Who Will Win Philadelphia Eagles' Safety Battle?

Chances are a lot of NFL diehards couldn't name both of the starting safeties for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. In fact, chances are a few Eagles fans would have trouble with that, too.

To be fair, only Malcolm Jenkins' name is written in ink on the depth chart. However, the list of players competing for the vacancy alongside Jenkins is composed of names so unrecognizable that even guessing at them might be a challenge.

For better or worse, Nate Allen bolted to the Oakland Raiders during free agency. On one hand, the options to replace Allen are plentiful. On the other, not a single one of them appears to be a definitive solution, and most don't even have meaningful NFL experience.

Regardless, somebody has to win the job, even if only by default. But determining who should start could prove difficult. It's not like there's a ton of film the coaching staff can go back and watch. The competition will have to play itself out on the practice field and in exhibition games this summer.

Who will serve as the last line of defense for Philadelphia this season is anybody's guess at this point. There do seem to be two front-runners for the job, but don't count out another player emerging from the field.

Earl Wolff

YR	GMS	TKL	PD	INT
2014	7	7	1	0
2013	11	45	5	1

Wolff was the first Eagles safety head coach Chip Kelly mentioned by name when asked about the void at the NFL owners meetings in March, per PhiladelphiaEagles.com, leading many to believe he's the favorite heading into the race.

That makes sense, as Wolff was the only safety on the roster at the time who had even lined up at the position for Philadelphia. A fifth-round draft pick in 2013, Wolff wound up appearing in 11 games with six starts as a rookie, and he seemed competent. He finished the season with 45 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception.

Unfortunately, Wolff suffered a knee injury late in the year that lingered into 2014 and eventually required season-ending surgery. He went from possibly competing against Allen for a starting job last summer to a total non-factor in the Eagles' plans.

Until now. Wolff will battle for the job again, this time out of necessity. It's not that his ability doesn't warrant the opportunity, but he's a huge question mark after his performance in 2014. How far along is Wolff's development as he heads into his third season?

That will be the question. If healthy and confident, Wolff has demonstrated the potential to be a starting-caliber safety in the NFL. Whether he's progressed physically and mentally remains to be seen.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Jaylen Watkins

YR	GMS	TKL	PD	INT
2010	10	8	1	0
2011	13	34	5	0
2012	13	39	11	3
2013	12	52	7	0

While the team website still lists Watkins as a cornerback, Tim McManus of Philadelphia reports the second-year defensive back put on weight this offseason with the goal of challenging for a spot at safety.

Kelly would not commit to a position change for Watkins, but given the influx of talent at corner this offseason and the glaring hole at safety, a move makes sense. The 2014 fourth-round pick did play some safety at the University of Florida, so it's not as if it's entirely new.

Furthermore, Philadelphia tends to utilize its safeties in man-to-man coverage with some frequency, so Watkins' experience playing corner isn't exactly a detriment. It's partly what made Jenkins—another converted college corner—the best fit for the Eagles in free agency last offseason.

Of course, the problem with projecting Watkins anywhere in the lineup is that he has such limited experience. The only action he saw on defense as a rookie came in Week 17 at cornerback, and he didn't show much.

If we're being honest, Watkins is largely in consideration due to his draft status. Whether he's actually better positioned than the rest of the field is certainly up for debate.

The Field

PLAYER	YRS	GMS	STARTS
E. Wolff	2	18	7
J. Watkins	1	4	0
J. Couplin	1	8	0
E. Reynolds	1	0	0
E. Biggers	6	76	31
C. Maragos	5	62	0
E. Rowe (R)	0	0	0
C. Prosinski	4	56	9
R. Evans (R)	0	0	0

Wolff and Watkins are the most likely candidates for the job. However, because there are serious concerns with both, the competition might be a little more open than it appears. There is room for a dark-horse contender to get his name in the mix, and there are plenty of them on the roster.

Jerome Couplin: Plucked off the Detroit Lions' practice squad in December, Couplin is a fan favorite due to his impressive measurables. According to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, the second-year defensive back boasts a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and an 81-inch wingspan packed in a 6'1", 215-pound frame. The question is whether the undrafted player out of William & Mary can play.

Ed Reynolds: The 2014 fifth-round selection spent his rookie season on the practice squad, which is a bad sign. With that said, you can't completely write off Reynolds yet. He missed the early part of workouts last spring, which was a setback. He needs to bulk up to have a shot, and his chances of making the roster might be slim, but he did finish fifth in the nation with six interceptions as a junior at Stanford.

E.J. Biggers: Entering his seventh NFL season, Biggers has been a largely unreliable defensive back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and most recently Washington. About the only thing that can be said for him is he has plenty of experience, which may be enough to get a look. That being said, Biggers is a probable camp body.

Chris Maragos: Signed away from the Seattle Seahawks last offseason as a special teams ace, Maragos appears to be that and nothing more. He has zero starts for three teams in five NFL seasons, which suggests coaches don't view him as a solution in the secondary. However, Maragos is a tremendous team player and might get a look given the situation.

Eric Rowe: Don't rule out this year's second-round pick as a late entry into the competition, or even as its potential winner. Per Mosher, Kelly was adamant that he views Rowe as a cornerback. That's where he'll start his NFL journey, but the versatile defensive back did play safety for three seasons in college. If he struggles at corner, or nobody steps up at safety, Rowe could still slip in there.

The Winner

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Good luck handicapping this competition. Ultimately, it looks like it will come down to Wolff and Watkins, and if that's the case, one of two things likely has to happen for Watkins to win. Either Wolff needs to show a lack of progress in his recovery from knee surgery, or Watkins needs to prove he's clearly the best option.

With all of that in mind, I tend to think Wolff will win the job out of training camp. We've at least seen he can play at this level when healthy, something that can't be said for the other players battling for the job. That would seem to give Wolff a huge advantage, given the circumstances.