With Training Camp on the horizon, excitement is beginning to ramp up ahead of another season of Philadelphia Eagles football. The roster is stacked from top to bottom and expectations are high, but there are still plenty of players who will need to step up if this team is to reach its ceiling.
5 Eagles in need of a strong Summer
Nolan Smith
There was a lot of hype surrounding the selection of Nolan Smith following the 2023 NFL Draft. The Eagles were somehow able to land two Georgia stalwarts in the opening round, but it was Jalen Carter who snatched the spotlight and never looked back.
Smith, on the other hand, recorded 18 tackles and 1 sack in a very quiet rookie year. He averaged around 11 snaps per game behind the likes of Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham, so his upside was always going to be limited in year one. But with Reddick no longer around and BG entering his final rodeo, this is a big year for the former first-round pick.
Smith left Georgia with one of the best profiles in the Draft. An athletic monster who has the best run-stop rate of any EDGE in his class, he was as explosive as anyone off the line. Under a new scheme, it will be very interesting to see how Vic Fangio uses his skillset.
It’s way too early to be critical of a player we’ve yet to see really get his opportunity, but the Eagles invested heavily in the long-term future of an EDGE player with all the tools to be great at the NFL level, and now he is in a prime spot to validate that selection, and it all starts at Camp.
Darius Slay
Darius Slay’s play on the field in 2023 was solid, but his sentiments about his own play in contrast of a struggling Eagles outfit left many fans confused. Fast forward to this season and the Eagles decided to double dip at defensive back during the NFL Draft. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are destined to be key pieces for years to come, meaning Slay’s days in Philadelphia could well be numbered.
He responded to the rookie arrivals graciously and has been very vocal about wanting to prepare the next generation of cornerback in Philadelphia, which was met with a welcome reception from the fanbase. However, he still has a job to do, and he won’t want to give up his spot without a fight. Slay is still one of the best corners of this past generation and proved last year that he has plenty of gas in the tank.
The pressure will be much higher now that he not only has the likes of Mitchell and DeJean to worry about, but players like Isaiah Rodgers too. If there is ever a time for Slay to turn back the clocks and remind fans just how good he is, this is it. If he ends up being overshadowed in the Summer, you have to wonder how patient the Eagles will be in waiting to pull the trigger on their prized new era of corners, not wanting to leave them languishing on the sidelines for long.
Tyler Steen
The departure of Jason Kelce was always going to be tough to stomach, but the Eagles were ready to roll with his replacement. Cam Jurgens appears to be the man ready to fill those mightily large boots, which left a gap at RG. As things stand, Tyler Steen and former Jet, Mekhi Becton, will be duelling it out for that position.
Steen was selected in the heart of last years’ NFL Draft as a versatile lineman with plenty of athletic upside. He spent a lot of time at Tackle with the Crimson Tide and if he is to win out this starting role, he’s going to need to beat a first-round pedigree talent who is in the middle of trying to get his own career back on track. It’s a big ask, but if he does secure that RG role, it will come with a lot of confidence since it’s one that’s been well-earned.
Bryce Huff
One of the marquee signings of the offseason was Bryce Huff. A direct replacement for Haason Reddick, the former Jet exploded onto the scene in 2023 with a 10-sack season. What fans do seem to overlook, however, is that the role he played was largely a rotational one where his incredible burst would be more efficient against worn-down O-lines.
Is Huff going to come in as a 3-down EDGE in Philadelphia? Is he built to play a more hybrid role like we expect all OLB’s/EDGEs to play under Vic Fangio? Training Camp will at least give us some inclination, but with such a hefty price-tag attached to his name, Huff has to hit the ground running.
Reed Blankenship
Reed Blankenship has blossomed into a fan favorite in Philadelphia, but with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson back in the fold, Sydney Brown rehabbing an ACL tear, and the arrival of Cooper DeJean, he finds himself in a spot of uncertainty. Blankenship needs to have a stellar Summer now more than ever.
While his play has been good, you could argue that it hasn’t been the ‘elite’ standard needed to take the team over the top, which is absolutely okay…but how much meat there is on that bone depends on how well he transitions to Fangio’s system. The Safety room is not just crowded, but it’s filled with high-potential players. If Reed can’t stand out from the crowd, it might not be long before some sharp and unfortunate changes are made.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
