clemson, an athletic interior lineman from Iowa, a new Penn State starter with real breakout buzz, a tight end with first-round tools, and one of the country’s most explosive running backs.
Bryant Wesco is the kind of receiver who jumps off the screen. The Clemson wideout, listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, was one of the most entertaining players to watch in 2024 and picked up freshman All-American honors by making big plays over and over again.
A spinal contusion ended his sophomore season after six games, but he now looks healthy and ready to get back to the fast, slippery version of himself. The Eagles already spent first-round capital on Makai Lemon, so Wesco wouldn’t be the same kind of target.
Still, he profiles as a late first- or second-round option who could fit alongside Lemon and DeVonta Smith down the line. Clemson opens at No.
11 LSU on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
At Iowa, Kade Pieper is a different type of prospect entirely. The 6-foot-3, 298-pound lineman is a little light by interior standards, but his movement stands out.
He was dominant in the run game last season as Iowa’s right guard, and his athleticism gives him a shot to play any of the three interior spots. That matters for Philadelphia, especially with Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens dealing with injuries and getting older.
Pieper could be a future answer in that mix. Iowa plays Saturday at 4:15 p.m. on BTN.
Penn State’s Brock Riker is another interior name worth filing away. The redshirt sophomore is the new starting center, and he’s already built a résumé that demands attention.
Last year, the Texas State transfer earned freshman All-American honors, started 12 games, and didn’t allow a sack across 438 pass-blocking snaps. That makes him a breakout candidate in Matt Campbell’s first season.
There’s also a Philadelphia connection here: Campbell and Nick Sirianni are close friends, which means the Eagles should have plenty of access to Penn State information going forward. Penn State faces its opener Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FS1.
Jamari Johnson gives Oregon a legitimate pass-catching tight end to watch. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end replaces Kenyon Sadiq and brings top-end ball skills with him.
He has first-round potential, though spending that kind of draft capital on a tight end after the Eagles already took Eli Stowers in the second round would be a tough sell. Even so, Johnson is worth monitoring because Dallas Goedert is on a one-year deal and Stowers has taken longer to develop than some expected.
Oregon plays Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Then there’s Kewan Lacy, who might have the loudest ceiling of the bunch. The Ole Miss running back, listed at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, could follow up his 2025 season - 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns - with another huge year and push himself into first-round territory.
That may be more than Howie Roseman wants to spend, but the Eagles’ long-term running back picture is worth watching. Saquon Barkley’s contract runs through the 2028 season, Tank Bigsby is set to hit free agency after this year, and Will Shipley hasn’t done much.
If Philadelphia ends up shopping for a back in the 2027 draft, Lacy is the kind of electric runner who would be impossible to ignore. Ole Miss plays Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
In Other News...
James Franklin Debate Just Got New Fuel From Former Penn State OC
Ricky Rahne has been around James Franklin long enough to know how the Penn State coach is viewed inside and outside the program, and his recent comments added a familiar voice to an argument that has followed Franklin for years. Rahne, who worked alongside Franklin and still has a long-standing relationship with him, defended Franklins impact in State College and said fans have often undervalued what he has done.
Rahne pointed to the sanctions Franklin inherited as part of the backdrop that shaped the early years of the job, while also giving Bill O'Brien credit for the recruiting foundation he left behind. He acknowledged that Franklin has not delivered a national championship, but framed his tenure around passion and steady winning, the kind of rsum that keeps the debate alive whenever Penn States bigger-picture expectations come back into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling May Have A New Middleweight Logjam
FloWrestlings preseason individual rankings have offered an early glimpse at what Penn States lineup could look like next season, and the middleweights may be the most crowded part of the room. Mitchell Mesenbrink is listed at 174 pounds instead of his usual 165, while PJ Duke is pegged at No. 1 at 165 after a sophomore season that included a Big Ten title and put him in position to step into the spot Mesenbrink has owned.
The ripple effect could be significant for the Nittany Lions. Tyler Kasak is projected to hold down 157 and is ranked No. 2 in his class, but the bigger questions sit above him, where Levi Haines may no longer be in the picture and freshman Jayden James could be left waiting for an opening. For a program that usually turns lineup debates into national title depth, this one looks like it could take a little time to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Next Opponent Looks More Vulnerable Than Expected
Temple is heading into its matchup with Penn State in a far shakier spot than it wanted this early in the season. Coach K.C. Keeler said starting left tackle Giakoby Hills will miss six weeks after getting hurt in the opener, a significant blow to an offensive line that now has to adjust on the fly against one of the most demanding fronts it will see all year.
The uncertainty does not stop there. Starting right tackle Kevin Terry is a game-time decision for the Penn State game, and Keeler still has not named a starting quarterback, with Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard competing for the job. For Penn State, that makes this a matchup worth watching beyond the final score, because Temple could be piecing together key spots just to get through the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]