Even with plenty of belief around the Philadelphia Eagles, a few names are already drawing more 2026 hype than they may be ready to carry.
Howie Roseman has kept the roster stocked, landing a bunch of players on one-year deals and making moves such as adding edge rusher Jonathan Greenard while moving on from wide receiver A.J. Brown. That has left the Eagles looking set up for another strong season, but not every player getting attention is a sure thing to meet the noise.
A handful of Eagles are popping up on breakout lists and in fan conversations, and the expectations around them may need to come down a notch.
Nolan Smith Jr. is one of the biggest examples. Writers have been sliding him onto breakout-watch lists for 2026, but last season didn’t give much reason to assume a leap is coming.
He missed time with a triceps injury and finished with only three sacks, a drop from the 6.5 sacks he posted during the Super Bowl run in 2024. The fifth-year option being picked up is supposed to help light a fire under him, but Smith may not even rank among the top edge rushers on the team with Jonathan Greenard and Jalyx Hunt in the mix.
Tyler Steen is another name getting placed in the breakout conversation. He had a solid first season as the starting right guard and managed to stay healthy all year, which matters.
Still, he wasn’t on the same level as the other starters along the offensive line. There’s room for growth, and he could improve on his 2025 performance, but patience is still part of the package here.
Riq Woolen has also created a lot of buzz after OTAs, where he looked terrific in the secondary. That kind of showing can get people talking fast.
But there are still real limitations in his game. He can get beat deep, and he has a reputation for struggling to keep his emotions in check.
He should be an upgrade over Adoree' Jackson, but there’s still work left to do.
Then there’s Makai Lemon, who is getting plenty of first-year optimism. That’s not a knock on him at all, but he is still a rookie.
Some believe he’ll top 800 yards right away because he’s viewed as the team’s WR2 behind DeVonta Smith. Even so, Dontayvion Wicks, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, and Dallas Goedert are also in the picture, so the numbers may not land where some expect.
Still, the outlook on Lemon remains strong.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
One Eagles Rookie Could Change A Familiar Training Camp Worry
The Eagles spent the offseason thinning out the guard room, and that has turned a familiar training camp concern into one of the more interesting early roster battles. Micah Morris, a sixth-round pick out of Georgia, enters camp with a real chance to carve out a role behind the starters, especially with the team needing someone who can handle guard work and be ready if the depth chart gets tested.
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 🡒]