Eagles Camp Picture Is Getting Clearer At Wide Receiver

Despite a slew of injuries, the Eagles find hope in DeVonta Smith's progress and Makai Lemon's promising recovery during their latest training camp.

The Eagles got a little more encouraging news on the injury front Monday, with DeVonta Smith back in a helmet and Makai Lemon doing some rehab work on the side as Philadelphia held its twelfth training camp practice ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Smith was listed as a limited participant with a hamstring injury, and while he stayed out of team drills, he did work through some position drills. The bigger signal came from Lemon, who was still out with a hamstring issue but spent time running routes on a side field and also joined the “catch circuit” after practice. That’s at least a step in the right direction for the Eagles’ 2026 first-round pick.

There was more movement elsewhere on the injury report, too. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were both taken off the report after missing time last week, and Saquon Barkley was a full participant despite the brief scare he had last week.

A handful of others remained sidelined. Tank Bigsby, Grant Calcaterra, Jonathan Jones, Mac McWilliams, Jakorian Bennett, John Ojukwu, Dameon Pierce, Jose Ramirez, and Shaun Wade all did not participate.

Johnny Wilson’s situation stood out because he had returned to practice last week, only to miss Saturday’s game and now be out again. That looks like a setback.

Vic Fangio had already said Jones would miss “some time” with his shoulder injury.

Among the limited group, rookie safety Cole Wisniewski, rookie edge Keyshawn James-Newby, Tariq Castro-Fields, and Danny Gray all logged some work. Wisniewski and James-Newby had each been missing most of camp, while Castro-Fields may be on track to play this weekend. Gray was in team drills but has still not officially cleared concussion protocol.

Jalen Hurts had an uneven day. He opened with a clean completion to Darius Cooper over the middle in 7-on-7, then found Elijah Moore along the right sideline and later dropped a nice ball to Hollywood Brown in a soft spot in coverage. That Brown catch was probably the most encouraging moment he’s had in a while.

But Hurts also had some misses. Quinyon Mitchell knocked down a throw intended for Dontayvion Wicks, Hurts left an open Elijah Moore incomplete on the right sideline, and a ball over the middle and down the field to Quez Watkins was picked off by Michael Carter II. The throw to Watkins looked like it lacked proper zip.

Hurts also appears to be throwing across his body more often than he has in the past. It hasn’t burned him yet, and he’s completed a number of passes that way, but it’s not usually the safest habit.

The backup quarterback competition didn’t exactly help itself. Andy Dalton missed a throw in the flat, and Tanner McKee threw one into the dirt well short of an open Stone Smartt. Right now, neither one is standing out for the right reasons.

Elsewhere, Jalyx Hunt was credited with a “sack” against Jordan Mailata, though the red-jersey setup means these plays are more about who clearly wins the rep than actual contact. Hunt won that one enough that Hurts didn’t even bother throwing.

Dallas Goedert had a rough drop, bobbling a pass straight up in the air with nobody around him and still not securing it. The offense got away with that one.

Landon Dickerson also looked slow to get up at one point, though he stayed in. There are moments when he looks like he’s lumbering a bit.

One of the sharper defensive reps came from Byron Young and Moro Ojomo, who teamed up for a strong interior rush that ended with Willie Lampkin on the ground.

Practice was shorter than usual, so the notes were too.

In Other News...

Za'Darius Smith Just Reopened A Frustration Eagles Fans Know Well

ZaDarius Smith is back in the news, and for Eagles fans it brings a familiar mix of what-ifs and unfinished business. After spending last season in Philadelphia and appearing in five games before retiring, the veteran edge rusher had been tied to a potential return to Cleveland, where he previously worked with Kevin Stefanski, only for his next step to shift in a different direction after a workout.

Now the Falcons are the team making the move, a sign of how quickly the edge-rush market can change when injuries and suspensions start thinning a depth chart. For the Eagles, it is another reminder of how brief Smiths stint in Philly was and how often his career seems to send him back into the spotlight just when one landing spot looks settled. [Read more 🡒]

Eagles Rookie Battle Is Suddenly Separating Roster Locks From Bubble Names

The Eagles rookie class has already started to sort itself into two clear groups as camp moves along, with the early draft picks looking far more secure than the rest of the first-year crowd. Philadelphia has spent the summer evaluating 15 rookies across different spots on the roster, and the picture is becoming clearer by the day as some players push toward opening-week roles while others are fighting just to stay in the conversation for the 53-man roster or practice squad.

Jalen Lemons path has been slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Aug. 4, though he is close to getting back on the field, while the tight end picture also carries some real intrigue with Stowers trending toward a healthy scratch as the TE3 for Week 1. Elsewhere, Bell, Payton, Morris, Wisniewski, Bernard and James-Newby are all being judged not just on talent, but on how quickly they can turn their development into something the Eagles can actually use once roster cuts arrive. [Read more 🡒]