NFC Notes: Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham, Eagles, Giants’ Draft

Eagles

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts spoke about how the upcoming matchup with the Chiefs has lit a fire in him.

“I’ve learned so much,” Hurts said, via NFL.com. “It’s the same as any other game and, you know, I think the moments are the moments but ultimately, you know, every game has its lesson — good, bad or indifferent. So, just being able to become wiser, grow and mature and take all these lessons in for the next season and the next games. It’s had a great driving force. It lit a flame, lit a fire in me, and to have this opportunity again is exactly what you work for.”

Eagles

Eagles DE Brandon Graham has been dealing with a triceps injury in recent weeks and revealed he expects to play in the Super Bowl this Sunday. 

“I’m feeling good,” Graham said, via The Athletic. “I’m feeling real good. I’m excited, man, to be able to play in this game.”

When asked to clarify, Graham responded he’s feeling good in practice and they will see how this week goes. 

“I’m feeling good right now. Practice starts on Wednesday and then if we’re a go every day, then we’ll see. The first two days last week I practiced went really good. I just have to make sure I keep stacking the days.”

Graham said he worked hard with Philadelphia’s trainers after they indicated a chance to play again this season. 

“When I got hurt, I was seeing (with Eagles trainers) if there was a possibility” Graham said. “There was a possibility. So I worked really hard making sure I rehabbed and did everything I could and then when the opportunity came up, they knew I wanted to come back and I knew there was a chance that I could if we made it, so I was making sure I was working. That opportunity came, and now they’re giving me a chance.”

Giants

The Giants sit at No. 3 in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorao’s Shedeur Sanders could be the top two selections. In that case, Giants GM Joe Schoen said they are “open to anything” and feel there will be good players available when they pick. 

“We’re going to be open to anything,” Schoen said, via Dan Salomone of the team’s site. “We’re in a good position sitting at three with the players that are available. By process of elimination, we know we’re going to get a good player. Regardless of what happens the next couple of months, we know there’s going to be a really good player there.”

New York has two coaches at the Senior Bowl with DC Shane Bowen and ILBs coach John Egorugwu. Schoen thinks having the pair gives them a “competitive advantage” ahead of this year’s draft. 

“To me, it’s a competitive advantage,” Schoen said. “They’re in the meetings with these kids. They get to know who’s on time, who’s late, who’s early, who can learn the playbook. To me, it’s just a competitive advantage for us, and fortunately our coaches are willing to participate in the process and they’re all in on it. They do really good write-ups on the kids. It helped us last year.”

The Giants notably selected four players in last year’s draft who attended the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl. Schoen explains this decision based on feedback from their coaches who attended those games. 

“A lot of that was based on the feedback that our coaches brought back from the games,” Schoen said.