Aug 22, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord (19) throws a pass during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Eagles-Jets Offers Early Roster Hints

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By John McMullen | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 9:12 PM ET

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - The Eagles provided a few 53-man roster Easter eggs in Friday’s preseason finale against the New York Jets.

The first hints came pre-game when deference status was given to first-round rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Adoree' Jackson, safety Sydney Brown, offensive lineman Matt Pryor, and running back A.J. Dillon.

That foreshadows the idea of Campbell, Jackson, and Brown likely being Week 1 starters against Dallas, while Pryor had the inside track on swing tackle and Dillon will be RB3 behind Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley.

Hidden deeper was defensive tackle Byron Young being a team captain for the game, and standing out with two tackles, including one for loss.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has given Young a nickname (BY) over the summer and brought him up multiple times unprompted in press conferences when discussing his defensive tackle depth.

Also, rookie Drew Kendall started at center and moved to left guard in the second series. The Boston College product was then given the rest of the half off when Kenyon Green entered to play LG.

That’s an indication that Kendall will be a game-day backup, and there’s an outside possibility that he could be a Week 1 starter at LG if Pro Bowl stalwart L andon Dickerson can’t make it back from his meniscus surgery.

The WR situation behind the top three of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson remains in flux. The good news for Ainias Smith is that he got all four punt returns in the first half, but had two drops at WR.

The newly acquired John Metchie had another drop and Darius Cooper was bracketed in coverage when Kyle McCord threw an ill-advised interception on a deep shot.

The most notable players getting game action on Friday night were LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., CB Jakorian Bennett, Metchie, Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, and Smith, Cooper, and Avery Williams.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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