Training camp is about to put the Eagles’ depth chart under the microscope, and even with one of the league’s most loaded rosters, there are real jobs up for grabs. Philadelphia spent the offseason reshaping parts of the roster, but the biggest intrigue now is less about the stars and more about who survives the battles for the back end of the 53-man roster.
At safety, Marcus Epps looks like the name to beat. Vic Fangio’s offseason comments and the lack of serious outside additions point to Epps as the clear favorite for the starting role, and if the Eagles don’t swing a major move during camp, he should be in place for Week 1.
The rookies - Cole Wisniewski, Maximus Pulley and Kapena Gushiken - are the long shots worth tracking, especially with open starting spots beyond Mukuba and Epps. Still, the prediction here is that Philadelphia eventually adds outside help via trade, with Epps, Mukuba, that new arrival, Michael Carter and Gushiken making up the final group.
Gray, Pulley and Wisniewski are the projected cuts, while Carter sticks because of his versatility and Gushiken survives thanks to his slot and special teams value.
Wide receiver brings a different kind of competition. Dontayvion Wicks enters as the leader, even after an uneven spring, and the Eagles’ $12.5 million commitment for 2027 suggests they see this as a two-year runway for a bigger role.
Makai Lemon missed time with a hamstring injury in the spring and has ground to make up, while Hollywood Brown turned heads enough to force his way into the conversation. Brown was brought in for depth and as a deep threat, but the way he looked this spring opened the door to a larger role.
The early call is Wicks winning the job, helped by his familiarity with Mannion’s concepts, though the catch remains simple: he has to catch the football. In the end, no one is getting squeezed out here.
All three are expected to make it, joining DeVonta Smith, Johnny Wilson and Darius Cooper on the final receiver list.
Quarterback is the least dramatic of the bunch. McKee looked positioned to be QB2 entering the spring, but Dalton logged more second-team reps in the open practices available to the media.
The Eagles said McKee and Dalton were rotating, yet Dalton still got the heavier workload in minicamp. There’s no real dark horse in this race, either, with rookie fifth-rounder Cole Payton not in line to win the job.
Dalton is the pick to back up Jalen Hurts, and it would not be a surprise if he’s already in that spot when camp opens. No one is projected to be cut, with the expectation that McKee eventually finds a trade partner, Dalton settles in as QB2 and Payton remains QB3.
Up front, the Eagles are also sorting through a quieter but important competition at guard. The team entered the offseason with a chance to add veteran competition for Tyler Steen at right guard, but instead showed faith in Steen by passing on that move and not spending a high pick on a guard.
That decision leaves thin depth behind Steen and Landon Dickerson. Micah Morris arrived as a sixth-round pick, and Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, Hollin Pierce and Willie Lampkin all enter without regular season starts at guard.
Michael Jordan was added late in mandatory minicamp and brings the most experience, with 49 starts at guard, which makes him the early favorite for the No. 3 role. Hinton is the dark horse after being cross-trained at guard following his rookie year at tackle.
The prediction, though, is Kendall lands the No. 3 guard spot as the Eagles look to expand his role in 2026. Jordan and Morris remain live contenders, and Morris could take it if he has a strong summer.
The projected final group at guard is Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, Jordan, Morris and Kendall.
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Eagles Face A Brutal Camp Verdict On Six Young Players
The Eagles camp inventory on their young players came back with a mixed verdict, and the overall theme is pretty clear: some prospects still deserve runway, while others are already running out of it. Tyler Steen and Andrew Mukuba both landed in the keep-developing category, along with Pierce, whose size and upside make him the kind of project teams are still willing to bet on when the traits are obvious even if the polish is not.
The tougher calls came on the other side of the ledger, where roster competition and limited paths to playing time pushed the conversation toward moving on. Will Shipley, Smael Mondon Jr. and Nolan Smith were all framed as players whose current value may not match the roster spot they occupy, with Smiths case especially notable for a former first-round pick who has not yet turned promise into enough production to feel secure. [Read more 🡒]
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Michael Jordan, added after minicamp, brings the kind of NFL starting experience that usually makes a veteran the safe answer for a backup job. But Morris has the size and guard background to make this more than a routine camp formality, and with several young linemen also in the mix, the Eagles may find out quickly whether the rookie can push himself into the conversation for meaningful snaps early in his first season. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Camp Battle Fans Can't Ignore On Defense
The Eagles head into 2026 training camp with a real opening at safety after Reed Blankenship moved on in free agency, and the picture around him is still taking shape. Drew Mukuba is back to anchor one spot after a rookie year interrupted by a fractured ankle in Dallas, while Cooper DeJean is expected to keep bouncing between safety and nickel cornerback depending on the package, giving Philadelphia a flexible but unfinished back end.
What makes this battle worth watching is the competition for the final safety snaps, where Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Andre Sam and Cole Wisniewski are all in the mix. There are other bodies on the roster who could get a look, and Howie Roseman has shown he is willing to keep adjusting if the room does not sort itself out quickly, which leaves this as one of the more unsettled spots on the defense entering camp. [Read more 🡒]