The Eagles’ rookie class has been thrown straight into the fire, and six weeks in, the picture is a mixed one. With Philadelphia stuck in a four-game losing streak and injuries stacking up around Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, the depth chart is getting a real workout. That has created openings for young players, and a few of these rookies are already being asked to do more than anyone probably expected back in the summer.
Makai Lemon has been one of the clearest examples of a player not yet being used the way he was in college. Through six games, he has 18 catches for 127 yards, but the number doesn’t tell the full story of how limited the fit has been.
At USC, Lemon won with crisp route running and yards after the catch. In Philadelphia, too many of his touches have come behind the line of scrimmage, where he’s been swallowed up quickly by unblocked defenders.
The Eagles have leaned on vertical concepts and bubble screens, but if offensive coordinator Sean Mannion can get Lemon working in the middle of the field, there’s a much better version of this role waiting to be unlocked.
The tight end situation has a different kind of intrigue. Eli Stowers was a notable second-round pick in April, marking the first time Howie Roseman took a tight end in the first two rounds since Dallas Goedert in 2018.
But Stowers hasn’t been available after hamstring and quadriceps injuries sent him to injured reserve before Week 1. There is some momentum, though: the 2025 John Mackey Award winner returned to practice on Oct.
- He came into the league with a reputation for pass-catching versatility and athletic upside, and getting him into a retooled offense would give McKee another weapon to work with.
Up front, Markel Bell has already shown why Philadelphia trusted him with a third-round pick after Lane Johnson’s abrupt retirement opened the door for a new right tackle. Bell has been noticeable as a run-blocker, where his power shows up immediately.
He has pancaked defenders and driven linebackers at the second level. The pass protection is still a work in progress, and some miscommunication with teammates has led to sacks, but that sort of issue usually comes with reps.
Nobody is asking Bell to be Johnson 2.0. The hope is simply that he settles in and gives the Eagles a stable answer on the right side.
At quarterback, the latest shakeup has moved Cole Payton into a much bigger role. He opened training camp as the No. 4 passer, but with veteran Andy Dalton gone and the injury update on Jalen Hurts, Payton is now the backup behind Tanner McKee.
That puts him one injury away from running the offense himself. Nick Sirianni has praised the way Payton has handled the developmental side of the job, noting how the 23-year-old takes scout-team reps and puts in extra work with coaches after practice.
If the season continues to go sideways and the playoff picture fades, Peyton could end up seeing the field for a start or two.
Not every rookie has made a real dent yet. Micah Morris, the 6-foot-5, 334-pound lineman from Georgia, has played just one snap all season, and it came on special teams against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. Even with injuries piling up along the offensive line, he remains buried on the depth chart.
Wisniewski has at least earned some game action. He spent the first five weeks on the practice squad before being elevated for the Week 6 game against Carolina.
The seventh-round pick out of Texas Tech played 15 special-teams snaps, recorded one tackle, and showed he can be trusted in kickoff coverage. Defensive snaps do not appear to be coming any time soon, but he made his case as a useful special teams piece.
The most surprising rookie contribution came from Keyshawn James-Newby. Called up from the practice squad in Week 6, he ended up playing 61% of the defensive snaps, a heavy load nobody saw coming.
Jalyx Hunt’s absence and Nolan Smith Jr.’s concussion forced Vic Fangio to lean on the rookie, and James-Newby responded with one tackle and two pressures on 19 pass-rush snaps. He led the Mountain West Conference with 9.0 sacks in 2025, and there’s room for him to keep growing under Clint Hurtt.
With the Eagles dealing with more injuries, he should have another chance to play in Week 7.
In Other News...
Nick Sirianni Just Reignited A Debate Eagles Fans Know Well
Nick Siriannis sideline fire has always been part of the package in Philadelphia, where intensity is often treated as a feature until it starts crossing a line. During the NFLs fall meetings in New York City, the Eagles coach was one of three head coaches fined for conduct toward game officials, a reminder that the league is watching closely when emotions spill over into interactions with referees.
The bigger question around Sirianni is not whether he cares, because everyone around the Eagles knows he does, but how that edge is managed over the long haul. Jeffery Lurie has already spoken publicly about the fine line there, acknowledging that Siriannis passion can become counterproductive if it goes too far with officials, which is exactly why this latest episode has reopened a familiar debate in Philly. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Bring Extra Rivalry Juice Into Massive Eagles Showdown
The Week 7 meeting between the Cowboys and Eagles already had the feel of one of the most charged games on the NFL calendar, and it only gets a little extra shine with Monday Night Football set for Oct. 26 at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, with ESPN, ABC and Disney+ carrying the game as Philadelphia and Dallas take another swing at each other in front of a national audience.
Dallas also is bringing its Arctic White Color Rush look back into the spotlight, a uniform combination that has been part of a perfect run so far this season. For the Eagles, the matchup is a straightforward one on the field but a familiar one in every other sense, with the rivalry, the stage and the timing all adding to the sense that this one could feel bigger than an ordinary division game. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Head Into Cowboys Showdown With Their Season Already Feeling Fragile
The Eagles Week 7 trip to Dallas arrives with both teams stuck at 2-4, turning Monday Night Football into a meeting of two frustrated rivals instead of the kind of showcase either side expected in October. Philadelphia is already fighting through a run of injuries, and the schedule leaves little time to reset before an 8:15 p.m. EST kickoff on ABC and ESPN.
Much of the attention now centers on how the offense will piece itself together heading into a game that could shape the tone of the next month. One potential boost is at least on the horizon, with Saquon Barkley in line to work his way back after missing the last two games, but the larger questions around the Eagles remain the ones that have made this season feel so shaky. [Read more 🡒]