I’ll bet you’re not at all happy with the Eagles’ offseason thus far, huh?
Yeah, I get it. For the second straight year, the Birds haven’t done much to electrify the fanbase. In fact, they’ve seen more good players leave than they’ve acquired through the first major thrust of free agency, although in terms of quantity, you’d have to argue they’re coming out a bit ahead in the numbers game.
Players Lost:
- Jaelan Phillies – EDGE
- Nakobe Dean – LB
- Reed Blankenship – S
- Jahan Dotson – WR
- Brett Toth – OL
- Sydney Brown – S
Players Gained:
- Riq Woolen – CB
- Arnold Ebiketie – EDGE
- Marquise “Hollywood” Brown – WR
- Elijah Moore – WR
- Marcus Epps – S
- Johnny Mundt – TE
- Andy Dalton – QB
- Jonathan Jones – CB
- J.T. Gray – S
But I’ve always been a quality over quantity guy, and while the team re-signed some key players, notably tight end Dallas Goedert, safety Marcus Epps, offensive lineman Fred Johnson and punter Braden Mann, it’s true the roster isn’t quite as good as it was at the end of what was ultimately a disappointing 2025 season.
Oh, and there is still the uncertainty around A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia, too.
The Eagles’ offense in 2026 is going to be led by someone who’s never been an offensive coordinator before, or called plays before, and was essentially the team’s 4th or 5th choice for the gig, so trepidation about that situation is warranted, as well. But it’s hard to grade the offseason before the NFL Draft takes place. The whole picture has yet to be painted.
It is a good time to take stock of what the Eagles have as they enter next month’s Draft, armed with nine total picks, four of them in the top-100.
Your inventory of the 2026 Eagles, with depth chart information from Ourlads.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts is still the unquestioned franchise quarterback, but for the first time in a while, his future with the team feels a bit uncertain. No one knows how he’ll acclimate himself to Sean Mannion’s new offense, although it would be foolish to write Hurts off before he’s begun. The guy has done nothing but improve every year he’s been in the league, and he’s proven to be a big-game player.
There is uncertainty over the future of back-up Tanner McKee. Could he be moved in a trade leading up to the draft? The acquisition of Andy Dalton would indicate the chances are good McKee could be dealt with one year left on his rookie contract, although Dalton certainly would be fine as a third-stringer.
Running Back
What to make of Saquon Barkley’s 2025 season? It’s clear he wasn’t as good as he was in his 2,000-yard ‘24 campaign, but the injuries and uneven play along the offensive line, as well as the play calling of Kevin Patullo, certainly didn’t help. He remains an elite runner that most teams would love to have as their No. 1 and remains a huge advantage for the Eagles.
Tank Bigsby looked like a terrific change-of-pace option as the No. 2 running back, and I’m excited to see him utilized more in the Eagles’ new offensive scheme. Will Shipley was not very good as the No. 3 back. It was confounding to see him get as much playing time as he did at the expense of Bigsby. Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele make up the depth pieces, for now.
This should be an elite unit in 2026.
Wide Receiver
We’ll go with what we know for sure and, what we know for sure as of this writing, is that A.J. Brown remains the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. I believe that’s likely to change after June 1, but for the moment, he’s tops on the depth chart and may not get dealt at all. But even if Brown remains with the team, how much will his tricky knee affect his ability to dominate opposing CBs? He was definitely a step slower and less impactful as the season wore on last year, even when he did get his chances.
If Brown leaves, Devonta Smith would step in as the No. 1 receiver, which he would be on most other teams. Everyone is hoping Mannion can utilize him better than previous OCs have. There is a lot of meat left on the bone with Smith, and it’s not his fault. He’s amazing. If Brown stays, they’ve absolutely upgraded at the No. 3 wideout spot with Hollywood Brown replacing Jahan Dotson. Dotson was invisible in his two years in Philly, although it’s fair to wonder if that was a function of Hurts not utilizing his No. 3 receiver, or Dotson’s inability to get open. Brown brings a deep threat the team has missed since Quez Watkins left.
Elijah Moore was signed by the Birds to be the No. 4 receiver. He’s still young and has upside, although expectations shouldn’t be too high for him. Expect Johnny Wilson to get another shot on the gameday roster at wideout. The Eagles missed his size, and there is some potential there.
There are a lot of question marks surrounding this group. Howie Roseman should draft at least one wideout early, and don’t be surprised to see two young bucks selected next month.
Tight End
I did not think Dallas Goedert would be back, but after a career year, he signed a bargain basement one-year deal to remain in Philadelphia. That buys the Eagles a little time at this position, because the cupboard is pretty bare otherwise.
They brought Grant Calcaterra back on a free agent deal this offseason, but his future with the team is not assured. Johnny Mundt comes to the Eagles from Jacksonville, where he will be expected to help in the blocking game. The Eagles dearly missed a solid, blocking-first tight end last year, and now have that once again. Cameron Latu and E.J. Jenkins are at the back of the roster for now, but it’s highly likely the Eagles will draft a tight end on Day 1 or 2 to groom as Goedert’s eventual replacement.
Offensive Line
When you read the names on paper, you’re looking at the best offensive line in football: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, and Lane Johnson. But both Dickerson and Jurgens went to Colombia (the country, not the university!) to get treatment for their various injuries this offseason, and Dickerson contemplated retirement, but decided to return. Jurgens is dealing with a bad back that, upon reflection, probably should have kept him out of the Super Bowl two years ago.
Johnson missed the final two months of the season with a Lisfranc sprain that was initially only supposed to keep him out 2-3 weeks. Mailata was not as good as he had been in previous seasons, and Steen was decent, but not spectacular.
So, there are a lot of question marks here. Offensive line will be Roseman’s top priority at the Draft next month. I’d bet my house their first round pick is with an eventual replacement for Lane Johnson at tackle.
As of now, the back-ups are Fred Johnson, who filled in admirably for Lane during his end-of-year absence last season, Myles Hinton, William Lampkin, and Drew Kendall.
Edge Rushers
The loss of Jaelan Phillips hurts, and as of now, the edge rusher room is looking kinda thin. There is hope Arnold Ebiketie will step up and be a productive part of a rotation led by Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, both of whom have shown flashes of dominance but also demonstrated inconsistency. It sounds like Brandon Graham is coming back for his 22nd season (exaggerating) in an Eagles uniform, and right now, Jose Ramirez is EDGE 5.
Roseman can’t solve all his problems in the Draft, but if the offensive lineman the team seeks in the first round isn’t available, I could see him snagging a talented edge rusher with their first pick.
Interior Linemen
This position remains the strength of this team. Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo are both Pro Bowl caliber defensive tackles, and Jordan Davis, signed to a long-term extension, had his best season as an Eagle in 2025. There had been rumors and speculation the Eagles could be looking to trade Carter to maximize his value before he is due a massive raise and contract extension, but the Birds would be closing their Super Bowl window on themselves if they dealt him now. He and Ojomo will likely get new deals at some point, and they’ll deserve them.
Ty Robinson, Byron Young and Gabe Hall are the back-ups, and they’re probably just fine in those roles given how few snaps they are likely to play in ‘26.
Linebacker
Zack Baun remains, and he remains amazing. Dean was allowed to leave in free agency to be replaced by last year’s talented but oft-injured first round pick Jihaad Campbell. It is a risk, letting an established, very good player like Dean leave in free agency for an untested young player, especially one in Campbell who is dealing with a shoulder injury that caused him to drop in the first round. That injury will take him out of any offseason workouts with the team. That’s not ideal.
However, at some point, you have to transition from veterans to early-round draft picks at some spots. You simply can’t pay everybody. Still, losing Dean removes one talented player from the depth chart. You just hope his replacement is equally talented.
The departure of Dean will allow Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. a chance to earn more playing time. Some are bullish on him as a productive NFL linebacker, so it’s good he will get an opportunity to prove himself. Smael Mondon and Chance Campbell hopefully won’t get much playing time, but are the depth pieces at the position for now.
I still like the linebacker room, despite Dean’s departure.
Safeties
This is a position Roseman usually tries to figure out on the fly, and that appears to be the case again this offseason. With Blankenship gone, last year’s second round pick, Andrew Mukuba, will be expected to take a more active role in the defense. He showed good flashes before getting injured. Like with Campbell, Roseman is relying on a high draft pick to play and produce right away. The team re-signed Marcus Epps to take the other starting safety spot. He’s not a stud, but he has a high floor. You know what you’re going to get with him, and there’s something to be said for that. After that, however, it’s dicey.
Roseman dealt away Sydney Brown to the Falcons and replaced him with veteran J.T. Gray, mostly for the purposes of special teams. He’s 30 years old and likely won’t get a ton of snaps on defense. Michael Carter, II, listed as a cornerback on the depth chart, could be moved to safety if Roseman isn’t able to find anything to his liking in free agency or the draft. There’s also A.J. Sam and Brandon Johnson in the house, too.
Lots of question marks here, folks. Lots.
Cornerbacks
If defensive tackle is the strongest unit on the team, cornerback is a close second. Quinyon Mitchell is one of the top-five corners in the league. Cooper DeJean is the league’s best slot corner. They’re now joined by Riq Woolen from Seattle, who should step right in on a prove-it, one-year contract as the No. 2 corner. That’s a pretty fearsome cornerback trio, three guys who should make life a lot easier on the more-suspect defensive line and linebackers.
Jonathan Jones was brought in as depth and the No. 4 corner, with Jakorian Bennett sticking around, too. Kelee Ringo is technically still on the depth chart, but if he’s anything other than a special teams player in 2026, I’ll be shocked.
Special Teams
Jake Elliott is back. I wrote about why that could be a potential mistake. Could we see the Eagles spend a late-round pick on a new one? One that can, you know, kick from 50+ yards?
Brandon Mann is back. He was solid. As we witnessed in Super Bowl 57, having a bad punter can, in fact, be a big deal.
Coaching Staff
Nick Sirianni returns, of course, as the CEO Head Coach. All eyes will be on Sean Mannion and his staff. He’s under more pressure than a first-time offensive coordinator should be under, but as the head of a Super Bowl caliber roster who underachieved a year ago, he’s going to be expected to have some answers right away. Josh Grizzard was brought in from Tampa to be the team’s new passing game coordinator, and Ryan Mahaffey joins the organization as the run-game coordinator, replacing former offensive line coach/guru, Jeff Stoutland. Chris Kuper will now lead the O-line, with Parks Frazier reassigned as the new QB coach.
Thankfully, Vic Fangio returns for at least one more year as the team’s defensive coordinator. He lost a good assistant in Christian Parker, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. He was the team’s defensive passing game coordinator under Fangio. Most of the rest of the defensive coaching staff, however, returns for another go-around with the legendary Fangio.
The 2026 Eagles have yet to be fully assembled. While it’s hard to expect this year’s draft class to have the same kind of impact as the ‘24 class, there is hope smart drafting will ably fill the holes in the roster that remain.
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