A general idea of what this year’s team could look like.
We’ve spent the past few days projecting the Philadelphia Eagles’ depth chart for the 2024 NFL season. We started with the offense, moved on to the defense, and then finished up with the special teams unit. Now it’s time for a prediction of who will actually make the final cut down to 53 players. We’ll certainly update these projections throughout the rest of the offseason to reflect meaningful developments from practices and preseason games.
OFFENSE
QB: Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee (3) [3]
Hurts is looking to stack his second season without missing a game. How he goes, the Eagles go. The Eagles should hold a legitimate QB2 battle … but the thinking here, until proven otherwise, is that they’re setting Pickett up to win by giving most of the second team reps. QB3 typically doesn’t get many practice reps, limiting McKee’s chances to move up the depth chart.
RB: Saquon Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, Will Shipley (3) [6]
Barkley figures to see the biggest workload of any Eagles running back in some time. Gainwell could see some touches to help spell Barkley. Last year, Boston Scott saw just 24 touches as RB3. Shipley is in line to take over that small role. Unless someone unexpectedly steps up, the Eagles don’t have a fourth running back that they must keep. Makes more sense to keep RB4 on the practice squad.
WR: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, DeVante Parker, Ainias Smith, Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson (6) [12]
Brown and Smith have been remarkably healthy over the past two years. The Eagles will hope their good fortune in this department continues. Especially since the options behind the top two receivers aren’t overly inspiring. It feels like one of either Parker or Parris Campbell will make the team. I went back and forth on this one before ultimately deciding on Parker, who’s had the more successful NFL career. There’s also less of a need for a slot guy like Campbell when you’re keeping both Ainias and Covey. And, yes, Covey is obviously worth keeping around as the NFL’s best punt returner. Wilson has a similar skill set to Parker in theory but he’s probably not ready to play much right away as a rookie. Wilson’s going to be a healthy scratch if he doesn’t have a special teams role.
TE: Dallas Goedert, C.J. Uzomah, Grant Calcaterra (3) [15]
The Eagles need to get much more out of Goedert than they did last season. Uzomah is a direct replacement for Jack Stoll as a blocking tight end who can occasionally catch a pass. In theory, Calcaterra offers pass-catching ability and he actually plays on special teams … unlike Albert Okwuegbunam (five career ST snaps).
OL: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Mekhi Becton, Fred Johnson, Matt Hennessy, Trevor Keegan, Dylan McMahon (10) [25]
Four of the five starters are locked in; Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, and Johnson. Jurgens obviously has huge shoes to fill while replacing Jason Kelce. Steen appears to be the first guy up at right guard. The 2023 third-round pick looked better at tackle than guard in last year’s offseason practices but he’s since had more time to adjustment to a new position. Hennessy or Keegan could potentially start at right guard if Steen struggles. Nick Sirianni downplayed using Becton at guard; he’ll instead focus on tackle and potentially win the job as the swing guy. The Eagles liked Johnson enough to give him an extension that put him under contract through this season. He was their OT4 last year and he could reprise that role. Hennessy, Keegan, and McMahon can all provide interior offensive line depth. UDFAs Anim Dankwah and Gottlieb Ayedze are developmental candidates for the practice squad.
DEFENSE
EDGE: Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham, Jalyx Hunt (5) [30]
The Eagles are counting on Huff to prove himself as more of a full-time player as opposed to a situational pass-rusher. Sweat, who is in a contract year, has much to prove after really fading down the stretch last season. The Eagles are going to need to trust Smith a lot more than they did last year. He could a big swing factor in the success of their pass rush and the viability of their rotation (or lack thereof). Graham still has enough gas in the tank to give the Eagles some snaps off the bench in the final year of his career. Hunt is a candidate to be a healthy scratch all season, though perhaps he’ll find a special teams role.
DT: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, Marlon Tuipulotu (5) [35]
Vic Fangio told reporters Carter needs to be in great shape to handle playing a lot of snaps. With Fletcher Cox gone, Carter is indeed DT1. The Eagles need Davis to resemble the player he was early on in 2023 before going quiet. Williams could take another step forward this year after getting better each season thus far. Ojomo had the ultimate jersey number glow up going from No. 72 to No. 978. Double-digit sack season incoming?! Maybe not … but Ojomo has flashed enough to believe he could be a quality DT4 or DT5. Ditto for Mr. T.
LB: Nakobe Dean, Devin White, Zack Baun, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Oren Burks (5) [40]
It’s going to be pretty discouraging if Dean doesn’t flash at all in training camp for the third straight year. Lots of pressure on him to step up. The Eagles feel like White is motivated coming off his late-season benching. One of the more interesting notes from Fangio’s intro presser is that Baun is viewed as an off-ball linebacker, though he could also see some playing time on the edge. Maybe Baun is in line for more playing time than we all realized. If the veterans ahead of him struggle, Trot Jr. could get an opportunity to make plays just like he did in college. Burks is an experienced backup who can also contribute on special teams.
CB: Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, Avonte Maddox, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers (6) [46]
Slay is CB1, that much is settled. He did turn 33 earlier this year, though, and as we saw with James Bradberry (who we’re projecting to be cut), older corners can drop off real hard real fast. Mitchell is the favorite to start across from Slay but it’s not like the Eagles will merely hand him the job. The Eagles traded up for Ringo last year, who showed some potential late in the season. He could push to start. As could Rodgers, who has NFL experience. We’re currently slotting Maddox in at nickel but he’ll have to prove he deserves that spot. DeJean’s fit in the secondary remains to be seen but the guess is that he’ll contend for playing time in the slot in addition to providing depth on the outside and at safety (though more so on a emergency basis). Cutting Josh Jobe and Eli Ricks wasn’t easy here but the Eagles are so loaded at CB. Maybe they could trade a CB or two for more depth at another position?
S: Reed Blankenship, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Sydney Brown, Andre’ Sam (4) [50]
Blankenship played through injuries in 2023. CJGJ missed a good chunk of games due to injury in 2023. Brown suffered a season-ending injury in 2023. And so it feels like it’s a little reckless to keep just three guys here. The Eagles usually have at least one UDFA who makes the roster, so we’ll go with Sam, who is an older rookie who might be more ready to contribute than most inexperienced players.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Jake Elliott (1) [51]
Can Elliott top his career year? Won’t be easy but wouldn’t rule it out.
P: Braden Mann (1) [52]
The Eagles have a quality punter.
LS: Rick Lovato (1) [53]
Lovato is locked in as the long snapper for at least one more season.
PRACTICE SQUAD
QB Will Grier, RB Kendall Milton, WR Parris Campbell, WR Joseph Ngata, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, OT Anim Dankwah, OG Gottlieb Ayedze, EDGE Julian Okwara, EDGE Patrick Johnson, DT Gabe Hall, DT PJ Mustipher, LB Ben VanSumeren, CB Eli Ricks, CB Josh Jobe, CB Tyler Hall, S Tristin McCollum
International exemption: OT Laekin Vakalahi
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