NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The 2023 NFL Draft is officially over and the Philadelphia Eagles just provided another dimension to their reason for success. After snagging two University of Georgia defenders in the 2022 NFL Draft, Howie Roseman decided to up the ante by selecting 3 more this year and setting the stage for a reunion that he hopes will add another championship to his resume.
Winning in any team sport is about skills and hunger but the one thing that’s often overlooked is team chemistry. Yes, training camp is where those bonds are built but what happens when the chemistry has been set well before the pads come on? This is what the Eagles have after their last 2 drafts. They have chemistry, at least on the collegiate level. Can it carry over to the pros?
Imagine heading to the park to play ball but your friends are running a bit late. You team up with a group of strangers but that connection is not there. Something is off. You may lose the game, not because the team was better, but due to everyone not knowing the strengths of their teammates, plus the trust dynamic was missing. But then your friends arrive and you now beat that same team you just lost to.
The Philadelphia Eagles Are Georgia Bred
Is the talent level the same? Maybe, but what has changed for you is the chemistry and trust that you have with your friends. Roseman and the Eagles added this with Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, and Keele Ringo. It’s a Georgia reunion but one that Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles hope will pay huge dividends next season and years beyond.
For this bunch, it’s a new era for Eagles football and a building block for success that most NFL teams are searching for.
The Draft is a time to add the best talents available for your roster. But what happens when you draft 5 players from the same team who were a part of arguably one of the best defenses in College Football history? Yes, the stats are there to back up the numbers but this is about what they will bring on the field when times get tough.
The Philadelphia Eagles, despite the ages of Fletcher Cox and Brandon Ingram, are still considered young. While they’ve been together for years, a large part of their success is due to their chemistry. But this Georgia connection is something different. It’s not the same as pairing an all-world CB from Alabama with another great CB from LSU and a stud LB from Penn State. While that connection will indeed work, something is still missing–time.
Their resumes speak for themselves with Carter, Dean, Smith, Ringo, and Davis. Now, the question is can they bring that winning formula they had in Georgia to the Philadelphia Eagles? The talent is there, the trust is there and due to what Roseman was able to pull off in the last 2 NFL Drafts, the hunger and happiness are there as well.
Winning in college with guys you may have met a few times before suiting up is one thing. But to be drafted in the NFL after spending time in the college trenches and learning one another is entirely different. They want to win to prove that Howie made the right selections but to also prove that what happened at Georgia was no fluke.
This will be a story of 5 friends who won at the college level and will be looking to carry that success over to the pro level. All eyes will be on the Philadelphia Eagles this coming season and if these 5 Georgia friends have their way, the celebrations will not end with a National Championship and their names being called on Draft night.
