After spending 2023 with one of the more veteran starting lineups in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again return to the NovaCare Center this summer with a roster loaded up with experienced talents across the board, from free agent additions like Saquon Barkley and Bryce Huff to in-house risers like Jordan Davis and Tyler Steen, who hope to establish themselves as legitimate long-term performers worthy of calling South Philadelphia home for the rest of the decade.
Still, just because the Eagles have a veteran core that many other teams would die for, that doesn't mean they don't have quality young performers who could push proven pros for playing time, including members of their rookie class, who have a lot of talent regardless of where they were drafted, such as a high-profile defensive back looking to prove he's capable of performing above the MAC level and a super-sized option in the slot with a unique playing style.
These rookies could be players for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
2. Quinyon Mitchell will push James Bradberry
After spending the last two years as the Eagles CB2 on the outside, it's clear James Bradberry will not be back in Philadelphia's starting lineup this fall, so much so that he was literally moved to safety in camp due to the influx of interesting options from second-year-pro Kelee Ringo to recently unsuspended ex-Colt Isaiah Rodgers, and the two corners the team drafted back in April, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Who will earn the starting spot come Week 1? It's hard to know, but long-term, the Eagles' CB1 has to be Mitchell, as that's what he was drafted to do.
Standing 6-foot, 195 with massive 10-inch hands and a blazing 4.33 40-yard dash, Mitchell looks every bit the part of a modern-day lock-down cornerback and likely would have been selected much higher in the first round had he taken Nick Sabian up on his offer to leave Toledo for Alabama in 2023. Still, clearly, the Eagles liked what they saw in Mitchell enough during his time with the Rockets and at the Senior Bowl to make him the pick at 22, and they reportedly even tried to trade up to secure his services. For the long-term health of Vic Fangio's secondary, the Eagles need Mitchell to hit, and if he can win the starting spot in 2024, well, that will mean very good things for the Eagles indeed.
CB Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean working together pic.twitter.com/SR4ymWJ54h
— Chris Franklin (@cfranklinnews) June 6, 2024
1. Johnny Wilson will push Parris Campbell
While the Eagles' starting lineup is mostly locked up from last season, with most of the holes left by the likes of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox set to be filled by internal heirs like Cam Jurgens and Jalen Carter, the arguably biggest question on the entire team has to be WR3, with last year's top contributors at the spot, Quez Watkins, Julio Jones, and Olamide Zaccheaus all no longer with the team.
In March, it looked like the Eagles' third wide receiver would be DeVante Parker, the long-time Miami Dolphin-turned-New England Patriot who signed with the team at the opening of free agency, but his retirement has led to Parris Campbell being penciled onto the depth chart in his former spot.
If Johnny Wilson can play at the level many experts expected coming out of Florida State; he might just steal that spot before Halloween.
One of the biggest wide receivers in the NFL today, standing a shade over 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 231 pounds, marks that rank in the 99th and 97th percentile according to Mockdraftable, Wilson has one of the biggest wingspans of all time for an NFL wide receiver at 84.5 inches and uses that length to catch anything coming his way, serving as a perfect safety blanket for quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels at ASU and Jordan Travis in Tallahassee. Though he may not be a 4.3 burner like, say, Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers, he has the potential to be a solid X receiver on the outside who can body up on bigger cornerbacks and a very interesting option on the inside, where he could split the difference between a big slot and a move tight end in space.
Normally, when a receiver is drafted in the sixth round, they rarely become a starter, let alone a contributor as a rookie, but despite being the second receiver selected by the Eagles on Day 3, he has the potential to be the better pro right out of the gates and an ideal third options for Philadelphia long-term, even if they still want to add a speedy option like John Ross to the depth chart to mix in some different looks.
More WR drills.
John Ross, Johnny Wilson included. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/yZOGAhd6zE
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) June 6, 2024