Eagles offense depth chart projection: How will the new pieces fit in OTAs?

The Eagles offense takes the field with Kellen Moore at the controls for the first time this week.

After an offseason that featured contract extensions for several of the group’s cornerstones and the addition of running back Saquon Barkley in free agency, things start to take shape with the new offensive coordinator in earnest during the team’s offseason workouts, which began Monday.

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Here’s a look at how the first three groups may line up during team sessions this spring:

The Eagles’ depth chart at quarterback is about as chalk as any other on the roster. Tanner McKee showed enough promise in his preseason debut last year to wonder if the 2023 sixth-round pick worked his way into the No. 2 quarterback conversation, but Kenny Pickett’s starting experience with the Pittsburgh Steelers gives him the edge as Jalen Hurts’ backup. Still, McKee goes into the offseason program with a firm hold on the third spot ahead of Will Grier, who should serve as a training-camp arm with previous experience working with Moore at both of his previous stops with the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles haven’t had a player surpass 300 touches in a single season since LeSean McCoy in 2014, but Barkley’s arrival could change that soon. The 27-year-old will get the lion’s share of carries and could be featured in the passing game as well, a role the Eagles haven’t successfully integrated into the offense the last few seasons.

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Barkley’s major role will leave Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley competing for complementary roles behind him. Shipley was a natural receiver in college and could spell Barkley running routes out of the backfield on passing downs as a result. Gainwell will be interesting; he also had a track record of making an impact as a receiver at Memphis but was often used in short-yardage situations and in four-minute offensive series with the Eagles last year. Considering that Barkley should get the brunt of the work in both areas, Gainwell’s role is bound to change.

Quez Watkins’ departure to Pittsburgh leaves a good chunk of playing time for whoever wins the No. 3 receiver spot alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, a competition that lost a primary contender Monday night when DeVante Parker decided to retire as the team reported to OTAs. Parker bowing out of the race leaves Parris Campbell as the most proven option for the role; he’s compiled 1,057 receiving yards in his five-year career serving mostly as a vertical threat out of the slot for the Indianapolis Colts and then the New York Giants in 2023.

If Sirianni and Moore value having a big-bodied receiver capable of playing on the outside more often and making contested catches, the cluster of tall wideouts at the bottom of the depth chart will give them plenty of options. The team has stockpiled developmental receivers with similar body types and playing styles this offseason both in the draft with Johnny Wilson and in the early parts of the offseason with Austin Watkins Jr., Shaquan Davis, and Jacob Harris. Watkins had a nice game with the Cleveland Browns against the Eagles in the preseason last year, which helps explain his acquisition.

Along with Shipley, Ainias Smith and Britain Covey will have an interesting competition as return specialists, with an advantage to be gained if either of the last two shows some capability to contribute out of the slot as well. That will be something worth watching throughout the summer.

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Jack Stoll’s departure in free agency leaves some uncertainty at the No. 2 tight end spot going into the summer, with Grant Calcaterra leading a group of mostly unproven candidates. Calcaterra, a sixth-round pick in 2022, has improved as a blocker in the last two seasons and was a productive receiving threat at SMU. Has he come far enough to serve as an in-line tight end in 12-personnel for the Eagles?

Albert Okwuegbunam was inactive for all but four games last season and played just 57 offensive snaps after the Eagles traded a seventh-round pick to the Denver Broncos for him on cut-down day. Still, the Eagles’ intrigue persisted enough to sign him to a one-year contract extension at the start of the offseason, suggesting that he could earn a role with a strong summer.

Cam Jurgens’ move to center will soften the blow of losing Jason Kelce at the heart of the Eagles’ interior line, but the true measure will come down to whether Tyler Steen is up for the task of replacing Jurgens at right guard. The 2023 third-round pick spent most of his rookie season behind Sua Opeta on the depth chart and played sparingly as a result. He struggled in his only extended game action against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 last year, allowing six pressures in 35 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

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Still, the former Alabama left tackle now has a full year of experience playing on the interior and all signs point to him getting the first shot at earning the starting right guard spot, with Matt Hennessy and Trevor Keegan as the primary competitors should he give them an opening. Hennessy, a Temple product, is a high-floor veteran option; he had 22 career starts in Atlanta with experience at both center and left guard. Keegan, a fifth-round pick out of Michigan, made 36 starts at left guard during his college career.

Mekhi Becton could be a wild card for the guard competition as well, but the free-agent addition will also bring some much-needed tackle depth alongside Fred Johnson. Both Becton and Johnson have experience on either side of the line, making them somewhat interchangeable to start the summer. Because the majority of Becton’s game experience has come on the left, he could get the edge there.