Eagles 53-man roster projections: Players will battle for limited spots in training camp

Over the next three weeks, the Eagles will travel to Baltimore for the preseason opener on Saturday and host joint practices and preseason games with the Cleveland Browns (Aug. 17) and Indianapolis Colts (Aug. 24).

Intensity should increase over the upcoming three preseason games and four joint practices, all of which should offer coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman an up-close look as players battle for limited spots on the 53-man roster.

“I just think our guys, when they’re out here ... they’re grinding and they’re working their butts off,” Sirianni said this week. “It’s a physical practice, and that’s who we pride ourselves on [is] being a physically tough football team.

“A lot of the times the more physical team wins. There’s a lot else that goes into that, I understand, but we pride ourselves on that because of the guys we have on this team.”

Thanks to new NFL rules, the Eagles can carry 90 players on the active roster for the preseason. In previous years, NFL teams were required to reduce rosters in small increments over the course of the summer. Now there is one cutdown day to 53 players on Aug. 29.

During the preseason, I will provide updates on my 53-man roster projections. Here’s version 1.0:

Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee

The Eagles are hoping Hurts rewards them with another MVP-caliber season after he signed his massive five-year contract extension worth $255 million. The quarterback, who turns 25 Monday, has looked impressive. It’s almost become a rarity for the football to touch the ground whenever Hurts is throwing inside or outside of the pocket. Hurts continues to dice through an evolving defense that is dealing with typical growing pains and personnel changes at all three levels. Regardless, Hurts has looked elite. Behind him, Mariota is still adjusting to his eighth offensive system in nine seasons, while the rookie McKee has stood out with his height and strong arm.

D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott

Swift, a Philadelphia native, has started to separate himself with a string of standout practices. He’s been used in a multitude of ways and the team will be looking to prioritize his explosiveness in the open field. But don’t overlook Gainwell. The third-year tailback figures to be in the mix with the coaching staff still prioritizing him in the two-minute offense. Gainwell is coming off a breakout performance in the 2022 playoffs where he gained 181 yards on 33 carries (5.4 average). Penny has flashed with his renowned burst; the training staff will be looking to keep him healthy as the 27-year-old attempts to make a full return from his broken leg. Scott, the team’s featured kickoff returner, signed a one-year deal in free agency.

A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus, Joseph Ngata

Brown and Smith broke multiple franchise receiving records in their first year as teammates. The Brown-Smith duo has been dominant in the first few weeks of camp. They’ve caught nearly everything thrown their way from Hurts and their combined ability to separate off the line of scrimmage is second to none. Watkins is looking to rebound from what he labeled a disappointing season, while Zaccheaus will be competing for snaps as he makes his homecoming. On roster cutdown day last year, the Eagles elected to keep only four receivers on the initial 53-man roster. As a refresher: they cut undrafted free agent and featured punt returner Britain Covey, signed him to the practice squad, then elevated him to the active roster a month later. Ngata, an undrafted free agent out of Clemson, is putting together a strong summer. The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder has made several nifty grabs in limited reps.

Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra

If Goedert can stay healthy, he’ll provide the Eagles with a stellar pass-catching trio along with Brown and Smith. Goedert missed five games last year due to injury. His absence from the starting lineup also negatively affected his eligibility for season accolades, including the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams — two honors Goedert has yet to achieve. Tyree Jackson has flashed at times, but his health has wavered over the past couple of years.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata, left guard Landon Dickerson, center Jason Kelce, right guard Cam Jurgens, right tackle Lane Johnson, Jack Driscoll, Tyler Steen, Dennis Kelly, Sua Opeta, Josh Sills

Jurgens is the clear frontrunner at right guard following the departure of Isaac Seumalo in free agency. The second-year player joins one of the best offensive lines in the league led by veterans Kelce and Johnson. Steen has cross-trained between right guard and left tackle. Kelly makes his return to the Eagles in his 12th season. Driscoll continues to fulfill his role as a do-it-all reserve. Sills has been missing from the team since February, when he was indicted on kidnapping and rape charges from an alleged 2019 incident in his native Ohio. On Friday, Sills was found not guilty of all counts, and the NFL notified the Eagles that Sills has been removed from the commissioner’s exempt list and he is eligible to rejoin the team immediately. Sills will have a lot of catching up to do, but last year he was one of three undrafted rookies to make the initial roster.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Tyler Steen sees the value of being versatile on the offensive line

Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu

If camp provides any hits or indications, then the Eagles are expecting a whole lot from Davis in Year 2. The 2022 first-round pick has been consistently running with the first-team defense. Davis was hampered during his rookie season by a high ankle sprain he sustained in late October. But the 6-6 lineman attacked his conditioning program in the offseason and he appears in better shape. He’s also joined by former college teammate Carter, the No. 9 pick in April’s draft. The Eagles will attempt to ease Carter into a regular rotation on the interior, but he’s already stood out with his pure strength. Williams is an under-the-radar player, who could be due for a breakout third season.

Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Derek Barnett, Kyron Johnson

It’s a wealth of riches for the Eagles at the edges. Reddick has missed a majority of team reps tending to a groin injury, but he hasn’t lost a step. During a one-on-one rep, Reddick terrorized Driscoll to register an easy sack. Reddick will be looking to improve on his NFL-best 19 1/2-sack season. Sweat seemingly continues to improve after he recorded a career-best 11 sacks. He’s flashed every practice with active hands near the line of scrimmage. Graham, the city’s longest-tenured pro athlete, is back on a one-year deal at age 35. He thrived last season in a rotational role en route to the first-double digit sack season of his career. Smith, a 2023 first-rounder, has been compared favorably to Reddick. The two players have similar measurables, and Smith is looking to unlock his pass-rush potential. Patrick Johnson has enjoyed a nice camp, but his recent lower left leg injury casts doubt over his status. If the Eagles opt to stash him on injured reserve, they’ll need to work some roster magic and keep him on the initial 53-man roster before slotting him to IR.

Nakobe Dean, Nicholas Morrow, Christian Elliss, Shaun Bradley

Perhaps the team’s most underwhelming group, the defense is still looking to identify a running mate alongside Dean as they attempt to fill in two vacancies left by departed starters T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White. Dean will sport the green dot on his helmet and serve as the main defensive communicator in the huddle. Elliss sneakily has climbed the depth chart after he popped up on special teams at the end of last season. Undrafted free agent Ben VanSumeren has an outside shot at making the roster.

Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josh Jobe, Kelee Ringo

The coaching staff’s and front office’s toughest decisions could come at defensive back. The position group is stacked with intriguing talent and depth behind one of the league’s top duos in Slay and Bradberry. McPhearson has displayed added value with his ability to line up outside and also at the nickel. Jobe has filled in occasionally for Bradberry on the opposite side of Slay. Ringo, a fourth-round pick, has enjoyed some splash and some teachable moments.

Reed Blankenship, Terrell Edmunds, K’Von Wallace, Sydney Brown

Wallace has been critiqued plenty, but he’s arguably played up to his status as a 2020 fourth-round pick. During spot appearances this past season, Wallace held his ground. He’s slotted in with the first-team defense alongside Blankenship as the Eagles continue to roll out different combinations on the back end. If the Eagles choose to add external talent to the roster, safety or linebacker seems like a spot to do so.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie Sydney Brown getting up to speed in competition at safety

Long snapper Rick Lovato, Kicker Jake Elliott, Punter Arryn Siposs

We should learn more about undrafted rookie Ty Zentner over the next couple of weeks as preseason games begin. But for now, Siposs has handled all of the frontline reps at punter and holder. Elliott led the NFL with 51 successful PATs in 2022.