Philadelphia Eagles: Defensive Position-by-Position Depth Chart Analysis

Who will be the No. 2 cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015? Who will emerge as the two starters from the logjam at interior linebacker? Who is the first man off the bench in the event of an injury at outside linebacker? Who is currently in the process of seizing the vacancy at safety?

All valid questions, all attempted to be answered ahead as we go deep into the Eagles' depth chart at every position on the defensive side of the football. No player is left off the list as we examine who are the probable starters and who might be climbing or falling down the ladder as we barrel toward training camp in August.

Defensive End

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Left Defensive End Cedric Thornton

Thornton is one of the better run defenders in the NFL, but provides little in the way of a pass-rush. The fourth-year veteran typically gives way to Vinny Curry on third downs and in obvious passing situations.

Right Defensive End Fletcher Cox

The scheme-versatile Cox is proving he can excel in any system, even one where he doesn't rack up big numbers. The 2012 first-round pick is appearing on multiple underrated lists this offseason because he didn't make the Pro Bowl this past season, but anyone in the know realizes he's a force. The best part is that Cox is only 24 and can be the cornerstone of Philly's defense for years to come.

DE3 Vinny Curry

Curry possesses one of the most explosive first steps in football, which makes him a handful to block when his job is to penetrate the line of scrimmage. He finished second on the team with 9.0 sacks in 2014 while lining up for just 32 percent of the defensive snaps, per Football Outsiders. Yet at 6'3", 279 pounds, the 27-year-old is a tad undersized for an end in a 3-4 and is prone to getting pushed around when asked to hold the point of attack against the run—thus the situational role.

DE4 Brandon Bair

Earned the spot with a strong camp last summer but did little with it once the regular season rolled around. Bair contributes on special teams as well, but turns 31 this year and offers little upside. Expect a young challenger to rise up and take his job.

DE5 Taylor Hart

The 2014 fifth-round pick didn't dress for a single game as a rookie. However, Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Hart has packed on nearly 25 pounds since his arrival, so it sounds like he's ready to compete for playing time in Year 2.

DE6 Travis Raciti

An undrafted rookie out of San Jose State, Raciti has a legitimate shot at making the roster. The Eagles tipped their hand a bit by awarding guaranteed money on his contract, according to Mark Eckel for NJ.com—usually a sign the team is high on a UDFA. Raciti could push Bair or Hart for a higher place on the depth chart.

DE7 Brian Mihalik

The Eagles invested a seventh-round pick in Mihalik in this year's draft but are likely hoping to stash him on the practice squad. Mihalik is massive at 6'9", 302 pounds, but the Boston College product is extremely raw and will be learning a new position.

DE8 Frank Mays

DE9 B.J. McBryde

Nose Tackle

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NT1 Bennie Logan

A 2013 third-round pick, Logan has shed the perception he's not big enough to play the nose in the NFL. The LSU product is stout against the run, and while he didn't manage a sack last season, he doesn't get a ton of opportunities to rush the passer.

NT2 Beau Allen

Allen surprised many by becoming an instant contributor as a seventh-round pick in 2014, and there's always going to be room for a 6'2", 333-pound defensive lineman in the NFL. That being said, he needs to take a step forward in Year 2, as he was not especially productive as a rookie.

NT3 Wade Keliikipi

Outside Linebacker

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Left Outside Linebacker Connor Barwin

Barwin is coming off a career year with 14.5 sacks. Even if he doesn't match last year's totals—which would be difficult to do—the 28-year-old is invaluable against the run and in coverage as well, often shadowing opposing tight ends and even wide receivers at Philadelphia's "jack" position.

Right Outside Linebacker Brandon Graham

After five long years, Graham has finally ascended to a starting job in the NFL, taking over for Trent Cole at the "predator" position. The 2010 first-round pick has long been one of the league's most productive pass-rushers in a limited role—ranking first, seventh and first at his position the past three seasons in productivity, based on charting by Pro Football Focus. Now Graham must prove he can handle an every-down role.

OLB3 Marcus Smith

There's a sentiment that Smith, the Eagles' 2014 first-round pick, may be in jeopardy of not even making the team. Yet one look at the depth chart, and it becomes quite clear this defense is counting on some form of contribution in Year 2 after Smith failed to register so much as a single tackle as a rookie. We'll see.

OLB4 Travis Long

Long was set to make the roster last year before suffering a torn ACL in the Eagles' final preseason game. An undrafted free agent out Washington State in 2013, the team is high on Long as a pass-rusher and special teams contributor and will have their fingers crossed for good health this season. Who knows, maybe he'll supplant Smith as the first linebacker off the bench.

OLB5 Bryan Braman

Braman reworked his contract in the offseason, ensuring he'll be on the roster for another season. His presence on the depth chart is largely for appearances, however, as he's almost exclusively a special teams performer.

OLB6 Brandon Hepburn

OLB7 Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo

Interior Linebacker

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We took an in-depth look at the Eagles' depth chart at interior linebacker last week. The full breakdown and analysis can be found here.

Left Inside Linebacker DeMeco Ryans 

You have to think that—at 31 years old and coming off of a torn Achilles—Ryans is a two-down linebacker at this stage of his career at best. However, the two-time Pro Bowler is the heart and soul of Philly's defense, so we'll be seeing plenty of him.

Right Inside Linebacker Kiko Alonso 

The Eagles traded All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for Alonso, a three-down linebacker who may be the most complete on the roster. 

ILB3 Mychal Kendricks

Kendricks will probably see time on third downs and rotate into the game with the starters, particularly in passing situations, as he's a better at rushing the passer and in coverage than Ryans. Provided, that is, Kendricks isn't traded between now and September.

ILB4 Brad Jones

Signed largely to play special teams, Jones has experience playing inside and out, although he's not particularly great at either. His spot could be up for grabs, except with the trio ahead of him, it may not matter.

ILB5 Jordan Hicks

The third-round pick out of Texas has an opportunity to surpass Jones on the depth chart but is otherwise buried for the time being. Don't expect a huge contribution in his rookie year.

ILB6 Najee Goode

Goode was set to play a larger role in the defense last season before a torn pectoral muscle landed him on injured reserve. He returns to find himself caught up in a numbers game, one in which it will prove difficult to land a roster spot.

ILB7 Emmanuel Acho

Performed adequately in a limited reserve role while Kendricks and Ryans battled injuries last season, but there doesn't appear to be much use for him here anymore.

Cornerback

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CB1 Byron Maxwell

The Eagles awarded former Seattle Seahawk Maxwell a blockbuster free-agent contract to take over as No. 1 cornerback. Whether or not the fifth-year veteran with 17 career starts was worth it remains to be seen, but that's the hope around Philadelphia.

CB2 Nolan Carroll

According to Dave Spadaro for PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Carroll has been taking most of the first-team reps across from Maxwell this offseason. The competition is far from settled, but it appears for now at least it's the 28-year-old's job to lose.

Nickel Cornerback Brandon Boykin

Technically, Boykin is part of the open competition for the No. 2 corner job as well, but this coaching staff has always been more comfortable with him in the slot. Listed at 5'10", the belief is that the fourth-year veteran isn't tall enough to handle bigger receivers on the outside. On the other hand, Boykin is a borderline star on the inside. Barring real trouble identifying another starter, that's where he'll remain.

CB3 Eric Rowe

The second-round pick out of Utah will have a crack at the No. 2 corner spot as well. He'll have to earn it, though. A starting job is a lot to entrust to any rookie, in particular working one-on-one on an island against NFL receivers, as Rowe would be doing on a weekly basis. That may be a lot to ask of an athlete who was lining up at safety up until a year ago. That being said, expect Rowe to see some action in dime packages at the very least, as it suits his hybrid background.

CB4 JaCorey Shepherd

Shepherd may be one of the fastest risers on Philadelphia's depth chart this spring. The sixth-round pick out of Kansas reportedly has been around the ball a lot, with Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer listing Shepherd as perhaps the club's most impressive rookie thus far. Shepherd could butt his head in the conversation to start, while Brandon Lee Gowton for Bleeding Green Nation also mentions he's been shadowing Boykin in the slot.

CB5 Jaylen Watkins

The 2014 fourth-round pick seems to be stuck in no-man's land. Watkins doesn't seem to be in the conversation for playing time at either corner or safety, which is enough to make one wonder if he's even a lock to crack the roster.

CB6 Randall Evans

The sixth-round pick hasn't received anything near the attention of his fellow rookie corners. It's early yet, but there's no real indication Evans is in the mix to see significant action this season.

CB7 E.J. Biggers

CB8 Denzel Rice

Safety

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Left Safety Malcolm Jenkins

For the record, the Eagles don't have strong and free safety positions, they have left and right safeties who can perform all tasks. Jenkins is the lone holdover in the secondary from last season, and the free-agent addition turned out to be a perfect fit for the role. The seventh-year veteran recorded a career-high 15 pass breakups and three interceptions, not to mention dropped a few more would-be picks.

Right Saftey Walter Thurmond

In a move nobody saw coming, cornerback Walter Thurmond shifted to safety this offseason, and at this point, he's not only the frontrunner to start, it seems all but assured. Philadelphia's safeties are frequently deployed in man coverage, so it's not the jump some might think, and with a crowded situation at corner, this may be the best way to make use of the sixth-year vet.

S3 Earl Wolff

Wolff may have lost his best shot to start due to injury. The 2013 fifth-round selection underwent knee surgery last season and still wasn't healthy enough to participate in practice this spring. Now Thurmond appears to have the job on lockdown. There's a lot of time between now and September, but Wolff's road just got a lot tougher.

S4 Chris Maragos

Maragos has never started a game in five NFL seasons and has been purely a special teams player for Philly thus far. However, the Eagles are thin at safety, and his roster spot is assured, so don't be surprised if Maragos sees some action if the defense finds itself in a pinch this year.

S5 Jerome Couplin

Could Couplin climb the depth chart? Absolutely. Signed off the Detroit Lions practice squad in December, the second-year player out of William & Mary has unbelievable measurables, standing 6'1", 215 pounds with 4.5 speed, a 41.5-inch vertical and an astounding 81-inch wingspan, according to Geoff Mosher for CSNPhilly.com. Now all Couplin needs to do is demonstrate that he can play.

S6 Ed Reynolds

The 2014 fifth-round pick spent all of his rookie season on the practice squad, which is not a promising sign to say the least. Reynolds seems like a stretch to make the roster, quite frankly.

S7 Chris Prosinski