The Eagles selected centre Dylan McMahon of North Carolina State with the 190th overall selection in the sixth round on Saturday, adding another interior lineman to their roster after selecting guard Trevor Keegan of Michigan with the 172nd choice in the fifth round.
Barrett Brooks responds to Trevor Keegan, a Michigan interior offensive lineman, being selected by the Eagles.
Six-foot-3 and 300 pounds, McMahon lived in Raleigh for five years. As a true freshman in 2019, he started one game at right guard. In 2020, he started seven games at right guard. In 2021, he started 12 games at right guard and seven at left guard. In 2022, he started 13 games—ten at right guard and three at centre. He began every game at centre last season and was selected honourable mention All-ACC.
This is the first time the Eagles have drafted two interior linemen in the same draft since 2011, when they took Fireman Danny 23rd overall in the first round and Jason Kelce 191stoverall in the sixth round.
With Kelce retiring, Jack Driscoll signing with the Dolphins and Sua Opeta joining the Buccaneers, the Eagles needed depth along the interior of the offensive line behind free agent acquisition Matt Hennessy and 2023 3rd-round pick Tyler Steen, and Keegan and McMahon will have a chance to provide that.
And no offensive line coach in the league does better developing late-round projects than Jeff Stoutland, who has had tremendous success with guys like 5th-round pick Halapoulivaati Vaitai, 6th-round pick Kelce and 7th-rounder Jordan Mailata.
Because of his physical limitations and lack of play strength, McMahon is considered only a center prospect. The Eagles are moving right guard Cam Jurgens to center and Hennessy can play center as well, although he’s only signed through 2024. McMahon will need to get bigger and stronger to have a chance to become a contributor in the NFL.
Since the Eagles selected safety Earl Wolff in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, McMahon is the first player from North Carolina State to be selected. One of the greatest players in team history, Mike Quick, a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver from North Carolina State, was chosen in the first round in 1982.
Quinyon Mitchell (22nd overall) and Cooper DeJean (40th overall) are cornerbacks that the Eagles selected in the first and second rounds, respectively. They also selected wide receiver Johnny Wilson (185th overall) and McMahon in the sixth round, running back Will Shipley (127th overall) in the fourth round, Smith (152nd overall), and Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter (155th overall) in the fifth round. There aren’t any more picks available right now.
