The Eagles team that takes the field for spring practices at the end of the month will have a different look than the one that finished last season with a humiliating playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That will be especially true on defense, where the Eagles added free agents in pass rusher Haason Reddick and linebacker Kyzir White and drafted defensive tackle Jordan Davis (first round) and linebacker Nakobe Dean (third round).
No doubt, there is more depth and talent along the front seven.
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That is also the case at wide receiver where the Eagles traded for Tennessee Titans star A.J. Brown and signed slot receiver Zach Pascal in free agency.
But the Eagles do not have a proven starter at cornerback opposite Darius Slay. And the starters at safety, Anthony Harris and Marcus Epps, are underwhelming without proven depth behind them.
Here, then, is how the Eagles’ depth chart looks, with more moves, at least in the secondary, expected before the start of the season:
Quarterback
Starter: Jalen Hurts
Reserves: Gardner Minshew, Carson Strong
Comment: Everything the Eagles did this offseason shows that Hurts is the quarterback for this season. Now it’s up to him to prove that he should be the quarterback for 2023 and beyond. He’ll have to improve his completion percentage of 61.3%. With A.J. Brown, a second year for DeVonta Smith and star tight end Dallas Goedert, the Eagles would like to transition from a run-first to a pass-first offense. Much of that rests on Hurts.
Running back
Starter: Miles Sanders
Reserves: Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott
Comment: As big a season as this is for Hurts, it’s just as big, if not bigger, for Sanders. This could be his final season in Philly, because he’s in the final year of his contract. If he stays healthy and gains more than 1,000 yards, he’ll likely price himself out of returning considering the Eagles reluctance to pay running backs. If he continues to deal with injuries and inconsistencies, then the team will have to rely on Scott, Gainwell and possibly Jason Huntley. Undrafted free agent Kennedy Brooks, who ran for 3,320 yards in three seasons at Oklahoma and spent a season as Hurts’ teammate, could win a spot.
Tight end
Starter: Dallas Goedert
Reserves: Grant Calcaterra, Jack Stoll, Tyree Jackson (injured), Richard Rodgers
Comment: This is the last gasp for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles’ second-round pick in 2019 is moving from wide receiver to tight end after three disappointing seasons. But Calcaterra, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick, should be the No. 2 tight end. Arcega-Whiteside will have to beat out Stoll, who played well in limited action last season, and Rodgers, the veteran. Jackson is recovering from a torn ACL, and likely will start the season on the injured list.
Wide receiver
Starters: DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Quez Watkins
Reserves: Zach Pascal, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward
Comment: This is easily the most improved position on the roster. Brown has 2,995 yards receiving in three seasons. Smith set an Eagles rookie record with 916 yards receiving. And Watkins, a sixth-round pick in 2020, had 647 yards last season.
The most intriguing receiver is Devon Allen, the former Olympic hurdler, who set a record last weekend at the Penn Relays. Allen could get a chance if the Eagles trade Reagor or release Ward. Allen hasn’t played football since 2016. But if he can catch, he can play.
Offensive line
Starters (from left): Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson.
Reserves: Andre Dillard, Le’Raven Clark, Cam Jurgens, Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, Brett Toth
Comment: This is one of the top offensive lines in the NFL, even with Brandon Brooks retiring. Jurgens, the second-round pick, is the heir apparent for Kelce, a five-time Pro Bowler. Jurgens will be a reserve at center and guard this season. The Eagles have more than 700 pounds on the left side of the line between Mailata (380 pounds) and Dickerson (336 pounds). The Eagles prefer to keep those two together and move Seumalo, who missed most of last season with a foot injury, to right guard.
Seumalo will have to beat out Driscoll and/or Jurgens for the job, but he should if he’s healthy. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles trade Dillard late in training camp if they can get a mid-round draft pick in return.
Defensive line
Starters: Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat
Reserves: Derek Barnett, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Tarron Jackson, Marlon Tuipulotu
Comment: Haason Reddick, who has 23.5 sacks in the last two seasons, is considered a linebacker, so he’s in the next section. The four-deep rotation at defensive tackle could be the best in the NFL. Davis will likely work his way into playing 50% of the snaps this season, while Graham’s return from a torn Achilles will help a defensive end unit that lacked depth in 2021. The Eagles were second to last in the NFL in sacks last season.
Linebacker
Starters: Haason Reddick, Kyzir White, Nakobe Dean
Reserves: T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor, Kyron Johnson, Shaun Bradley
Comment: We’ll see the full effects of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s system with Reddick and possibly Johnson, the sixth-round pick, serving as pass-rushing linebackers, while White and Dean/Edwards will work the inside. If Dean is healthy, he’ll start over Edwards. Patrick Johnson, JaCoby Stevens and Christian Elliss will compete for a final roster spot.
Cornerback
Starters: Darius Slay, unknown
Reserves: Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, Kary Vincent, Mario Goodrich, Josh Jobe, Josh Blackwell
Comment: It’s likely the other starter isn’t on the Eagles’ roster yet. Remember, the Eagles didn’t sign Steven Nelson, the other starter last season, until a few days before the start of training camp. Expect at least one of the undrafted free agents signed last weekend – Goodrich, Jobe or Blackwell – to make the roster. If the Eagles don’t acquire anyone, McPhearson could have the inside track to start.
Safety
Starters: Anthony Harris, Marcus Epps
Reserves: K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere, Josiah Scott, Jared Mayden, Reed Blakenship
Comment: The Eagles went after marquee free agent Marcus Williams and Tyrann Mathieu, so it’s very likely that one of the starters, perhaps veteran Landon Collins, isn’t on the roster yet. Epps rotated in last season, so he can start if the Eagles don’t upgrade. Chachere is a valued special teams player.
Specialists
Starters: Jake Elliott, Arryn Siposs, Rick Lovato
Reserves: None.
Comment: The Eagles haven’t brought in a punter to compete with Siposs, who slumped badly over the last few games of the season. Expect that to change heading into training camp.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
