Philadelphia used its first- and second-round picks in the 1978 NFL Draft four years earlier as part of a trade with Cincinnati to acquire veteran linebacker Bill Bergey.
When the Eagles were finally able to participate in the third round of the draft, they added another linebacker to their roster – Georgia Tech’s Reggie Wilkes.
Moving into the starting lineup in just his third game, Wilkes finished the season with 88 tackles and, along with Bergey, co-led the team with five fumble recoveries, which earned him a place on the UPI and Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie teams.