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PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles made a trade with the Detroit Lions on Saturday for running back D’Andre Swift, who led St. Joe’s Prep to its first Class 6A state football championship.
The Eagles exchanged seventh round picks in this draft and threw a 2025 fourth round selection into the bag to secure Swift (5-9, 211), who last season rushed for 542 yards and five touchdowns and caught 48 passes for 389 yards and three scores with the Lions.
The Philly-born Swift rushed for 144 yards and a TD against the Eagles, who held on for a 38-35 win in the 2022 opener at Ford Field. He became expendable when the Lions signed free agent running back David Montgomery and drafted runner Jahmyr Gibbs of Alabama with the 12th overall pick.
“He’s got big play ability as a runner and receiver,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “We saw it firsthand when we were in Detroit the first game of the season. He’s got vision. Obviously tremendous character after that. We like our running backs. We didn’t go into the draft feeling like this was a position we had to have. But we felt like this player was someone who really adds to our culture and our team.”
Swift, a second-round pick in 2020, gives the Eagles six Georgia products and counting. The acquisition came after the Eagles moved up in the fourth round to select cornerback Kelee Ringo of Georgia.
The Eagles previously drafted Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round. Last year the Eagles drafted defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean.
Ringo (6-2, 207) capped a storybook first season for the Dawgs with a pick-six of Alabama’s Bryce Young to lift the Bulldogs to the 2021 national championship.
Ringo picked off two passes in a dozen games this past season.
Ringo claims he’s healthy from a shoulder injury that may have dropped him from the second to third day of the draft.
With the Eagles, Ringo could eventually find himself competing for playing time with cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
“I’m very familiar with those guys,” Ringo said. “They’re overall ball hawks and just great DB’s overall. I have a lot of respect for those guys.”
The plethora of Bulldogs in South Philly should aid in the development of Ringo, the prospect calling it “a great situation to be in.”
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