The first week of Eagles Training Camp is almost in the books and there have been plenty of movers and shakers. Here’s a quick rundown of the players on the rise, and those who will need to find another gear in the coming weeks.
Stock up:
Tyree Jackson
The 6’7 TE convert is making some early noise this Summer. Two explosive practices have really sent his stock soaring through the roof. With some soft hands to complement his tall stature, there’s a chance we see Jackson carry this momentum into joint practices and preseason, giving him a shot at the practice squad and potentially beyond.
Davion Taylor
The coaching staff have sang the praises of the second-year product, who was also very open about his slightly disappointing rookie year. Taylor is a freak athlete who could be pushing for a boost in regular-season snaps if he continues to make progress and find his footing in this new-look defense. With Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis pushing him every step of the way, expect to see much more of Taylor.
Nick Mullens
If there were to be one big winner from the opening week of practices, it might just be Nick Mullens. The former Niners QB has been notably putting a ton of pressure on the shoulders of Joe Flacco. Had it not been for an elbow injury, he may not have been released from San Francisco in the first place.
Mullens has been called ‘the best passer in camp’ so far by some and with 16 starts under his belt at such a young age, it’s all too easy to see how much potential remains untapped. I’m personally excited to see what he can do in the preseason.
Josiah Scott
It’s hard to imagine Josiah Scott seeing any playing time this year, unless the likes of Avonte Maddox and Zech McPhearson suffer injuries, but the 5’9 corner is doing his best to become the next in a long-line of underdogs at the position.
Not only was he the fist Eagle to pick off a pass this Summer, but his physicality has been noted on several occasions. The Eagles lost Captain Cre’Von this offseason, but Scott could be a fun replacement worth watching this Summer.
Stock down
Andre Dillard
The battle between Andre Dillard and Jordan Mailata was always going to command attention this offseason, but so far, Dillard has struggled to separate from the former seventh-round pick. It’s not that Dillard is really struggling badly, although Derek Barnett reportedly gave him plenty of work, but if he can’t show enough to convincingly beat out Jordan Mailata, then the team may already have their answer at left tackle.
Joe Flacco
For $3.5M, you expect a veteran quarterback to be gunning down the potential QB1 and doing his best to prove he can still start. That was the motive for Flacco this offseason, who wasn’t interested in playing the mentor card. However, Nick Mullens has stolen the show and left Flacco picking up the pieces. The former Super Bowl MVP has looked wobbly at times by all accounts and with two much younger arms ahead of him doing far better, his stock is tumbling.
Buy the dip
Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders was poor as a receiving back last year and led the RB position in total drops. Training Camp hasn’t exactly started out brilliantly either, with a few bobbles and drops still haunting his play. However, there’s a real push to iron this out of his game, with Sanders being seen constantly working on catching drills and spending time on the jugs machine. If there’s ever a time to buy the dip, this is it in the hopes that he can find some confidence catching balls again and re-gain what made him so dangerous as a rookie.
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
