Eagles sign draft picks Jalyx Hunt, Ainias Smith, and Will Shipley; add another cornerback

The Eagles made a series of roster moves on Monday, signing part of their rookie class a week before the first spring practices of the offseason.

Third-round edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, fourth-round running back Will Shipley, and fifth-round wide receiver Ainias Smith signed their rookie deals, giving the Eagles five of their nine draft picks under contract. The team signed Day 3 selections Trevor Keegan (guard) and Johnny Wilson (wide receiver) earlier this month and still has to sign first-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, second-round defensive back Cooper DeJean, fifth-round linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and sixth-round center Dylan McMahon.

» READ MORE: How Cooper DeJean’s ‘first love’ of basketball helped set him on a path to the Eagles

The Eagles’ first offseason practice is scheduled for Monday with the team’s mandatory minicamp slated for June 4-6.

The Eagles also signed undrafted rookie Shon Stephens, a 25-year-old cornerback out of Ferris State who participated in their rookie minicamp earlier this month. They cleared a roster spot by releasing tight end Noah Togiai, who has spent time on the Eagles’ practice squad each of the last three seasons and has appeared in four games for the team since 2021.

At 5-foot-8, 173 pounds, Stephens is an undersized cornerback with experience as a return specialist during his college career. He played for West Liberty in 2022 before transferring to Ferris State in Michigan and had eight interceptions in each of the last two seasons. He spent two years away from football, reportedly missing the 2020 season to be with his mother as she dealt with health complications and sitting out in 2021 as a walk-on at Penn State because of eligibility issues. Stephens had two kick returns in college, including a 100-yard touchdown return.

Stephens joins a crowded cornerback room with the Eagles that features several developmental defensive backs. Including DeJean, who played cornerback in college but could play across the secondary with the Eagles, the team has 13 cornerbacks on the roster going into the next phase of offseason activities.