There is a positive buzz surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles heading into the 2022 season. Last season was the first year under Nick Sirianni and with Jalen Hurts as the starting quarterback and the team showed some real positive signs. The franchise finished with a 9-8 record and managed to sneak into the postseason.
With a full offseason in which they made some notable additions on both sides of the ball, expectations are rising. The Eagles' defense has had a strong showing in the first few days of camp. While most of the storylines have been expected there are still a handful of surprises on the Eagles' first depth chart that was released.
3 biggest surprises from Nick Sirianni's first Eagles depth chart for 2022
Miles Sanders Remains RB1
It will be interesting to see how the Eagles running back rotation shakes out this year. Miles Sanders has been looked at as one of the premier running backs in the NFL but has not fully found his footing in the Eagles' offense. Sanders trailed Jalen Hurts in both rushing yards and attempts last season. Boston Scott, Jordan Howard, and Kenneth Gainwell also each made an impact on the ground.
As the Eagles' depth chart currently stands, Miles Sanders is listed as the lead back with Kenneth Gainwell as the number two and Boston Scott as the third back. Each guy is sure to receive some touches this season. While Sanders remains the top option on the depth chart, it is unlikely he will be the feature back as was previously the case. His agile movements and tendency to dance behind the line of scrimmage did not translate to the best success. Mixing in the downhill attack from Scott and Gainwell was a recipe for success and expect this to continue this season.
Jaquiski Tartt the Starting Strong Safety?
The Eagles made news just prior to the start of camp by signing Jaquiski Tartt to a free agent deal. The 30-year-old played the previous seven seasons with the 49ers where he started the bulk of his opportunities. Rodney McCloud elected to leave the Eagles in free agency this year and left some major shoes to fill. The Super Bowl champ had been the primary starter and one of the key pieces of the secondary since 2016.
One of notable storyline has been how the safety minutes will shake out following his exit. There was a great deal of buzz surrounding Marcus Epps who has had some positive flashes during his time with the Eagles. For a long period of time it looked as if he would be relied on as the only true option to fill this role. This changed when the Tartt was signed shortly before camp. Epps has reportedly had an impressive camp thus far and done his best to cement a role. It will be interesting to see how the battle for minutes shakes out as the season inches closer but it looks that Jaquiski Tartt holds the early advantage.
Jalen Reagor 5th WR on Depth Chart
It has been a rocky start to Jalen Reagor's NFL career. He will unfairly be compared to Justin Jefferson for the bulk of his career due to being selected just one pick before him in the 2020 draft. Jefferson is an unfair comparison but Reagor has struggled to measure up to much smaller goals as well. The TCU product has tallied just 64 receptions for 695 yards through his two seasons in the NFL. The Eagles gave him an opportunity as the punt returner but Reagor coughed up a costly fumble in this role during the playoffs.
The 23-year-old is certainly feeling the pressure heading into his third season. The Eagles have upgraded their wide receiver weapons significantly and there may not be as much opportunity for Reagor. The speedster is doing everything in his control and showed up to camp in great shape. He has shown some nice flashes during training camp and currently sits as the fifth wide receiver on the the depth chart. AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Zach Pascal are all above him. The trade rumors continue to swirl and Reagor spot on the team certainly isn't set in stone. Expect him to continue doing his best to stand out in camp but Reagor's future is a storyline to watch.
It is worth noting that Jalen Hurts has been the biggest storyline surrounding the Eagles. Each and every throw has been overanalyzed so far in camp and he has had some ups and downs. This is considered to be a make-or-break year for Hurts as he enters the second season as the starter. The team has done everything possible to set him up for success and it is his turn to deliver. Hurts' spot as QB1 is cemented on the depth chart but it is up to him to deliver this season.
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