These 8 Stood Out At Eagles OTAs, Including A Longshot Running Back Vying For 53-Man Roster

And that’s especially true on the offensive and defensive lines. So it’s hard to tell how Cam Jurgens is faring as Jason Kelce’s replacement at center, or the combination of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, who both committed to an offseason of conditioning, replacing Fletcher Cox.

That conditioning, of course, was a theme of head coach Nick Sirianni’s upon sending his players off until late July after the Eagles wrapped up two weeks of organized team activities followed by a three-day mandatory minicamp last week.

“One of the main messages was come back in the best shape of your life,” Sirianni said. “One of our core values is detail, football IQ and fundamentals. And to play with great detail, you have to be in great shape. Our guys have done a great job of being in the weight room, of running extra after practice, running during practice, different things.”

Still, there are some players who were able to stand out. While that might not guarantee them a starting job or a roster spot, it does give them a leg up heading into training camp. That, of course, is when the practices get more intense, when the top players separate themselves from the backups, and when the 53-man roster for the season opener Sept. 6 against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil finally crystalizes.

Here, then, are eight players who stood out:

Isaiah Rodgers, cornerback

Rodgers, who sat out all of last season to serve a suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, got most of the reps with the first team opposite Darius Slay. Rodgers’ strong play, which included a pick-6 against QB Jalen Hurts in one team drill, served two purposes: The first is that it reinforced the Eagles’ decision to move on from James Bradberry as Sirianni revealed Bradberry is going to try safety (he’ll either be traded or released). The other is that the Eagles don’t necessarily have to rush rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean (more on them later) to start Week 1 if they’re not ready.

Kendall Milton, running back

The Eagles ran a handful of swing passes to Milton, the undrafted free agent signee out of Georgia. Each time, Milton showed an impressive burst of speed as he outraced defenders down the sideline. It’s easy to surmise that Saquon Barkley is the main back, and a spot is also assured for rookie Will Shipley, and probably for Kenny Gainwell despite his dropped passes on two straight days last week. But if Milton and Shipley both have strong training camps, that could change the Eagles’ pecking order behind Barkley. At the very least, it gives Milton the proverbial leg up over Tyrion Davis-Price and Lew Nichols.

Johnny Wilson, wide receiver

A big question in training camp will be who emerges as a third wide receiver (ideally, it’ll be Barkley). But veteran free agents Parris Campbell and John Ross have performed well. That leaves Wilson, the Eagles’ 6th-round pick, and Ainias Smith, the fifth-round pick, perhaps battling it out for one of the final roster spots. Wilson, who’s 6-6, certainly helped his cause when he high-pointed a Kenny Pickett pass over Rodgers for a 35-yard TD. That would make Wilson a strong option in the red zone especially.

Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, cornerbacks

They are being lumped together because the goal for the Eagles was to see if they could hold their own in coverages. They were primarily with the second unit, but they did get a few looks against the first-team offense. And Mitchell, the Eagles’ first-round pick, didn’t waste any time, surprising A.J. Brown with some trash talk for an otherwise quiet person. DeJean also had his moments, such as nearly picking off a Hurts pass. He then heard his share of trash talk from a notorious trash talker in safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. “I owe him one, put it that way,” DeJean said. Both Mitchell and DeJean showed enough to put themselves in the running for starting jobs in training camp.

Jalen Carter, defensive tackle

Keeping in mind the above parameters about “pajama” practices makes what Carter did last week all the more impressive. The Eagles had one 11-on-11 team drill in each of the three days of practice. On the first day, Carter bull-rushed and bowled over 321-pound guard Tyler Steen. Carter had a strong rookie season with 6 sacks, but he faded down the stretch. Still, Carter showed that he can take over a game, and his takedown of Steen, who is vying for a starting job at right guard, reinforces the possibility of a true breakout season.

Kenny Pickett, quarterback

There is no quarterback controversy as the Eagles traded for Pickett to serve as Jalen Hurts’ backup. But Pickett made some of the best throws of the spring practices, most notably the above-mentioned TD pass to Wilson in addition to a back-shoulder TD pass to Joseph Ngata. If anything, Pickett ended any talk about Tanner McKee possibly winning the backup job. Sure, Pickett had a few clunker throws too. But there’s a clear hierarchy at QB heading into training camp.

Mekhi Becton, guard

While it’s hard to gauge how a lineman will do during unpadded practices, Becton did stand out, and not just because of his 6-7, 363-pound frame. Becton, a 2020 first-round pick of the Jets, had spent all four of his seasons in New York at tackle. He had never played guard until last week when he filled in for Landon Dickerson, who was granted an excused absence.

While Becton isn’t about to unseat Dickerson, who was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, it does potentially put Becton in the conversation at right guard. The top contenders for the starting job there are Steen, Matt Hennessy and fifth-round pick Trevor Keegan. That will be something to watch in training camp.