Twelve To Watch As Eagles OTAs Begin This Week

The Eagles will have their first OTAs this week - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Media will be allowed in for one of them. Maybe there will be a glimmer of things to come as spring marches toward summer and training camp, but really, these next few weeks will only be a couple of pieces in a vast jigsaw puzzle.

Still, here are some things we expect to see over the next three weeks from…

--Jihaad Campbell…doing nothing. It can be frustrating to see a first-round draft pick without a helmet just watching, but he arrived as the 31st overall pick basically right off the operating table after shoulder surgery. Maybe by spring training he will be ready to do something.

--Kelee Ringo…repping with Adoree Jackson and Eli Ricks as they begin their bids to start opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Some think Ringo will be handed the job. Not true.

--Drew Kendall…taking some turns at right guard. He was the best center in the draft, but the Eagles have a Pro Bowler at that spot, so the quickest path to playing time for the rookie is at guard.

--Drew Mukuba…doing a lot. If there is a rookie in this draft class of 10, the safety is the one who has me the most excited to watch. Sydney Brown will try to fend off Mukuba’s bid to start, but it will be a challenge for him.

--Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter… taking charge of the defensive line. The Georgia duo will be a handful this year, and Davis’s role is expected to increase to the point where he can be a three-down player. This is where it begins.

--Jalen Hurts…doing Jalen Hurts things. Last year, the Super Bowl MVP had a rocky OTA period adjusting to Kellen Moore’s offense before clicking on all cylinders once training camp began, not throwing an interception until the final day of camp. With Moore moving on to New Orleans, the new offensive coordinator is Kevin Patullo, who has been with the Eagles since Nick Sirianni became the head coach in 2021. So, the adjustment shouldn’t be as drastic, and Hurts should come out firing.

--Saquon Barkley…not doing much at all. Sort of like last year. No use doing much more than mental reps and meeting-room exercises.

--A.J. Dillon…Looking like the A.J. Dillon of two years ago, before a neck injury shelved him for a year.

--Zack Baun…showing leadership. Now in his second season and coming off a year in which he was one of the top defenders in the entire NFL, Baun will lead by example and, maybe, be more vocal.

--Tyler Steen…getting first-team reps, though this isn’t different from last year when he lined up with the first team, before the Eagles gave Mekhi Becton a look at that spot and Becton became the number one man. Can Steen hold on this time with challenges from Kenyon Green, Trevor Keegan, Matt Pryor, and maybe Kendall?

--Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari…standing out. The thought is Ojulari will be the better of the two, but what if it’s both? The Eagles need to hope it’s at least one because they are thin on the edge. If neither stand out, well, Von Miller could quickly become an option.

--Maxen Hook and Hollin Pierce…carving out a name for themselves. They may be the two players who could make the final roster as undrafted free agents, but it has to start early. Like right now.