Meet the newer and lesser-known Eagles who could make an impact in 2024

It is power rankings and predictions season, which means it’s the final stretch before real NFL games kick off and all of those things revert to the mostly meaningless waste of words and brain space that they are.

For now, though, they’re what we have. And the Eagles, who followed a Super Bowl runner-up 2022 season with the kind of implosion that brings everything into question, still boast one of the NFL’s best teams, some experts say. ESPN power rankings have them at No. 5, NFL.com has them in the same spot, and Sharp Football Analysis slots them in at No. 6. Only four teams have better odds to win the Super Bowl, according to FanDuel.

Good teams have good players, and the Eagles have well-known stars like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Lane Johnson, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, and others. Good teams also tend to have valuable and productive depth pieces, and there, the Eagles mostly have unproven players making up the bottom of their 53-man roster and positional depth charts.

The Eagles likely won’t make or break because of those players, but there are plenty of new and lesser-known faces who will be contributing this season, either on regular downs or special teams.

You may know about top draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, top free agent signing Saquon Barkley, and other newcomers like linebackers Devin White and Zack Baun. Here’s a closer look at some of the newer and/or less familiar Eagles on the 53-man roster and practice squad.

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McCollum might’ve been a surprise on the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster, but not if you watched closely in preseason games and during camp practices.

McCollum, who played at Sam Houston State and went undrafted in 2022, got his first taste of the NFL last season with the Eagles. He was on their practice squad for most of the season, but was called up four times, including the playoff game. He mostly played special teams, though he logged 29 defensive snaps in the regular-season finale vs. the Giants.

That experience, McCollum said after last Saturday’s preseason loss vs. Minnesota, was important.

“That experience is so big, especially for a player like me that gets a lot of reps only in practice, getting out there in the game, getting the stadium atmosphere, playing with a lot of high-rep guys, that makes a big difference,” said McCollum, whose twin brother, Zyon, plays cornerback for Tampa Bay.

McCollum, 25, will be on special teams units, but the Eagles’ depth at safety took a blow when James Bradberry was injured this week. The Eagles are pretty thin on their back line. Besides McCollum, former corner Avonte Maddox is the only other healthy backup safety while Sydney Brown (PUP list) continues to work back from injury.

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The newest player on the 53-man roster was signed this week after being waived by the Las Vegas Raiders, who drafted Young in the third round last year.

Young, 23, has some friendly faces in the locker room, having won a national championship with Alabama in 2020 alongside DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson.

Young wasn’t all that impressive during his rookie season with the Raiders. He played 99 snaps over six games, collecting just four tackles (none for a yardage loss) and was inactive for the team’s final 10 games.

The Eagles released fellow defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu in order to make room for Young. They obviously believe Young has more in the tank than he showed as a rookie, and think he can provide some depth behind a top-heavy unit with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis at the top of the depth chart.

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Tough love seems to have saved Johnson’s career. The 27-year-old who went undrafted out of Florida had bounced around a few teams (Steelers, Bengals, Buccaneers) before joining the Eagles’ practice squad last season.

That’s when he met Jeff Stoutland, the offensive line coach whom Johnson says told him: “I’m not going to quit on you. I’m not going to give up on you.” Johnson said Stoutland pushed him, but also helped him restore his confidence.

“He was in my grill 24/7,” Johnson said. “He was coaching me like I was a starter. I got tired of it. I was like, ‘Please, stop.’”

Stoutland never stopped. Johnson, who is 6-foot-7, 326 pounds, carved out a role as the primary backup at both right and left tackle. He might be needed, considering Lane Johnson has missed seven games in the last three years.

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VanSumeren made it clear earlier this week: He’s a linebacker. That only came into question after he showed his route-running skills in a one-on-one rep vs. safety Andre’ Sam at the end of a practice late in training camp.

VanSumeren played some receiver in high school and started his college career at Michigan as a fullback before finishing it as a starting linebacker at Michigan State. Yes, he saw both sides of that bitter rivalry.

The 24-year-old, who was called up for 10 games last year to mostly play special teams, is one of eight undrafted players who were on the initial 53-man roster. The Eagles were thin at linebacker last season but decided to make VanSumeren one of the five off-ball linebackers on this year’s roster because he’s become a special teams ace and continues to improve. Free agent veteran Oren Burks made a late push for a roster spot, but VanSumeren got the nod and Burks was brought back on the practice squad.

Booker spent last year learning by going up against one of the NFL’s best offensive lines in practice. Houston’s 2022 fifth-round pick was waived after camp last season, and the Eagles signed him to their practice squad, where he stayed all year.

Booker, 24, thrived in the Eagles’ developmental program under the direction of Connor Barwin and Matt Leo. General manager Howie Roseman praised Booker’s work ethic, from last year through the offseason program and training camp, and his football IQ (Booker went to Stanford).

The Eagles have a lot of talent ahead of him, adding Young’s recent draft pedigree to the room this week, but Booker did more than enough this summer to show the team he earned a spot.

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Visually, Gates looks like a throwback. He doesn’t wear gloves, even when he takes reps at center, and his jersey is rolled up to show the belly of a proud 312-pound offensive lineman — a look he said he’s liked since his high school days in Las Vegas. Unlike the rest of the guys on this list, Gates, who was signed after camp began, isn’t on the 53-man roster. The Eagles cut him and then brought him back on their practice squad.

But Gates, who is on his third NFC East team (Giants, Commanders), could be in line for a game-day call-up as a reserve lineman who can play multiple positions. The Eagles also have Brett Toth on the practice squad, and both 28-year-olds are in similar situations: on the practice squad but more than capable of being called up to fill different holes.