Eagles stock up/stock down report: Eli Ricks shines, Jalen Carter flashes, and more

As Eagles players and coaches left the packed visitors’ locker room at M&T Bank Stadium Saturday night, general manager Howie Roseman stood near the entrance and shook hands with a handful of those leaving.

Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni benefited from an up-close look at most of the players, particularly the rookies and also those fighting for a back-end spot on the 53-man roster during the team’s exhibition loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Here is The Inquirer’s stock up/stock down report from the first preseason game.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter

Ahead of his NFL debut, Carter had an inclination he wouldn’t log many snaps in Saturday’s exhibition. So when he took the field for his only pass-rush snap of the game, Carter made sure to maximize his lone opportunity, leaving Eagles fans with a first impression that has them anticipating more.

Carter lined up from the 3-technique over former University of Georgia teammate and Ravens right guard Ben Cleveland. Upon the snap, Carter immediately applied force toward Cleveland’s body, and he felt him slightly leaning toward his left shoulder. Immediately, Carter executed a quick rip move, completely erasing Cleveland from the equation, then he forced an errant throw, while also registering a quarterback hit on Josh Johnson. Welcome to the show, Jalen Carter.

Cornerback Eli Ricks

The Eagles have an intriguing puzzle at defensive back. The position group is loaded with front-end talent led by starters Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox. Second-year player Josh Jobe appears to have a firm grip on the top reserve spot at outside cornerback, while Zech McPhearson, in his third year, has been first up behind Maddox in the nickel. If the Eagles keep six cornerbacks — similar to how they did at roster cut down day last year — one would imagine they’d prioritize 2023 draft pick Kelee Ringo. That leaves one spot left for a handful of intriguing players, including free-agent signee Greedy Williams, Josiah Scott, Mario Goodrich, Tristin McCollum, and undrafted rookies Eli Ricks and Mekhi Garner.

Among the group, Ricks flashed the most with his dynamic interception returned for a touchdown. Ricks later revealed to The Inquirer that he had spent halftime in the visitors’ locker room studying tape from the first half. He noticed the Ravens often throwing toward the boundary, a tendency that aided him in jumping the route and picking off Brown.

Quarterback Tanner McKee

Following three weeks of a standard camp for a rookie quarterback, the 6-foot-6 McKee proved to be ready for his NFL moment. On his first pass play, McKee stood in the shotgun, and delivered a gorgeous, arcing 27-yard completion to a streaking Tyrie Cleveland down the left sideline. McKee finished as the game’s leading passer with 10 completions for 148 yards.

The Stanford product isn’t completely polished. He missed several targets with apparent overthrows, and he also isn’t a dynamic running threat similar to Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota. But there’s plenty to like with McKee, including his strong arm and his ability to scan the entire field as one of the tallest players on the team.

“He’s talented,” running back Rashaad Penny said of McKee. “He showed he can handle the pressure . He led a touchdown drive and then he just made smart decisions. That’s all you can ask for from your quarterback when you have a rookie in his first preseason game. I think he did a great job.”

Offensive tackle Dennis Kelly

It felt like a full-circle moment a few weeks ago when Kelly signed with the Eagles at the start of camp. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Eagles before he played for the Tennessee Titans (2016-2020), Green Bay Packers (2021), and Indianapolis Colts (2022).

Back here, the veteran offensive lineman was hoping to catch on with the Eagles as a swing tackle behind starters Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. But Kelly frequently has been slow to the punch. Kelly gave up a sack to Ravens outside linebacker Malik Hamm, who easily beat him with an inside spin move to record a sack on McKee.

» READ MORE: Jalen Carter’s welcome to the NFL was brief but explosive in the Eagles’ preseason opener

Quarterback Ian Book

Barring a drastic improvement, Book’s days in Philadelphia appear to be limited, especially with McKee’s arrival. Book, who the team lists as 6 feet, struggled mightily in the second half. He completed just one pass for 11 yards.

One of Book’s worst decisions was his attempt to scramble backward out of trouble, only to be sacked for a loss of 21 yards on third-and-8. Following Rick’s pick six that put the Eagles within one point of tying the game, Sirianni elected to go for two. On the play, Book lofted a hopeless attempt into double coverage, and he was picked off near the corner of the end zone.

Running back Kennedy Brooks

Sirianni enforces a strict no-tackling rule for a majority of training camp. However, tackling to the ground is allowed during just one period at the end of practices — a session that is delegated for developmental players. Brooks is the de facto running back during this period and as a byproduct of the set up, he often is one of the only players tackled in camp.

Against the Ravens, though, Brooks wasn’t entirely ready for contact from a handful of ensuing defenders. On one of his four carries, Ravens defensive back Daryl Worley punched the football out of Brooks’ grip, forcing a momentum-changing turnover. A few plays later, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker connected on a 43-yard field goal.

Brooks already is at the bottom of the depth chart behind Kenneth Gainwell, D’Andre Swift, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny, and Trey Sermon.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie QB Tanner McKee impressive and poised in his ‘welcome to the NFL’ preseason debut