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Three most underrated Eagles for 2025
Even the best NFL teams need contributions from little-known players and the Eagles are no exception. These three have been named as the most unappreciated/underrated members on Philadelphia’s roster.
S | Reed Blankenship
Pro Football Focus’ Jonathan Macri identified Blankenship as the Eagles most underrated player with an 87.2 PFF coverage grade, the eighth-best number among 129 qualifying safeties since 2022.
Blankenship came to Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022, appearing in 10 games with four starts as a rookie. He played so well that the team had no problem letting C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who led the league with six interceptions that year, leave for the Lions in 2023.
The Eagles struggled that year, giving up the third-most points (25.2) and second-most passing yards (252.7) per game, but Blankenship arguably had the best season of his young career with 113 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defended.
Read by Reed!
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: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/fYmrdw184S
Playing alongside rookie cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell in 2024, Blankenship pulled down a career-high four interceptions (tied for sixth-most in the league) to help the team hold opponents to a league-low 174.2 yards through the air. His performance led to a one-year, $3.5M contract extension this offseason.
DT | Moro Ojomo
Gennaro Filice, Deputy Editor for NFL.com sees Ojomo, the team’s seventh-round pick in 2023 as a candidate to become the Eagles most underappreciated player in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive tackle may have just 456 NFL snaps under his belt, but he’ll be counted on heavily with the loss of Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams on the defensive line.
According to Felice, Ojomo finished last season with PFF’s second-highest win rate (18.2 percent) among interior defenders with at least 300 pass-rushing snaps, trailing only Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones (18.8 percent).
Ojomo saw 25 snaps and had two tackles, including one for a loss, against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX and should see more success with increased reps next season.
LB | Josh Uche
Can a player be underrated before he plays a game with his new team? Heavy.com’s Owen Crisafulli thinks so, especially on a one-year, $1.9M deal.
Uche operated mainly as a pass-rush specialist after joining New England as a second-round pick in 2020 and had his best year with 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2022.
He’d play in just 22 games over the next two years before being traded to Kansas City where he appeared in only six regular season games. But if the 26-year-old linebacker can regain any of his 2022 form, he’ll be a godsend to a team already down two linebackers.
Nakobe Dean, a third-round pick in 2022 is expected to miss significant time after suffering a torn patellar tendon against the Packers in last year’s playoffs. Jihaad Campbell, the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, had surgery in March to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and is unlikely to see starter’s reps when Philadelphia opens the regular season in September.
Whether Uche proves to be underrated or not, his performance could be critical to the team’s early season success.
More must-reads:
- Why Eagles RB Saquon Barkley could avoid the 'Madden curse' this upcoming season
- Saquon Barkley addresses shift in 'mindset' after Eagles' Super Bowl triumph
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Browns reporter says rookie is 'not an NFL QB'
As of the first Monday of August, there was no indication that 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel or 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders had any real chance to emerge as the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 starting quarterback. During a Monday morning appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns reporter Daryl Ruiter offered quite a worrisome update regarding how Gabriel has looked during training camp practices. "He's not good," Ruiter said about Gabriel. "He's not an NFL quarterback. Not right now, and the fact that they keep running him out there for first-team reps ... they're cramming this guy down our throats, and it's not good." Numerous NFL analysts viewed Gabriel as a third-day selection before the Browns made him the 94th overall pick of this year's draft. The perception, up until Sanders was held out of Saturday's practice due to arm soreness, was that he has been the team's fourth-choice option at the position behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. All signs are reportedly pointing to Flacco getting the start for Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Gabriel is listed at 5-foot-11, but some who cover the team have expressed doubts about that measurement. It seems that a lack of desirable size for playing the position in the pros isn't all that's gone against Gabriel this summer. "It's not a height thing," Ruiter continued. "It's not personal. He's rolling out and can't hit guys who are wide open. He's not all that great, at times, in the warmup periods. ... He's just not a good quarterback." Ruiter said that he feels Gabriel "has no business being in contention to start a football game" for the Browns this season. "It's god awful when he's on the field," Ruiter added. Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed in late July that he could stash all four active quarterbacks on the roster for at least Week 1. For an article published on Sunday night, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that there's "zero chance" either Gabriel or Sanders will be cut this summer. Perhaps Gabriel will look better when he sees some action in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. That said, it sounds like fans should keep their expectations low for Gabriel's unofficial debut this coming Friday.
Kevin Love reportedly has preferred buyout destination
Kevin Love is eyeing a return to his roots. The five-time NBA All-Star big man Love has a preferred destination on the buyout market, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. Love would like to end up in Los Angeles. Now 36 years old, Love spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged just 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 10.9 minutes per game in 2024-25 but still managed to shoot 35.8 percent from three on the year. Earlier this summer however, the Heat traded Love to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team blockbuster deal. Now Love, a 17-year NBA veteran, is pursuing a contract buyout from the rebuilding Jazz. Though he is a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Love played his college ball in Los Angeles at UCLA. He also has ties to both L.A. teams — he won an NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and was also coached on that team by Tyronn Lue, who is now head coach of the L.A. Clippers. Both the Lakers and Clippers are currently sitting at 14 guaranteed contracts each. While they still have spots for two-way and Exhibit 10 players, that means the Lakers and Clippers are both down to their final open roster spot. The ex-rebounding leader Love still has some value, though probably more so as a jokester than as a contributing rotation piece. While Love clearly wants a homecoming to Los Angeles, he may have some convincing to do for either the Lakers or the Clippers to give him that final open roster spot.
One NBA team emerging as favorite to sign Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons may be headed back to the Atlantic Division. The New York Knicks appear to be the favorites to sign the former NBA All-Star forward Simmons in free agency, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported Tuesday. Siegel adds that it is expected to be a veteran’s minimum contract for Simmons if he does end up in New York. Along with the Knicks, the Boston Celtics have also been at the forefront of the Simmons sweepstakes, Siegel adds. However, the Celtics signed fellow veteran frontcourt piece Chris Boucher on Tuesday, seemingly taking them out of the running for Simmons. Simmons, 29, is still unsigned over a month into the free agent period. He finished out last season with the L.A. Clippers, averaging 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 16.4 minutes per game in 18 appearances off the bench. He also previously played in the Knicks’ division, beginning his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and then getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. The Knicks could foreseeably use another big body off the bench. However, a Simmons signing would likely be more of a flier than anything after they signed a former Sixth Man of the Year winner to carry their second unit and also added a versatile bench forward who is capable of playing and defending multiple positions. Simmons is clearly little more than minimum-contract fodder at this point of his NBA career. But as a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive selection with some playmaking juice still left in him as well, Simmons appears to be closing in on another chance in the league.
Mets’ Brandon Nimmo makes tough admission after second loss in Guardians series
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