The Philadelphia Eagles snagged a potential steal in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting New Mexico outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby with the No. 252 overall pick—acquired via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. While many analysts projected the talented edge rusher to go undrafted, the Eagles saw enough to bring him into the fold, adding depth and promise to their defensive line.

James-Newby’s journey to the NFL is anything but conventional. After starting his college career in the Junior College and NAIA ranks, he earned extra eligibility and bounced through Montana Tech and Idaho before landing at New Mexico. That winding road paid off: he started 46 games in his college career, racking up an impressive 23.5 sacks. Over the past two seasons alone, he posted 9 sacks in 2025 and 10.5 the year before—numbers that scream production.

What does the Eagles’ front office see in him? “He can rush,” one team insider noted. “When you turn on the tape and see him in must-pass situations, he’s able to get off the ball. He can bend. He’s got production as a rusher. Obviously, you’re looking for traits late in the draft, and that was one of the reasons we wanted to get a bunch of picks there at the end. Even at the end, we were sitting there going, can we try to get a couple more picks because there were some guys that we wanted to take. He’s going to have to show it here, but that’s why we liked him.”

For Eagles fans, James-Newby represents the kind of late-round gamble that can pay off big—especially for a team that loves to rotate pass rushers. Whether he’s bending around the edge or chasing down quarterbacks, this seventh-round pick has the traits to turn heads in training camp. Keep an eye on this one; he might just be the surprise of the draft class.