The revamped USFL held its 35-round draft over the last two days and several former Eagles were selected.
The eight-team league split up its draft by position like this:
Day 1
Round 1: Quarterbacks
Rounds 2-4: Edge rushers/defensive ends
Rounds 5-7: Offensive tackles
Round 8-11: Cornerbacks
Round 12: Quarterbacks
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Day 2
Rounds 13-17: Wide receivers
Rounds 18-19: Safeties
Round 20: Centers
Round 21: Inside linebackers
Rounds 22-23: Offensive guards
Rounds 24-26: Defensive tackles and nose tackles
Rounds 27-28: Running backs and fullbacks
Rounds 29-31: Outside linebackers
Round 32: Kickers
Round 33: Punters
Round 34: Tight ends/Halfbacks
Round 35: Long snappers
Here’s a look at all the former Eagles I found in the list of drafted players:
Round 1-5: QB Clayton Thorson (Houston Gamblers): The Eagles used a fifth-round pick on Thorston out of Northwestern back in 2019. But the 6-foot-4 Thorson didn’t make the cut. Instead, he ended up with the Cowboys on their practice squad and later ended up on the Giants’ practice squad.
Round 1-7: QB Kyle Lauletta (Pittsburgh Maulers): When the Eagles cut Thorson in 2019, they signed Lauletta, the former fourth-round pick, as their third-string quarterback. Lauletta never played in a real game for the Eagles.
NFL
Round 8-3: CB De’Vante Bausby (New Jersey Generals): Bausby, who was undrafted out of Pittsburgh State, actually played quite a bit in the NFL. In total, he has 26 career games with 6 career starts under his belt. In 2018, he played in six games with the Eagles and started one. In those games, h had 14 tackles. Bausby was on the Eagles’ practice squad in 2017 and in 2018 before he was promoted to the active roster. He was waived in December of 2018.
Round 8-8: CB Ajene Harris (Pittsburgh Maulers): You might not remember the USC corner’s time with the Eagles — it was brief — but I sure do. Back in 2019, the Eagles needed to add a corner during training camp and brought in Harris, who had worked out for them before. Two days later, he played in his first NFL preseason game. He never really had a shot to make the team that year.
Round 9-5: CB Jameson Houston (Michigan Panthers): Houston spent some time with the Eagles’ practice squad during the 2020 season. In the 2021 offseason, the Eagles traded him and a 2023 sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for Josiah Scott, who ended up being a big special teams contributor in his first season in Philly.
Round 9-6: CB Trae Elston (New Jersey Generals): While he was drafted as a corner, Elston has played safety in the NFL and he’s also been in the CFL before too. Elston has 14 NFL games under his belt and all of them came in the 2017 season. One of them was with the Eagles. So, yes, Elston was a part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl season. He played seven special teams snaps in the 27-24 win over the Giants in Week 3.
Round 17-1: WR Manasseh Bailey (Birmingham Stallions): Bailey signed with the Eagles as a UDFA back in 2020 out of Morgan State. Bailey also spent time with the Chargers as a rookie. In 2021, he signed a futures deal with the Jets and even made a big catch in the joint practices between the Eagles and Jets in Florham Park, New Jersey, this past summer.
Round 18-4: S Obi Melifonwu (Tampa Bay Bandits): The former second-round pick who is an athletic freak at 6-4, 224 pounds just never worked out in the NFL. The Raiders drafted him out of UConn with the No. 56 pick but then he bounced around with the Patriots, 49ers and Eagles. He was with them early in training camp last year before suffering an injury.
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Round 24-4: DT Destiny Vaeao (New Jersey Generals): The most experienced Eagle on this list is Vaeao, who played in 33 games with 3 starts for the Eagles from 2016-2018. Vaeao was an undrafted defensive tackle out of Washington State who was on the Super Bowl team and got a ring. In that playoff run, he was inactive against the Falcons in the divisional round and inactive for the Super Bowl but did play 11 defensive snaps in the NFC Championship Game and had a tackle.
Round 25-8: DT JaQuan Bailey (Michigan Panthers): Bailey was with the Eagles last summer as a UDFA from Iowa State. He was released at final cuts.
Round 34-4: TE Cary Angeline (Birmingham Stallions): The Eagles signed Angeline, a Downingtown East product, on Aug. 22, 2021 and waived him on Aug. 29, 2021. His time with the Birds did not last long.