Predicting the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster heading into the final preseason game against the Vikings

And then there were 53. Almost.

With the Eagles’ final preseason game slated for Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings, general manager Howie Roseman soon will be tasked with trimming the roster down to its initial form for the start of the regular season. As always, the operating word is “initial” — just because the Eagles start with a certain group on the active roster, doesn’t mean that changes won’t happen in the days (and weeks) following the 4 p.m. Tuesday cutdown deadline.

The up-to-17-man practice squad serves as an extension of the roster, too, thanks to game day elevations. Regardless, players will have one final opportunity Saturday to make their cases for the initial 53. Here’s a look at what that group could look like:

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Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee

Cut: Will Grier

The Eagles are poised to carry three quarterbacks on the initial 53 in 2024, just like they did last season with McKee and Marcus Mariota. Pickett has been OK this preseason, but the No. 2′s protection and the skill players at his disposal have been shaky at times. McKee, the 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, outperformed him in the second contest against the New England Patriots. Trying to sneak McKee through to the practice squad isn’t a risk worth taking. Grier was brought in as a camp arm and hasn’t received many opportunities, in team drills or the preseason, to compete for the third-string job in earnest.

Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Will Shipley

Cut: Tyrion Davis-Price, Kendall Milton, Lew Nichols

The Eagles carried four running backs last season on the initial 53, and one of them, Rashaad Penny, hardly ever saw the light of day. Three should suffice with Barkley expected to command the majority of the snaps out of the backfield. Gainwell and Shipley have had promising camps, not only as rushers, but also as receivers and in pass protection. Davis-Price has done the most with his preseason carries, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt (No. 6 in the league among running backs who have had at least 10 rushing attempts). He could be a candidate for a practice-squad spot, but Nichols and Milton have flashed, too.

A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey, Ainias Smith

Cut: Parris Campbell, Jacob Harris, Griffin Hebert, Joseph Ngata, John Ross, Austin Watkins

This is where things start to get tricky. After Brown and Smith, Dotson and Wilson are the only apparent locks to make the initial 53. Covey is on the bubble, but he’s valuable as a punt returner, and it seems unlikely that he would clear waivers to the practice squad again after his performance last season. Even though the Eagles added a number of potential punt-return options such as Cooper DeJean and Ainias Smith, Covey still is their best option for the job come Week 1. The rookie Smith got off to a rough start in camp as he worked his way back from an injury in the spring, but he’s stacked better days recently. Campbell, sidelined with a groin injury for the majority of camp, might be the odd man out, given Dotson’s arrival.

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Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra

Cut: Kevin Foelsch, E.J. Jenkins, Albert Okwuegbunam, Armani Rogers

In this exercise, the Eagles are going heavier at other positions, so they’re only carrying two tight ends in Goedert and Calcaterra. The next tight end who has separated himself from the pack is Jenkins (six receptions on seven targets for 51 yards in two preseason games). The Eagles will need at least one stashed away on the practice squad and Jenkins, a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech, seems like the most worthy recipient of a spot.

Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton, Tyler Steen, Brett Toth, Dylan McMahon, Trevor Keegan, Fred Johnson

Cut: Max Scharping, Darian Kinnard, Nick Gates, Matt Hennessy, Jason Poe, Gottlieb Ayedze, Anim Dankwah, Laekin Vakalahi

While Becton is the apparent front-runner for the starting gig at right guard, Steen will be waiting in the wings — once healthy — for his opportunity if called upon. Toth, a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Army who has spent parts of three seasons on the Eagles’ practice squad and active roster, has a shot at making the initial 53 out of camp. Jeff Stoutland covets versatile depth players, and Toth has the ability to play center, guard, and tackle. Fred Johnson, whom Nick Sirianni singled out after the Patriots game for his improvement, is in line to secure the backup swing tackle role.

If Vakalahi clears waivers, as expected, the Eagles can sign him to the practice squad without using one of their allotted 16 spots thanks to the International Player Pathway Program exemption.

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Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, Marlon Tuipulotu, Thomas Booker

Cut: Gabe Hall, P.J. Mustipher

New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to use odd fronts, so he’ll need a rotation of defensive tackles at his disposal, which is why the Eagles could carry six on the initial 53. Booker, a member of the Eagles practice squad last season, has made plays as a run defender and as a pass rusher throughout camp. Fangio even commended the 24-year-old’s performance against the Patriots, which included a sack and “some other good things that aren’t as noticeable.”

Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Patrick Johnson

Cut: Tarron Jackson, Terrell Lewis, Julian Okwara

Johnson, the 2021 seventh-round pick out of Tulane, has played his way into a spot on the initial roster. He’s been effective rushing the passer throughout camp and preseason, generating a sack, a quarterback hit, a quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble in two games, per Pro Football Focus. Johnson also possesses special-teams value and the versatility to line up as an off-ball linebacker.

Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, Devin White, Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Cut: Oren Burks, Brandon Smith, Ben VanSumeren

Burks seemed like a candidate to make the initial 53 going into camp, but he only returned to practice in full capacity on Tuesday after he was sidelined with a knee injury for nearly four weeks. VanSumeren, a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, is one of the first in line among all the cuts for the practice squad.

Darius Slay, Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Avonte Maddox, Eli Ricks

Cut: Josh Jobe, Zech McPhearson, Shon Stephens, Parry Nickerson

In a turn of events from last season, the Eagles have a surplus of talent at cornerback. Slay, Rodgers, Ringo, Mitchell, and DeJean are locks to make the initial roster. Fangio has been gravitating recently toward a starting outside combination of Slay and Mitchell, then moving the 22nd overall pick out of Toledo into the slot and bringing Rodgers in on the boundary when the defense is in nickel.

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Maddox, 28, has the versatility to contribute at nickel cornerback or safety, a position at which the Eagles are relatively thin. Ricks isn’t as valuable a special-teamer as Jobe or McPhearson, but he has the most upside at cornerback. If the Eagles cut Ricks, there’s a chance they might not be able to get him back to the practice squad. That trio will be worth watching in the Eagles’ final preseason game.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, James Bradberry

Cut: Tristin McCollum, Andre’ Sam, Caden Sterns

PUP: Sydney Brown

The Eagles haven’t activated Brown off PUP as of Friday afternoon, so there’s a likelihood that he will start the season there. In turn, the second-year safety would have to miss the first four weeks of the season, opening up a roster spot for someone else. Bradberry is the potential benefactor. According to Fangio, the converted cornerback is doing “better than [he] thought [Bradberry] would do” in his transition to safety. The Eagles need the depth, and they seemingly still value Bradberry’s smarts and experience.

Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rick Lovato

Elliott had a couple of uncharacteristic misses in the first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Otherwise, he’s been accurate as usual. None of the three specialists faced internal competition in camp, and they all signed extensions this offseason.