Mac McWilliams could play pivotal role right out of regular season gates

Everyone knows the regular season is a completely different beast than the pre-season. And before long, the bright lights of week one will shine indeed, when the Cowboys visit the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles to kick off the NFL regular season.

With the season opener fast approaching, one rookie who could play a far bigger role than initially expected when Eagles general manager Howie Roseman tabbed him with a fifth-round selection is cornerback Mac McWilliams.

How McWilliams' role might increase more than expected in 2025

The reasons are two-fold: First, he has played very well throughout camp, moving between nickel and outside corner. And secondly, there is still a ton of uncertainty around that starting corner spot opposite star lockdown corner Quinyon Mitchell.

If the musical chairs of sorts continues at corner- the rotating of Kelee Ringo, Adoree Jackson, and most recently new addition Jakorian Bennett in hopes of finding a solid answer - we might see Cooper DeJean eventually move to that starting cornerback spot. Should that happen, Mac McWilliams could quickly make his mark at the nickel spot in place of DeJean.

Since his arrival in Philadelphia, McWilliams has played bigger than his 5-foot-10 size, arriving as advertised throughout the draft process with a brand of tenacity and willingness to mix it up. His ability to close quickly and his physicality at the point of attack while operating in close quarters play quite well at nickel. As training camp unfolded, he garnered looks both inside and outside, suggesting a prominent role could be in store before long.

Of course, DeJean quickly emerged as a star in the making at that nickel spot - a place on the field highly valued by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and rightfully so. But if that second corner spot proves to be a true weak link, come Week 1. Throughout the early stages of the upcoming regular season, McWilliams could eventually inherit nickel duties, allowing DeJean to move outside to the boundary, potentially forming the best one-two starting cornerback tandem in the entire league alongside Mitchell.

It's an intriguing idea. DeJean is elite in that nickel role due to his ability to hawk players of all sizes and also provide top-tier run support, but the remarkable versatility of the second-year standout out of Iowa leaves the door wide open for a potential switch to starting cornerback if the situation continues to be an issue.

If that's how it plays out, McWilliams could very well make a sizeable impact as a hard-hitting rookie at that nickel spot before long.