In the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles used the 181st pick to select quarterback Kyle McCord. Of course, Philadelphia doesn’t need quarterback help, coming off a Super Bowl win with Jalen Hurts leading the way, but this selection isn’t a surprise. The Eagles have made it known they’d like to be a quarterback factory, adding a new young quarterback every offseason.

However, this selection is proof that the Eagles were extremely close to adding a young quarterback that would’ve generated far more headlines than McCord. Early in the fifth round, Philadelphia was on deck to pick at No. 145. Before the franchise could get on the clock, the Cleveland Browns jumped in front of them, trading with the Seattle Seahawks for the 144th pick.

With that pick, Cleveland selected quarterback Shedeur Sanders, ending a puzzling slide that has dominated headlines since the draft started on Thursday night. Insiders have made it clear the Browns jumped Philadelphia because the Eagles were preparing to take Sanders. The selection of McCord a round later seemingly confirms that.

Eagles came close to drafting Shedeur Sanders before ultimately selecting Kyle McCord

That certainly would’ve been a wild development, even though Jalen Hurts is locked in as the starter in Philadelphia. Sanders commands the spotlight, so the Eagles’ quarterback room would have been widely discussed. In the end, what actually happened is best for everyone.

Sanders lands in Cleveland, where he’ll have the opportunity in a crowded quarterback room to compete and start. The Eagles still get a quarterback, drafting Kyle McCord who led the nation with 4,779 passing yards last season, and McCord gets to return to Philadelphia where he played high school football.

McCord now joins a quarterback room that has Hurts, Tanner McKee, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.