Breaking Down the Eagles’ Initial 53-Man Roster

With cutdown day officially in the rearview, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ initial 53-man roster is finally set. Let’s take a look at each position group.

Quarterback (4): Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton. The Eagles may not be thrilled that neither McKee nor Dalton separated themselves in the QB2 battle, either to secure the position or to boost their potential trade value. Payton remains an intriguing prospect and a potential long-term answer.

Running Back (3): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley. Shipley beats out Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele, despite late pushes by both players.

Wide Receiver (6): DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore. With Britain Covey not making the roster, the question becomes who will be the Eagles’ punt returner, a role Covey has held locked down for the last four years.

Tight End (4): Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers, E.J. Jenkins. With reports that Stowers may be a healthy scratch on game days, keeping four tight ends makes perfect sense. Jenkins beat out Cameron Latu and Grant Calcaterra, with his blocking ability shining through throughout camp.

Offensive Line (10): Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Fred Johnson, Markel Bell, Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin, Micah Morris. Morris has quietly had an excellent preseason. In 102 pass-blocking snaps, he did not allow a single sack or quarterback hit.

Defensive Line (5): Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson. Across 74 pass-rush snaps in preseason, Robinson racked up 3.0 sacks, 12 total pressures, 4 QB hits, and 5 hurries, good for a 13.5% pressure rate.

Linebacker (4): Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr. Despite Vic Fangio warning reporters not to “sleep on Chance” when it came to roster predictions, Chance Campbell was unable to have a strong enough showing, with injuries impacting his camp.

Edge Rusher (5): Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr., A.J. Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie. Greenard being listed means he will likely return within the first four weeks of the season, as he did not begin the year on the PUP list.

Defensive Back (9): Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Drew Mukuba, Michael Carter II, Marcus Epps, Kelee Ringo, Jonathan Jones, Mac McWilliams. The front office clearly opted for youth when it came to their backups, despite significant struggles throughout the preseason.

Special Teams (3): Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rocco Underwood. Elliott went 7-for-7 in preseason games, a great sign following the second-worst season of his career.

Philadelphia Eagles Essentials

• 5 Best Eagles Quarterbacks of All Time
• 5 Best Eagles Running Backs of All Time
• 5 Best Eagles Wide Receivers of All Time
• Lincoln Financial Field: Top 5 NFL home-field advantages