Eagles' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles
On Saturday night, the Philadelphia Eagles played their first game since losing Super Bowl LVII. They fell in their preseason opener as well, getting beat by the Baltimore Ravens 20-19.
That game was, of course, much less important. The results of exhibition contests don't matter, so it's no big deal that Philadelphia wasn't victorious. The preseason is all about individual performances and how those impact the battles for starting jobs and roster spots in training camp.
The Eagles undoubtedly have a strong roster that should again rank among the best in the NFL. But they still have some items to sort out prior to the start of the regular season.
Here's a look at several of Philadelphia's ongoing position battles, along with projected winners for each.
Running Backs
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The Eagles have one of the best groups of running backs of any NFL team. They have five RBs who could conceivably make the 53-man roster: D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon.
It seems unlikely Philadelphia would keep all five. And it also has to decide who will be its primary lead back, as Swift, Penny and Gainwell all have a case to fill that role.
Swift or Penny are most likely to be RB1, but Gainwell should get plenty of touches, too. Any of the three could end up at the top of the depth chart. But Swift has the potential to put up the biggest numbers of the group.
Do the Eagles have room to keep Sermon? That remains to be seen. The 24-year-old scored a touchdown in the preseason opener, but he also had only 21 yards on nine carries. Right now, it seems more likely Philadelphia will hang onto the more proven Scott.
Projection: Swift becomes lead back; Scott makes team over Sermon
No. 3 Wide Receiver
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One of the big offseason storylines for Philadelphia again this year was who would become the team's third starting wide receiver alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Eagles added some players to their receiving corps, but none of them are clear favorites to earn a starting job.
Because of that, Quez Watkins remains the front-runner to be WR3. The 25-year-old was having a strong training camp before dealing with a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss Philadelphia's preseason opener.
As long as Watkins is healthy, he should secure the starting role. He's showcased his big-play ability in camp practices, and he appears poised to take a step forward from his 2022 campaign.
If Watkins remains hurt, then Olamide Zaccheaus could slide into a starting role. But that's likely the only way he ends up in that spot.
Projected: Watkins secures third starting WR spot
The 2nd Starting Safety
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Throughout training camp, Reed Blankenship has shown he should be one of the Eagles' starting safeties this year. He's worked with the first team, and he appears to be in a great spot to seize that starting spot.
As for the other safety role, that could go to any of three candidates: Terrell Edmunds, K'Von Wallace and rookie Sydney Brown. And each would bring a different skill set to the back of Philadelphia's secondary.
Brown had a team-high nine tackles in the preseason opener, while Wallace had five and Edmunds had two (including a sack). All three are surely going to make the 53-man roster and have an opportunity to be solid contributors in the upcoming season.
But Wallace is standing out in camp, and the 26-year-old could beat out Edmunds and Brown for a larger portion of playing time. Anything could still happen in this competition over the next few weeks, but Wallace continues to impress.
Projection: Wallace secures starting safety role
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