Eagles-Browns: What To Watch In Second Preseason Game

Safeties. Sydney Brown was his usual heat-seeking missile self on Day 2 against the Browns. Rookie Drew Mukuba, though, is a fundamentally sound player, the kind that Vic Fangio likes. Brown is still learning to play with what Fangio calls “polish” on his game.

Offensive line. Tyler Steen was the only member of the starting line to play in the preseason opener. Maybe he will be in there again. Brett Toth will certainly start at left guard with Landon Dickerson down. The question is who follows both those players at those two positions. Matt Pryor got all the right tackle snaps with the first team on Thursday, with Lane Johnson getting a rest day off from practice.

Jihaad Campbell. The first-round rookie was limited to just 15 snaps in the preseason opener because the team’s training staff wasn’t quite ready to take the wraps off his rehabbing shoulder. Vic Fangio would love to see him play more on Saturday. The defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Bobby King continue to use him in different ways.

Asked what Fangio is doing to bring out the best in him, Campbell said: “Small details, like running to the ball, getting a hook-drop and still visualizing other things to make the play. Overall, just being a playmaker, understanding what that is. Just simplifying it down each and every day.”

Quarterbacks. Tanner McKee played into the third quarter last week and excelled. Do the Eagles need to see more from him? Probably not. They do need to see more from rookie Kyle McCord and veteran Dorian Thompson-Robinson. How much they play remains to be seen, but they are locked in a battle to be the emergency quarterback. McCord threw an interception and completed just one of five throws. It would be nice to see McKee play a series or two, then turn things over to Thompson-Robinson for the rest of the half and into the third quarter, then let McCord bring it home.

Receivers. Last year's draft picks, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, and this year's undrafted free agent Darius Cooper stood out in the preseason opener. Can they do it again and force the Eagles to keep six receivers on the roster, potentially?