The Eagles have a habit of squeezing at least one undrafted rookie onto the initial 53-man roster, and this summer looks no different. Philadelphia has done it with Darius Cooper in 2025, Eli Ricks in 2023, and Reed Blankenship, Josh Jobe, and Josh Sills in 2022.
So the question isn’t whether an UDFA can make the team. It’s which one has the best shot.
At the top of the list is Kapena Gushiken. He looks like the favorite for the final safety job, and that alone gives him a real path.
What pushes him ahead is the extra value: he can also handle slot corner duties, and he’s a special teams option too. In a Vic Fangio defense, that kind of versatility matters.
A lot. If the Eagles have to pick one UDFA to stick on the 53 right now, Gushiken is the call.
The next name worth watching is Caleb Pulley. There’s still an opening for the No. 4 safety job, and he’s right in that mix.
Pulley has had a solid summer and put himself in position to make the roster, though he’ll likely need a strong preseason finale to jump Gushiken. Even if he falls short of the initial roster, he’s done enough to look like a practice squad candidate.
Drew Weru has also forced the Eagles to pay attention. He’s made real progress over the last month and has become much harder to cut.
The problem for Philadelphia is that if they try to sneak him through waivers, another team could claim him. Because he comes from the International Pathway Program, the Eagles could decide to keep a sixth pass rusher just to hold onto him.
That’s how much he’s improved.
At linebacker, J.J. Lawson has had a strong camp and made some plays in practice, but the numbers are working against him.
Vic Fangio has already described inside linebacker as the deepest spot on defense. Smael Mondon is going to make the team, and there’s a good chance Chance Campbell does too.
It’s tough to picture the Eagles keeping six at the position, especially since Lawson can clear waivers. A practice squad spot looks like the most realistic landing spot, though he could be a guy who gets a look on the 53 next year and even dresses on game day this season.
The defensive tackle group presents a similar problem for Marcus Blay and Ty Wilson. Blay joined the Eagles in early August after being waived by the Patriots and has played well in preseason chances, including fourth-quarter work in both preseason games.
He also brings some value because the Patriots gave him a $50,000 salary guarantee in May, and there’s a local angle too - he played at Division II West Chester (Pa.). Still, the depth at defensive tackle makes the climb steep.
Wilson is in almost the exact same boat. He has also flashed in the preseason, but the roster spots at defensive tackle are already close to locked in.
The one thing that jumps out is the money: he got $225,000 in guaranteed money and a $25,000 signing bonus, which is the biggest package in the Eagles’ UDFA class. That suggests he has a real chance to stick around on the practice squad and keep developing.
Then there’s wide receiver body O’Mega Hayes, whose path has been anything but smooth. The Eagles have signed him three different times since June, including a rookie minicamp tryout, and he was released once in August. He got a chance because Philadelphia needed receiver help when injuries piled up earlier in camp, and he’s done his part by helping fill out the depth chart.
At long snapper, Charley Underwood seems likely to be the odd man out. He’s had a rough summer snapping the football, and because he’s a long snapper, he can pass through waivers. The Eagles can always find a veteran after waivers clear, which makes it hard to justify keeping a rookie there when they could protect another player instead.
That leaves the Eagles with a familiar late-summer decision: one of these UDFAs is probably going to land on the 53. Based on camp performance and roster fit, Gushiken has the best chance to be the one.
In Other News...
Eagles Public Practice Suddenly Put Two Key Linemen In Focus
The Eagles public practice at Lincoln Financial Field drew more than 45,000 fans, turning a summer workout into something closer to a regular-season atmosphere. It also offered a useful snapshot of where the roster stands right now, with depth-chart tweaks, a Saquon Barkley touchdown catch, and interceptions from Riq Woolen among the days notable moments.
Lane Johnson and Jordan Davis became the main concern before the session was over, with both linemen leaving practice after getting hurt. Davis later returned wearing a brace, but the bigger question for the Eagles is how those injuries affect the front and the reshuffled feel of the lineup as camp moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Stadium Debate Just Became A Real Philadelphia Issue
The conversation around Lincoln Financial Field has moved well beyond a routine stadium check-in and into something with real civic weight. Gov. Josh Shapiro made that clear by showing up at the Eagles public practice and talking openly about the future of the building, while stressing that any new stadium would stay in Philadelphia. It is the kind of topic that matters far beyond the team, because the Eagles are one of the citys defining institutions and any major change to their home would ripple through the entire region.
Jeffrey Lurie has already acknowledged that the organization is weighing a new stadium against a major renovation of the current one, and the Eagles are doing exploratory research on all of their options. A more definitive plan is expected in the next year or two, and while relocation within the region has not been ruled out, Shapiro said he does not expect the team to leave Philadelphia. For now, the debate sits in that uneasy middle ground where nothing is settled, but everyone understands the stakes are getting larger. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Is Testing The Eagles Offense In A Risky Way
Jalen Hurts has spent training camp working through a noticeable shift in the Eagles offense, and it has come with some inevitable growing pains. Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho recently pointed to Hurts practice throws as evidence the quarterback is trying to expand his range, taking shots beyond the areas he has traditionally lived in. With new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion pushing the passing game to stretch farther downfield, the Eagles are asking Hurts to add another layer to an offense that has long leaned on his efficiency and decision-making.
The tradeoff has been turnovers, and that has been part of the conversation around camp. Mannion has already acknowledged the interception issues and said the staff is continuing to work through them, which leaves the Eagles in a familiar but important spot: trying to build more explosiveness without losing the control that has helped define Hurts' game. For now, the process is the story, and the next step is whether the added aggression turns into a cleaner, more dangerous passing attack once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]