5 Eagles undrafted rookies with a real chance to make the team

The Eagles will go into training camp next month with a handful of intriguing undrafted rookies to keep an eye on.

With such a top-heavy roster and Jalen Hurts’ massive contract extension about to fully kick in, identifying undrafted rookies capable of contributing on low-cost deals will grow in necessity for the Eagles in the coming years. The team carried three — Reed Blankenship, Josh Jobe, and Josh Sills — onto last year’s initial 53-man roster and could follow suit again this year.

» READ MORE: Get to know the Eagles’ 3 undrafted rookies on the 53-man roster: Reed Blankenship, Josh Jobe, Josh Sills

Here are five undrafted rookies with a real chance to make the team:

Garner made the biggest splash play of anybody on the list last week, picking off Hurts during seven-on-seven drills. His celebration (punting the ball in the aftermath of the play) drew the ire of Nick Sirianni for being over the top, but plays like that could help him break through an extremely crowded cornerback depth chart.

» READ MORE: Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts’ INTs little to worry about

Cornerback has quickly become one of the deepest spots on the Eagles roster. Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and Kelee Ringo are all locks for the roster and Zech McPhearson is nearly a lock as well. That leaves one, maybe two, spots for veteran free-agent signee Greedy Williams and a handful of developmental players in Jobe, Garner, Josiah Scott, and others.

Garner will make his case a long, physical cornerback with ideal explosiveness. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound corner hurt his draft stock with a slower 40-yard dash (4.55 seconds) but his broad and vertical jumps, which the Eagles typically value more highly, were 84th percentile and 75th, respectively. His tape shows a willing tackler who embraces physicality and plays with an edge, which is an ideal fit in the Eagles’ scheme.

Reid was a three-year starter for the Cardinals after transferring from Georgia Military College.

He wasn’t invited to the combine, but his pro day performance suggests he has the physical traits to stick in the league, if not the technique. The 6-4, 311-pound lineman was off the charts in the vertical and broad jumps and ran a five-second 40-yard dash. He arm length is just shy of 35 inches and even his agility drill numbers are well past the 75th percentile.

There’s even a clip of the Georgia native doing a backflip:

Athleticism aside, Reid didn’t play football until midway through his high school career and had to put on significant weight in college to stick on the offensive line. He doesn’t have the enormous frame you’d like to see for an NFL offensive lineman quite yet and he has plenty of ground to make up from a technical standpoint.

Similar to Jordan Mailata a few years ago, Reid’s physical traits make him an ideal charge for Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. He may eventually develop into an NFL-caliber player, it would just take a few years.

Ricks was a top-10 recruit coming out of high school and was considered a first-round prospect going into his junior season, but progressively worse play and injuries tanked his draft stock.

The Eagles will try to find a way to revert Ricks to the level of play that made him an all-SEC, ball-hawking press cornerback at LSU his freshman season. He had four interceptions and nine pass breakups his freshman year but only one pick the following two seasons. If the shoulder injury that cost him seven games his sophomore season and the growing pains from a transfer to Alabama last year are to blame, Ricks’ best football could be ahead of him.

The limited, early returns of the two OTA practices open to the media haven’t been particularly kind to Ricks, though. He notably got beaten by DeVonta Smith running a go route on the final day of OTAs last week, but training camp will be the true indicator.

Of all the undrafted rookies, VanSumeren has the easiest path to legitimate playing time this year.

Similar to Reid, VanSumeren is a high-level athlete who doesn’t have the tape or technique to coincide with the promise his traits offer. The converted fullback started his career with Michigan before switching positions as a redshirt sophomore and then transferring to the Wolverines’ cross-state rival a year later. He played just one year as a starting linebacker, logging 81 tackles, two sacks, and two pass breakups.

His 4.45-second 40-yard dash suggests he has sideline-to-sideline speed and explosive numbers are well above the 90th percentile as well, which indicates he should be quick off the ball. Instincts are difficult to develop at his position, but the Eagles’ linebacker room lacking proven commodities should lead to VanSumeren getting a chance at a role in the team’s defense.

Zentner may have the highest probability of making the team’s 53-man roster by nature of his position.

The Eagles will use training camp to decide between veteran punter Arryn Siposs, Zentner, and a potential outside option. Siposs struggled at times each of the last two years and had an untimely shank that led to a long return from the Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney that set up a touchdown in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII loss in February.

Zentner, who handled punter and kicker duties at Kansas State, was ranked as the fifth-best punter prospect by puntalytics.com going into the draft. He has a big leg, but struggled with shanks during his college career, according to the site’s scouting report.