Way Too-Early Eagles 53-Man Roster Projection

The Philadelphia Eagles have officially made it through the 2025 NFL draft and the major part of free agency. Their 90-man roster is nearly full, and the majority of their team is almost set.

The team still has multiple months, OTAs, training camp, and preseason games to get through before the start of the 2025 campaign. The team will 100% not be the same as the one that enters Lincoln Financial Field on September 4, but I decided to give an early prediction of what the Eagles’ 53-man roster will look like.

Quarterback: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Kyle McCord

This one is very self-explanatory. Hurts is coming off a Super Bowl MVP season and will be the Eagles’ starting quarterback of the future. With Kenny Pickett getting shipped off to Cleveland, McKee will now elevate into the full-time backup role.

While McKee will no doubt be the backup, the Eagles’ third quarterback spot will be between Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was acquired in the Pickett trade, and recently drafted rookie McCord. Philadelphia used a sixth-round pick on McCord, and with him being on a rookie deal, he will very likely make the team come August.

Running Back: Saquon Barkley, AJ Dillon, Will Shipley, Avery Williams

What else is there to say about Barkley? He’s coming off the greatest running back season of all time and will continue to be a focal point of the Eagles’ offense moving forward.

Dillon was signed during free agency to help ease the workload for Barkley this season, while Shipley will continue to develop and learn from Barkley. Williams will likely only make the team in a special-teams role.

Wide Receiver: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith, Terrace Marshall

The duo of Brown and Smith continues to be one of the best wide receiver duos in the entire NFL and will be for years to come. The Eagles acquired Dotson before the start of last season to be their WR3, and while it took some time, he filled in that role, especially in the playoffs. With Dotson still on a rookie contract, he will likely only be around for one more season unless his production heavily increases this year.

Wilson and Smith will likely be Dotson’s predecessors when his cheap contract is up, and this season, they will continue to develop. Marshall is the first wildcard in this prediction. The Eagles could decide to take only five wide receivers to start the season due to the amount of talent that they have. However, Marshall was an early signing for the Eagles, and, barring a terrible camp, he will likely get an opportunity to show what he has on the main roster.

Tight End: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Kylen Granson

Tight end was an interesting position for the Eagles heading into this offseason. Both Goedert and Calcaterra are going into the final years of their contracts with Philadelphia. Goedert’s name came up in trade talks during the draft, as for the right price, the Eagles may have traded him. However, he wasn’t traded and will likely play out his final season with the Eagles this year before deciding if they want to resign him in March.

For Calcaterra, the Eagles can pick up the tight ends’ fifth-year option or can extend him at any time. The final tight end spot comes down between Granson and Harrison Bryant. I think the Eagles will value blocking more, and in that scenario, would have Granson make the team over Bryant.

Offensive Line: Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Kenyon Green, Trevor Keegan, Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams, Drew Kendall, Hollin Pierce

The best offensive line in football just continued to get deep this offseason. The starters are nearly set for this season, with Mailata, Johnson, Dickerson, and newly extended Jurgens are expected to remain in their same spots from last season.

The real question is who will start at right guard. It will likely come down to Steen and Green, with Steen likely winning due to his longevity with the team. Rounding out the rest of the offensive line depth, Keegan is back for year two.

The Eagles drafted tackles Hinton and Williams and center Kendall, who will learn and develop under Jeff Stoutland. The final lineman I have making the roster is undrafted free agent Pierce. Pierce had many suitors as an undrafted free agent, and the Eagles gave him a very expensive contract. He’ll likely make the roster to avoid being poached from the practice squad.

Defensive Line: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Thomas Booker, Ty Robinson, Josh Uche, Bryce Huff

If there’s one position group that’s going to be the most different from last season, it’s the defensive line. The Eagles said goodbye to Milton Williams in the offseason after he signed a record-setting contract with the New England Patriots, and also said goodbye to the team’s captain, Brandon Graham, who announced his retirement.

Leading the group now is third-year player Carter, who has elevated his game to arguably a top 10 defensive player in the league. Davis is back for year four and is awaiting to see if the Eagles pick up his fifth-year option or if this will be his last guaranteed year in Philadelphia.

Ojomo and Booker are also back as both of their playing time will increase after the loss of Williams, while Uche was brought in free agent to fill the void left by Graham. The real question mark with this group is Huff. Huff is entering the second year of his three-year deal with the Eagles, and year one did not go the way both parties hoped it would. While he was rumored in trades this offseason, due to his large contract, I highly doubt the Eagles can or will move him until the following season ends. Maybe Huff can get back to his old ways and be the guy the Eagles paid for.

Linebacker/Edge Rusher: Nolan Smith, Zack Baun, Jalyx Hunt, Jeremiah Trotter Jr, Jihaad Campbell, Azeez Ojulari
PUP Nakobe Dean

No doubt, the easiest position group to predict. After years of failing to address the linebacker position as a whole, the Eagles finally have one of, if not the best, linebacker groups in the league.

For the outside linebackers/edge rushers, Smith will now lead the group after a departing Josh Sweat moved on to Arizona. Hunt is back for year two, while Oulari comes over from the New York Giants to help beef up the pass rush.

The inside linebackers are also deep. Baun signed a three-year contract extension in the offseason and will take over play-calling duties full-time this season. Trotter Jr is also back for his second season and will have an opportunity to start this year.

However, Trott Jr will have stiff competition, especially after the way the Eagles used their first-round selection. They selected linebacker Campbell, an incredible inside and outside linebacker who is fast and strong. While Campbell may miss the start of the season due to a shoulder injury, his talent is no doubt, and he will fight to earn his starting job when he returns.

Someone who will very likely not start the year on time is the other starting linebacker from last season, Dean. Dean is still recovering from a torn patellar and will likely begin the year on the PUP list, but will also be back sometime during the season.

Defensive Back: Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, Andrew Mukuba, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams, Eli Ricks, Tristin McCollum, Lewis Cine

The Eagles have essentially made a full 180° in their defensive back room compared to just two seasons ago. They went from having one of the oldest groups in the lead with Darius Slay and James Bradberry leading things, to now having one of the youngest.

Second-year corners Mitchell and DeJean are back, and as the two best players in the group, it’s essentially their group to lead now. Alongside them is Ringo, who will likely be starting at corner with Mitchell and DeJean, as well as Blankenship, who will start once again at free safety, while the strong safety will be battle come training camp.

It’ll be between Brown, who last season didn’t get much playing time after recovering from an ACL tear in 2023, and newly drafted second-round pick Mukuba. It will likely be Mukuba’s job to lose, but it will no doubt be a competition between the two during camp.

Rounding out the reserves at corner are fifth-round pick McWilliams and Eli Ricks. Both could earn the starting job over Ringo, but the former Georgia Bulldog seems to be the leading man. McCollum and Cine will back up the safeties, with Adoree’ Jackson likely to be the odd man out.

Special Teams: Jake Elliott, Charley Hughlett, Braden Mann, Avery Williams*, Cooper DeJean*

Pretty easy to figure this one out. The Eagles did not draft or sign a kicker this offseason, which means, barring an injury or truly poor play, Jake Elliott will remain the Eagles’ starting kicker for his ninth season. Similarly, they added no other punter, so Braden Mann will stay as well.

However, the team did change long snappers after signing Charley Hughlett in free agency and letting Rick Lovato walk. For kickoffs with Kenneth Gainwell leaving for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Williams will likely take his spot on returns. Meanwhile, on punts, DeJean may be the guy, but it could also go to Williams if he succeeds in camp.

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