With their 10th and final (we think) pick of the weekend and fourth pick in the sixth round the Eagles on Saturday selected super productive Virginia Tech edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland.
Powell-Ryland, the 209th player taken in the draft, stands 6-foot-5, 255 pounds. He spent his first three years playing linebacker at Florida before finishing with two years at Virginia Tech. He was very productive the last couple years, with 9 ½ sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2023 and 16 sacks and 19 tackles for loss this past year.
His 25 ½ sacks over the last two years were most in the BCS, and his 32 tackles for loss were tied for the most with Mikail Kamara of James Madison in 2023 and Indiana in 2024.
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SIGN UP HERE Powell-Ryland’s traits aren’t elite, but he made up for them in Blacksburg by using a wide array of pass-rush moves and keeping offensive tackles off balance with his unpredictability. He doesn’t have elite speed or length, but working with edge coach Jeremiah Washburn should get the most out of what he does have.
Powell-Ryland turned 23 in February, so he's a little older than most of this draft class.
Powell-Ryland comes into an edge room that’s in transition. The Eagles lost Josh Sweat in free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement.
Big-ticket free agent Bryce Huff provided very little when he wasn’t hurt and is a huge question mark going into 2025. The Eagles added low-budget free agents Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari, but the only real known quantities at the edge are Nolan Smith, who had a huge second half and postseason, and Moro Ojomo, a 7th-round pick in 2023 who showed great progress as the year went on.
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Powell-Ryland is the first Virginia Tech player the Eagles have drafted since safety Victor “Macho” Harris in the fifth round in 2009 and only the third since 1962.
At the Combine, Powell spoke about what he offers to an NFL team.
“They’re definitely getting a great guy on and off the field,” he said according to a story on Steelers Depot. “A disciplined player, winning off the field and just a positive guy overall.
“Great locker room guy, I can adapt to anything, very versatile. So anything really, whatever I need to do to be on the team, I’m here.”
The Eagles used their first five picks on defensive players and their next four on offensive players before finishing Howie Roseman’s 15th draft with an edge rusher. Roseman has used 24 of his 40 picks over the last four years on defensive players.