After a division-winning season under first year head coach Chip Kelly, Eagles fans were optimistic entering the 2014 offseason. Three months after a season-ending loss to the New Orleans Saints, uncertainty is paramount amongst fans of the original bird gang.

While the Terrell Owens saga has long faded from the limelight for Eagles’ fans, a situation so eerily similar to the one that landed the most-hated man in Philadelphia in Dallas a decade ago repeated itself as DeSean Jackson is now a Washington Redskin.

Last season’s receiving leader for the boys in green will now wear red after a nearly month-long standoff with Philadelphia’s front office, creating more questions than answers for Philly’s faithful. While Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper lead a moderately-talented crop of pass-catchers, the loss of Jackson has resulted in a major need for the Philadelphia Eagles.

What else do the Eagles need entering draft season? The league’s 17th ranked defense in terms of points allowed was horrendous against the pass resulting in a dead-last ranking and an average of 289.8 yards per game given up. While Brandon Boykin ‘s six interceptions were certainly the pinnacle of the Eagles’ success in the secondary in 2013, it was a lone silver lining in Billy Davis’ primary playbook.

The shortcomings in the secondary did not go unnoticed by Howie Roseman and the Bird’s front office as cornerback Nolan Carrol and projected starter at safety Malcom Jenkins inked deals to join Philadelphia in 2014. Certainly this duo of pass defenders is a marked improvement over Patrick Chung and Kurt Coleman, but uncertainly clouds the future regarding this tandem’s impact on a unit facing a need for improvement. Thus, expect Philadelphia to consider safety a top priority in the upcoming draft.

Problems in the realm of pass defense cannot be solely laid on the shoulders of the teams defensive backs however, as former defensive end turned outside linebacker Trent Cole struggled early in 2013, and finished with just eight total sacks. As a whole, the Eagles managed just 37 quarterback takedowns on the year while allowing 46. This ratio must change if Philadelphia hopes to contend for a Super Bowl, and Cole’s status on the team may depend on an increase in production this season. The Eagles will target an outside pass rusher in the draft, such as Missouri’s Kony Ealy or UCLA’s Anthony Barr.

Brandon Graham, the 13th overall selection in the 2010 draft has yet to find a foothold in Philadelphia. The career defensive end struggled in his transition to outside linebacker and spent much of the early portion of 2013 on the sidelines. Graham could challenge Cole for a starting spot on the outside, but only if the former outplays the latter in training camp. This will be a major positional battle to watch as we enter the dog days of summer, and one that could decide the future of the face of the Eagles’ defense in Cole.

Cole is not the only sour-point on the Eagles front-seven, though the other has much more upside. Former LSU Tiger and current nose-tackle Bennie Logan proved his worth as a third round selection last season after taking over for the now unemployed Isaac Sopoaga, but may not be the long-term answer as the center-piece of the Eagles’ defensive unit. Logan is a stop-gap at best at nose-tackle, and is better suited as a defensive end within a 3-4 set. Look for Roseman and company to target a legitimate threat at the position like Notre Dame’s Louis Nix III.

By solidifying the pass rush, Philadelphia will be able to hide their porous secondary and thus solidify a formerly mediocre defense as the best in the NFC East. With numerous holes to plug on the defensive side, there are few picks to attribute to offensive needs come draft day. Fortunately for the Eagles, those needs are few and far between.

Boasting the best offensive line in the NFL and a rushing attack to prove it, the Eagles’ pass protectors are in great shape. However, the age of guard Todd Herremans is of concern, as was his transition inside after Lane Johnson started all 16 games of the 2013 season. Finding a replacement for Herremans must be a priority for the Eagles over the next subsequent offseasons, especially so because the team’s other starting guard Evan Mathis is 32. While needs on defense and in the receiving corps supersede this necessity as of now, interior line help must be on the horizon or the league’s most-prolific offense will struggle to stay atop the ranks of the NFL’s elite.

While Darren Sproles will certainly replace some of the production lost with the departure of Desean Jackson, receiver is still an area the Eagles will look to improve on come draft day. Kelvin Benjamin and Odell Beckham jr. would be targets in the first or second rounds for the Eagles, but considering the depth of talent in the skill positions in the draft this year, expect Philadelphia to wait a round or two before targeting their next pass-catcher extraordinaire.