The Eagles’ preseason opener was messy enough on offense to raise the same old questions, but the line did offer one clear bright spot: a young group that held up far better than the final score suggested.
Philadelphia fell 24-7 to the Ravens after its offense sputtered, and the quarterback numbers told the story - 13-of-25 for 92 yards, with the lone touchdown coming from Cole Payton to Erik Ezukanma in the fourth quarter. Still, the bigger takeaway wasn’t the stat line. It was what happened in front of the quarterbacks.
Per Ryan Fowler of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Jake Majors, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin, Markel Bell, and Drew Kendall were all perfect in pass protection last weekend. Majors and Morris handled most of the load, logging 19 pass-protection snaps apiece, while Lampkin, Bell, and Kendall worked in on six to 13 reps. Across that group, there were no QB hits, hurries, hits, or sacks allowed.
That matters for a team entering 2026 with real uncertainty up front and on offense overall. The Eagles have already made major changes, moving on from Kevin Patullo and bringing in Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator, while also replacing offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland with NFL veteran Chris Kuper.
It’s a big shift, and the questions around Kuper are obvious. For years, Philadelphia has turned overlooked linemen into real players, with Jason Kelce and Jordan Malaita cited as examples of development under Stoutland. Now the Eagles have to find out whether that same pipeline can keep humming without him.
Training camp has suggested there may be something here. Bell and Lampkin, in particular, have drawn praise throughout camp, even though they look nothing alike physically.
Bell is listed at 6-foot-9 and 340 pounds, while Lampkin is considered undersized at 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11 and between 280 and 290 pounds. Different bodies, same result so far: both have shown they can compete against live action and in practice.
The sample is still small, and preseason can distort plenty. But the Eagles do have two more chances this summer to see what this young line can do, starting with the New England Patriots on August 22.
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 🡒]
Eagles Camp Picture Is Getting Clearer At Wide Receiver
The Eagles twelfth training camp practice offered another look at a receiver room that is slowly starting to take shape, even as the injury report continues to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Makai Lemon, Tank Bigsby and Johnny Wilson were all sidelined, while DeVonta Smith and safety Cole Wisniewski were among the players working on a limited basis as Philadelphia keeps sorting through who can stack full practices ahead of the 2026 season.
Smith was back in a helmet and getting in some position work after the hamstring issue that had slowed him, a small but encouraging step for a passing game that still needs its top targets available and sharp. Lemon, meanwhile, stayed out of the full session but kept moving on the side field, running routes and going through the catch circuit as the Eagles continue to monitor a camp picture at wide receiver that is becoming clearer even if it is not settled yet. [Read more 🡒]