The Philadelphia Eagles are fresh off their second Super Bowl win, but also in the midst of a lot of changes to the roster, including starting positions at Right Guard, Linebacker, Safety, and Cornerback all available. There are also a lot of opportunities for rotational players to move up the depth chart and prove they deserve to be on an NFL roster. Training camp is not far away, and it will be an intriguing camp at Nova Care this summer.
These Birds Have High Hopes:
Defense:
Jalyx Hunt
Jalyx has the opportunity to be Edge 2 for the Eagles this season. He and Nolan Smith now have the most experience in the Edge room, marking a significant transition. Jalyx only played 241 regular-season snaps and is going to be relied upon for a lot more with Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat no longer on the roster.
Azeez Ojulari
Azeez has battled injuries over his young NFL career, but the Eagles have seen him up close, having played against him during his time with the Giants. He had three starts in 2024 and totaled five sacks. With Bryce Huff traded, Azeez could be a beneficiary of the extra snaps available, and on a one-year deal, he is playing for a future contract or an extension with Philly. He could be on the verge of a breakout campaign if he stays healthy.
Josh Uche
Another low-risk, high-upside signing for Howie and the Eagles. Josh has the opportunity to showcase his skills while playing with an elite defense. Uche will be trying to find the magic he had during the 2022 season when he posted a career-best 11.5 sacks with the Patriots. At only 26 years old, he is still in his prime physically and has a chance to be a factor in 2025 in a rotational role.
Vic Fangio discussed how he viewed the Edge rusher position.
“I feel good about Nolan. I think we’ll feel good about Jalyx now that he’s going to get a lot of reps and develop. He played good for us down the stretch last year and played a lot, as you saw, so I feel good about those two guys, and I think they’ll continue to improve. We’ve got [OLB Joshua] Uche, we’ve got [OLB] Azeez [Ojulari], we’ve got three other guys there. I think we’ll be fine.”
Jeremiah Trotter Jr
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon Jr. should dominate the inside linebacker snaps this summer, with Dallas Gant and Lance Dixon fighting for some looks. One of the linebacker positions will likely be available to start the season as the Eagles’ first-round pick, Jihaad Campbell, recovers from surgery.
The right to start next to Zack Baun is wide open, according to Fangio.
“Yeah, well, Zack can play either spot, just like with Cooper, wherever we need him the most, what’s best for the team, which will be determined some by who the next guy is until Nakobe comes back, which he won’t be back for a while. That’ll be TBD. That’ll be a good question after two preseason games.”
Sydney Brown
Brown knows Mukuba is coming for the job he wants. He has heard what Fangio has said about his injury-riddled 2024 season and not being on the field.
“Well, his experience came in ’23, not ’24. Last year at this time, he wasn’t doing anything and didn’t do anything really until the middle of October.”
But Sydney is in great shape, hungry for the job, and will not give up the right to start easily. This is one of the more intriguing competitions of the summer.
“It’s a competition that is going to take a training camp and a few preseason games to sort out. And Tristin (McCollum)’s in that, too.” Vic Fangio
Kelee Ringo
There may not be a player on the roster who will be more scrutinized this summer than Kelee. With the departure of Big Play Slay, there is a huge hole opposite Quinyon Mitchell to be a starting corner.
Eagles DC Vic Fangio is in a wait-and-see mode to see how the CB battle plays out. There could also be an addition made via free agency or trade. This is not a job that is close to being determined. Fangio shared his thoughts on Ringo heading into the season.
“He just needs reps. He needs to learn to play the game, and that comes with reps. To quote what Nick said in a meeting recently, ‘Repetition is the burden of leadership.’ It’s up to us to get him enough reps in practice, expose him to all the things he needs to be exposed to so he can play a full NFL game. When I say full, not physically conditioning-wise, but be a competent corner throughout a full game in a full season.”
Offense:
Tyler Steen
The Eagles selected Tyler Steen in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, in hopes of transitioning Steen to be their right guard. Tyler was primarily a tackle during college, but many questioned his ability to play tackle in the NFL due to his arm length, and he was trained at guard under Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland once he arrived in Philadelphia. Steen’s athleticism has been evident, and Tyler hopes that the third time will be the charm and that 2025 will be the year he takes over the job. As he has every year, he will face competition for the starting spot.
Kenyon Green
The Eagles are interested in seeing Kenyon Green this summer and what Coach Stoutland can bring out of the former top-15 pick. Many feel that Kenyon seems destined to be a developmental player for the Birds this year, but so did Mekhi Becton last season. Green brings a similar pedigree and a lot of tools with him to the City of Brotherly Love. He possesses the size, raw talent, and traits that excite the organization regarding his potential. He has made 23 NFL starts and could flourish in a heavy run-scheme offense.
Drew Kendall
Drew will have a chance to showcase what he can do as a guard this summer. Kendall was arguably one of the better true center prospects in the draft, but as Eagles fans have seen in the past (recently with Cam Jurgens), where a player received his offensive line snaps in college or with others means little to the Philadelphia coaching brass. His athleticism is similar to Jurgens, who filled in at RG very well for the Birds.
Will Shipley
Will Shipley was RB3 last season and will be fighting with A.J. Dillon for RB2 this year. If Shipley improves his pass protection, it would go a long way towards him being on the field. Dillon missed the entire 2024 season due to a neck injury and will need to prove he is healthy to compete for the job. This job could end up being a platoon without a clear-cut winner.
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