The Philadelphia Eagles will wrap up their preseason against the New York Jets on Thursday night before getting set to take on the Washington Redskins in their season opener on Sept. 8.

The Eagles have gone 1-2 over their first three exhibition games, but that hasn't dissuaded fans and media pundits from having high expectations for them in the NFC East heading into 2019.

Philadelphia has quite a few interesting young players looking to make an impact this season, and while the preseason doesn't mean much to veterans, it certainly does to these guys.

So, here are three key players to watch in Philly's final preseason contest.

3. Clayton Thorson

With Nate Sudfeld going down with a broken wrist and the Eagles signing Josh McCown out of retirement, Philadelphia suddenly faces a backup quarterback dilemma.

Will Philly keep Sudfeld even though he will be out for an extended period of time? Or will the Eagles opt to cut (or potentially trade) Sudfeld and roll with McCown and rookie Clayton Thorson behind Carson Wentz?

The Eagles drafted Thorson in the fifth round, and while he certainly won't be starting any time soon, he has been expected to land a backup job all along. But, the Sudfeld injury and McCown signing changed things a bit.

Thorson will likely get a shot to play on Thursday as he tries to solidify a roster spot, but a poor outing could make Doug Pederson go in a different direction.

2. Miles Sanders

The Eagles having a crowded backfield did not stop them from drafting Miles Sanders in the second round back in April, but just because Philadelphia may love his potential does not mean he is guaranteed playing time.

Sanders is fighting with Jordan Howard, Josh Adams, Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and even Darren Sproles for touches, and throughout the preseason thus far, he has amassed just eight carries.

While he will be on the roster no matter what and will probably still see some burn in the regular season regardless of what happens on Thursday evening, it would certainly behoove Sanders to have a strong showing in the exhibition finale in order for him to try and establish himself as a threat among the plethora of Eagles running backs.

1. JJ Arcega-Whiteside

JJ Arcega-Whiteside is coming off of a monster game against the Baltimore Ravens in which he hauled in eight receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, giving him 12 catches for the preseason.

In a receiving corps that includes Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor, not to mention tight end Zach Ertz, you would think the rookie might find it difficult to earn targets, but Arcega-Whiteside's impressive preseason has to be giving the coaching staff pause in that regard.

It is important to keep in mind that Philly debated trading Agholor after drafting Arcega-Whiteside earlier this offseason, but nothing came of it. So, there is a possibility that Arcega-Whiteside could end up passing Agholor on the depth chart, and if he has another great exhibition contest on Thursday, that debate will become even stronger.