4 Eagles to watch out for in Week 1 preseason game against Bengals

The wait is over. The Philadelphia Eagles will finally play football for the first time since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans back in February.

This new version of the Eagles has several questions as they enter the 2025 season with more youth and losing some key guys on defense. There is still enough talent that many believe this is a Super Bowl contenders.

Entering Week 1 of the preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, there are plenty of players to watch out for in the game and ones that could make a significant difference in position battle races or ones fans want to see step up. Here are four players to watch out for against Cincinnati.

Johnny Wilson, WR

Wilson has not had a perfect training camp with over two weeks in the books. There have been other standouts that have outperformed him, including Terrrace Marshall Jr., Darius Cooper, and Elijah Cooks. After only catching five of his 15 targets last year, Wilson might still be a lock for the 53-man roster, but he needs to show the coaching staff what he can do.

A.J. Dillon, RB

This is the first time Dillon has played in a game since injuring his neck, as he has been out of football for over a year. He's in a tough position battle with Will Shipley for the RB2 job and needs to make a strong first impression. Fans know what he can do in short-yard situations, but he must show his versatility to stay in the rotation at running back.

Azeez Ojulari, EDGE

Ojulari has not stood out at camp as much as some might have thought, as Josh Uche has caught more attention off the edge. There are already questions surrounding Ojulari's durability after signing with the Eagles in the offseason from the New York Giants. If Ojulari wants to be heavily in the rotation at EDGE, he needs to have a great first game and prove that he can pressure the quarterback like he did in New York.

Kelee Ringo, CB

Ringo has had an up-and-down training camp as he is fighting for the CB2 job with Adoree' Jackson. With the latest trade the Eagles made to acquire Jakorian Bennett from the Las Vegas Raiders, it'll add more pressure on Ringo to perform well, or Bennett could find himself in the hunt for the job. Ringo will be tested early against great receivers like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, so it'll be a good first challenge to see how he performs against such talent.