Which Eagles starting spots are still up for grabs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champions and they will have another very strong roster in 2025.
By my count, 17 of 22 starting spots (10 on offense, 7 on defense) are already set.
But that does leave five top spots on the depth chart up for grabs over the next few months. There are four positions on defense — a defense that was ranked No. 1 in 2024 — that need to be figured out this spring and summer before the Eagles kick off the 2025 season on Sept. 4 against the Cowboys.
Here’s a closer look at the Eagles’ projected starting lineup in 2025:
Offense
Quarterback: Jalen Hurts
Running back: Saquon Barkley
Receiver: A.J. Brown
Receiver: DeVonta Smith
Receiver: Jahan Dotson
Tight end: Dallas Goedert
Left tackle: Jordan Mailata
Left guard: Landon Dickerson
Center: Cam Jurgens
Right guard: ???
The only starting spot on offense that’s really in question is right guard. The Eagles lost Mekhi Becton in free agency when he signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Becton joined the Eagles after the draft last year and was plugged into that right guard spot in training camp. He played well on the best line in the NFL.
The top candidate to win this job in 2025 is Tyler Steen, the guy Becton replaced last training camp. Steen, 24, is entering his third NFL season after being drafted in the third round out of Alabama in 2023. Steen was supposed to be the starting right guard in 2024, replacing Cam Jurgens, who moved to center. But Steen suffered a minor ankle injury early in training camp; Becton was plugged in and never left. Steen still played over 300 snaps as a backup and played fairly well when called upon because of injury. The big thing for Steen is to find some more consistency if he’s going to be the full-time starter. It’ll likely be Steen in that position to start OTAs and to start training camp.
Who are the competitors? The Eagles acquired former first-round pick Kenyon Green in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. It’s exciting to think about pairing a former first-rounder with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland but Green’s NFL career has been an abject disappointment. Green started 23 games for the Texans at left guard and really struggled. Could he flip sides and suddenly live up to his potential? It’s possible but seems like a bit of a longshot. The other veteran on the team with a chance to earn the role is Matt Pryor. The Eagles this offseason re-signed their former draft pick who last played in Philly in 2020. Pryor in 2024 started 15 games for the Bears at right guard and played well. There are also some rookies who might be in the mix, although none of them are natural guards. Drew Kendall is fifth-round center who might have some guard flexibility. Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams are sixth-round tackles who might get a look inside.
Right tackle: Lane Johnson
Defense
Edge: Nolan Smith
Defensive tackle: Jalen Carter
Defensive tackle: Jordan Davis
Edge: ???
After a breakout second season, Nolan Smith is coming back from a torn triceps he suffered in the Super Bowl but should be ready for the start of the 2025 season. He has earned one starting spot. But the Eagles will have to replace Josh Sweat, who signed a four-year, $76 million contract with the Cardinals in free agency.
The Eagles have options. The top guy on the payroll is Bryce Huff, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract last offseason. While Huff is making $17 million per season, he doesn’t seem like the frontrunner to take this job. Huff really struggled in his first season with the Eagles and even though he came back from injury, he was a healthy scratch in Super Bowl LIX. This spot will probably come down to second-year pro Jalyx Hunt or veteran free agent pickup Azeez Ojulari.
Since this is a rotational position, the actual “starter” means a little less. It’s more about who carves out the biggest role in this group. Hunt was a raw third-round pick out of Houston Christian a year ago and was even inactive for Week 1. But by the playoffs, he was a completely different and disruptive player. After having 1 1/2 sack in 16 regular season games, Hunt had 1 1/2 sacks in the playoffs. In addition to signing Ojulari, the Eagles also signed Josh Uche but Ojulari seems like the better bet to make the team and potentially be a starter. Ojulari, 24, is just 270 days older than Hunt but has four years of NFL experience under his belt. Ojulari has been a productive player with 22 sacks in 46 career games with the Giants as a second-round pick but has struggled to stay healthy. Since playing 16 games as a rookie in 2021, Ojulari has played 7, 11 and 11 games in the three years since.
Linebacker: Zack Baun
Linebacker: ???
The Eagles really prioritized Zack Baun this offseason and re-signed the All-Pro linebacker to a three-year, $51 million deal. So that’s one spot figured out. Nakobe Dean had a breakout season in 2024 but unfortunately suffered a torn patellar tendon in the playoff game against the Packers, which means he might not be ready for the beginning of the 2025 season. If Dean was ready, he’d be the starter but things aren’t that simple right now.
The guy who replaced Dean in the 2025 playoffs, Oren Burks, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in free agency. So the two options if Dean misses time are second-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. During the playoffs, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was ready to replace Dean with a combination of Burks and Trotter but Burks was playing so well that he didn’t leave the field. Trotter, a fifth-round pick in 2024, played 104 defensive snaps in 2024 and was a big-time special teams contributor as a rookie. Last month, the Eagles moved up one spot to draft Campbell at No. 31 overall after trying for the better part of an hour to move up and get him. The Alabama linebacker was a consensus top-15 pick but fell because of medical concerns. Campbell did not participate in rookie camp after having shoulder surgery in March and it’s unclear when he’ll be ready to return. While Campbell has the versatility to play on the edge as a pass rusher, it seems likely he’ll begin his career as an inside linebacker.
Cornerback: Quinyon Mitchell
Cornerback: ???
The Eagles bring back Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean as two really quality starters coming off strong rookie seasons. Mitchell is the unquestioned CB1 after Darius Slay left in free agency. Slay’s departure opens the door for another player to take over as the other starting outside (left) cornerback. There’s the possibility that DeJean could play outside in base downs and move inside for nickel downs, but either way the Eagles need to figure out the next man up on the outside.
There are two top candidates: Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson. Even though he won’t turn 23 until late June, Ringo has already played two full NFL seasons after falling to the fourth round of the 2023 draft out of Georgia. While he was technically taken in the fourth, the Eagles traded a future three to get him and really valued Ringo that spring. Ringo played nearly 200 snaps as a rookie but was a bit more buried on the depth chart in his second season. But with Slay and Isaiah Rodgers (signed with the Vikings) gone, now could be Ringo’s time. Meanwhile, the Eagles’ top addition at cornerback was Jackson. The 29-year-old spent his last four years with the Giants after playing the first four years of his career with the Titans. At the owners meeting, GM Howie Roseman spoke glowingly of Jackson and said Jackson, “probably still hasn’t really played his best ball yet.”
Nickel back: Cooper DeJean
Safety: Reed Blankenship
Safety: ???
The Eagles had a strong safety duo in 2024 with Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson but they traded Gardner-Johnson to the Texans. While I have had some fans question whether or not Blankenship is definitely a starter again in 2025, he should be. Blankenship, 26, is entering a contract year but has been a steady force in the Eagles’ secondary. Over the last two years, Blankenship has started 30 games and has 191 tackles, 7 interceptions and 17 pass breakups.
So who replaces CJGJ? If the Eagles don’t bring anyone else in, this is shaping up to be the most fun battle of training camp between second-round rookie Drew Mukuba and third-year veteran Sydney Brown. The Eagles used the No. 64 overall pick (last of the second round) to draft Mukuba out of Texas. Mukuba (5-11, 186) is a tad undersized but was a big-time playmaker in college and offers a lot of the skills that Gardner-Johnson brought to the Eagles’ secondary. He’ll have to earn the starting gig but there’s reason to think he’s the frontrunner.
But don’t count out Brown (5-10, 211) just yet. The Eagles drafted Brown in the third round (No. 66 overall) in 2023 and he showed some promise as a rookie in a defense that was lost. Unfortunately, Brown tore his ACL in the regular season finale and began his second NFL season on PUP. He never climbed the depth chart and players like Avonte Maddox and Tristin McCollum played ahead of him. It’s worth noting that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wasn’t in place when Brown was drafted but was obviously part of the decision-making process to select Mukuba last month. Still, this is a battle that should play out this summer. The third door is a veteran addition. Former Pro Bowler Justin Simmons hasn’t been shy about his desire to play for Fangio again.