After four practices at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, the Eagles have already sorted out a few early camp truths - and a few uncomfortable ones.
DeVonta Smith has looked every bit like the guy who’s supposed to carry more of the load. With A.J.
Brown out, Smith entered camp as the clear WR1, and the connection with Jalen Hurts has shown up again and again. That chemistry has always been there, but it stands out even more now with so many new names in the receiver room, including Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore.
On Monday, Smith added two touchdowns in 1v1 red-zone drills, another reminder that Hurts trusts him without hesitation.
At the other end of the ledger, Tanner McKee’s summer hasn’t gone the way he wanted. The backup quarterback has spent spring and the opening stretch of camp splitting second-team reps with Andy Dalton, the 38-year-old veteran the Eagles brought in for a seventh-round pick.
McKee had built up some real buzz over the past year as a possible trade piece and one of the more intriguing backups around. Right now, though, he’s locked in a battle with Dalton, and Dalton has actually looked good.
The biggest early standout might be Jalyx Hunt. He’s been everywhere.
Through four practices, nobody has been better. With Jonathan Greenard starting camp on the PUP list, Hunt has handled most of the first-team work on the right side, and he’s made that chance count by living in the backfield and constantly bothering Jordan Mailata and the rest of the line.
Hunt led the Eagles in sacks and interceptions last season, but this start suggests there’s more in the tank. The 2024 third-round pick is eligible for a contract extension next offseason, and if this carries into 2026, he’s going to get paid.
Darius Cooper has also kept forcing his way into the conversation. A year ago, he came from nowhere as an undrafted free agent and won a roster spot with a strong preseason.
The Division III product is doing it again. He’s been making contested catches all week, and on Monday he turned in a diving grab on a low throw from Hurts during team drills.
With Smith, Lemon, Wicks and Brown locked in, the Eagles are likely to keep only one or two more receivers, and right now Cooper looks ahead of Johnny Wilson, Elijah Moore and the rest fighting for those final jobs.
Not every young player has popped. Eli Stowers, the second-round tight end out of Vanderbilt, was always going to need time.
He’s only been playing the position for a few seasons, so the learning curve was part of the deal, especially as a blocker. But so far, the athletic flash the Eagles probably wanted hasn’t really shown up.
His spring was quiet, and camp hasn’t produced any eye-catching moments yet. He still has time, and this could end up looking like a redshirt year, but the team had to be hoping for more from a top-60 pick.
Fred Johnson is in a real fight for the swing tackle job with rookie Markel Bell, and Bell appears to have the edge. The third-round pick has spent much of the spring and camp working as the second-team right tackle, with Johnson on the left.
And with Lane Johnson out for the last two practices, Bell even got some first-team reps. That said, the picture could shift once the pads come on and the contact ramps up.
Bell may not be ready to handle that role as a rookie, and the 29-year-old Johnson could still end up keeping the job he held last season.
In Other News...
Lane Johnson's Absence Just Put The Eagles In A Tough Spot
Lane Johnsons absence this week has quietly become one of the more notable Eagles storylines, not because of any injury alarm, but because the right tackle has now missed three straight practices. Philadelphia has not offered much beyond the fact that the veteran is out, leaving the spot on the edge of the offensive line in a different kind of uncertainty than fans are used to seeing with a player of his importance.
Markel Bell, the rookie, is the next man up in the mix and appears poised to see a bigger workload while Johnson is away. For an Eagles line that has leaned on stability and continuity, even a short stretch without Johnson changes the feel of the week, especially with no clear explanation yet for why he has been sidelined. [Read more 🡒]
Elijah Moore Just Changed The Eagles Receiver Battle
Four practices into Eagles training camp, Elijah Moore has already made himself part of the conversation at receiver. He has carved out meaningful snaps while working in multiple spots in the offense, lining up as a slot option and even taking turns on wide receiver reverses, the kind of usage that suggests the staff is looking for ways to get him involved early.
Moores strong start has given the wideout competition a different shape, because the question now is less about whether he belongs and more about which other player can claim the last opening. Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson are the names left fighting for that remaining spot alongside Moore and the top four receivers, and with camp still unfolding, the next few practices should carry real weight for both. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Johnson Is Giving Eagles Fans A New Disrespect Debate
Lane Johnsons place on the NFLs 2025 top 100 list is bound to stir debate in Philadelphia, where the veteran right tackle has long been viewed as one of the sports most dependable linemen. Coming in at 102nd, just outside the official cut, feels like the kind of ranking Eagles fans will see as a slight, especially for a player whose track record includes multiple Pro Bowls, Super Bowl success and years of elite pass protection.
The number likely reflects the time Johnson missed because of a foot injury, but it also underscores how little margin there is in these lists for an offensive lineman who does his best work without the spotlight. Even so, this looks more like a temporary dip than a lasting judgment, and it sets up an interesting watch for 2026 if Johnson comes back healthy and reminds everyone why he has been such a fixture up front for Philadelphia. [Read more 🡒]