Eagles' Devin White out for NFL Week 1 vs. Packers with Ankle Injury

The new-look linebacking corps for the Philadelphia Eagles will be without Devin White for the season opener.

Philadelphia announced Wednesday that White has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Green Bay Packers due to an ankle injury.

Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Nakobe Dean was slated to be the Eagles' starter at the Mike linebacker spot even before White was added to the injury report on Tuesday.

McLane added it was "unclear" what role White was going to have for the defense.

After losing T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White in free agency following the 2022 season, the Eagles' off-ball linebackers were a mess last year. Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham were their primary starters, but they brought in Shaquille Leonard late in the season while trying to find anyone who could give them competent play.

Dean was hyped as a third-round draft pick in 2022 because of his stellar play at Georgia, which included a Butkus Award in 2021, but injuries limited him to five games last season. He only played 34 defensive snaps as a rookie.

In an effort to supplement their linebackers for the upcoming season, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman signed White as a free agent. He spent the past five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a spot on the All-Pro second team in 2020.

White's speed makes him most effective in blitz and pass-rush situations. He was effective in coverage down the stretch last season after returning from a three-game absence due to a foot injury.

It doesn't seem like new Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had big plans for White in Week 1, and keeping him out to get fully healthy is the right decision.

The downside is they are losing depth at a position against an opponent that loves to attack the middle of the field. Jordan Love's ascent last season coincided with him throwing between the numbers more frequently.

It will be on Dean and Zack Baun to protect that area of the field Friday when the Eagles and Packers play the NFL's first regular-season game in Brazil.