Like the Patriots, the Eagles went to the Alabama well for their first two picks of the 2021 NFL Draft, moving up to No. 10 on Thursday night to select wide receiver DeVonta Smith, then sitting at No. 37 on Day Two to add offensive lineman Landon Dickerson. Both Crimson Tide products figure to have prominent roles in the short- and long-term future in Philadelphia. But their arrival also marks a notable break from tradition in the City of Brotherly Love, where the Eagles had gone more than a decade since drafting a player from Alabama under general manager Howie Roseman.
Roseman, who first assumed GM duties in 2010 and joked about his unintended aversion to Alabama standouts after picking Smith in the first round, had never before drafted a single prospect from the SEC powerhouse. In fact, the Eagles hadn't taken an Alabama player since all the way back in 2002, when they spent a fifth-round pick on wideout Freddie Milons. That means they went a full 18 drafts without once picking an Alabama player.
Now? With Smith and Dickerson in tow, they could have a pair of Crimson Tide products vying for starting reps as soon as 2021. If you also include presumptive starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, an Alabama transfer who technically came out of Oklahoma, you're talking about potentially three different Crimson Tide reps on the field for the Eagles.
Maybe Roseman and the Eagles don't mind Alabama, after all. Or they just had a change of heart.
