Eagles' position battle instantly became most important for Super Bowl run

If Philadelphia Eagles fans wanted some drama like a summer blockbuster would present, they might have their wish.

After winning the Super Bowl in February, the Eagles lost multiple key players from the roster, with the secondary taking the biggest hit. Veterans like Darius Slay, Jamer Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Avonte Maddox are no longer on the team. Instead, the youth movement has arrived with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship, beginning the future of what looks like an unstoppable force.

The position group will have some intriguing position battles in training camp, Sydney Brown going up against second-round pick Andrew Mukuba. There is one, though, that will catch the attention of all Eagles fans, as there is considerable uncertainty surrounding it.

Who will be the Eagles' third cornerback on the depth chart?

Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine examined each team's most significant position battles going into the summer. For Philadelphia, it will be the cornerback battle between Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo.

"The defending champions don't have many true roster holes to speak of, but the outside cornerback spot across from Quinyon Mitchell could be a concern. Darius Slay and James Bradberry were getting older, but losing both along with Avonte Maddox leaves the Eagles with less depth than they enjoyed before.

Philadelphia brought in Adoree' Jackson. He has 66 career starts, but a lengthy injury history. Kelee Ringo has already seen some action with the first-team defense in OTAs. The Eagles need one of them to emerge as a starter who can maintain the strength the secondary showed last season."

Jackson comes in as the new free agent despite having eight years of NFL experience after being a first round pick to the Tennessee Titans. In 97 career games, Jackson has made 330 tackles, 61 pass deflections, and four interceptions with the Titans and New York Giants. While he has been a serviceable starter in the NFL, Jackson never quite lived up to his first round status.

Ringo has been the guy the Eagles have hoped would develop into an eventual starter. Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he hasn't always gotten snaps over the last two years, Ringo does have some starting experience as he has racked up 36 tackles, three pass deflections, and one interception in 34 games.

According to PFF. Jackson had a higher grade last year than Ringo did, as Jackson received a grade of 69, while Ringo received a grade of 65.8. The grades also show that while Jackson has a higher grade against the run (85.8 to 57.3), Ringo was actually better in pass coverage (67.2 to 64.5).

This is an important fact to know, as the Eagles are high on Ringo, and with his large six-foot, two-inch height, they want him to work out. His experience in Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense also gives him an advantage over Jackson.

Philadelphia has shown a preference for youth over veterans this offseason, which could work in Ringo's favor. Both players took first-team reps at OTAs last week, so there is not a clear-cut winner yet. That will have to be decided at training camp.