Philadelphia Eagles Depth-Chart Predictions Ahead of Training Camp

There are position battles galore across the Philadelphia Eagles' roster as the team inches toward training camp ahead of the 2017 season.

The Eagles have had one of the most productive offseasons among NFL teams ever since the New England Patriots claimed the Super Bowl, doing so despite having one of the smallest amounts of salary-cap space entering free agency. Smart salary dumps, savvy signings and practical drafting made that possible as general manager Howie Roseman and crew made key improvements across the board.

As with any team that has shaken up the roster, though, plenty of questions still need to be answered over the course of training camp and the preseason.

While the talent on the roster has improved considerably, there are spots where players need to step up and prove they're worth starting spots or significant playing time.

Throughout OTAs, minicamp and team drills, fans have gotten a taste of what to expect in regards to the depth chart. With that in mind, let's break down how things look entering training camp.

Quarterback

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QB: Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Matt McGloin, Dane Evans

Expectations are sky-high for the Eagles in the coming years, and that's thanks to their budding star at quarterback.

Carson Wentz dazzled early on as a rookie in 2016, leading the Eagles to three impressive victories in his first action before various holes across the roster led to an inevitable 7-9 finish.

His vision, pocket awareness and pre-snap intelligence are off the charts for a young quarterback, and most importantly, his arm appears to be every bit as strong as today's NFL game requires from a top-end quarterback.

Bringing back Nick Foles proved to be one of the more underrated moves of the offseason for Philly, who could in turn shed Chase Daniel's exorbitant salary while actually upgrading the backup position. The Eagles are in relatively good hands should Wentz suffer an untimely injury.

The signing of Matt McGloin, one of the only third-string quarterbacks in the league with starting experience, indicates the Eagles put a high value on having a strong QB room from top to bottom.

Philadelphia also signed rookie Dane Evans at the end of June, but he faces an uphill battle to earn a roster spot throughout training camp.

Running Back

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RB: LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, Donnel Pumphrey, Darren Sproles, Corey Clement, Byron Marshall

LeGarrette Blount appears to be just what the Eagles needed in the backfield. A veteran presence with a mean running style that is a lot more than simple brute force, Philly can expect to lean on him as the primary back as he's coming off career-high production in rushes, yards and touchdowns last year with New England.

Beyond him, the Eagles have a ton of youthful talent and versatility to balance out the backfield and give it an extra dimension. Second-year back Wendell Smallwood has a lot to prove, but he should get more opportunity to do so after notching just 77 attempts as a rookie.

Rookie Donnel Pumphrey and veteran Darren Sproles round out the backfield in terms of likely 53-man roster players, but each is more of an all-around threat with as much acumen in the passing game as anything else. 

Byron Marshall is still around and should be expected to compete in training camp after getting some chances in 2016, while former Wisconsin star Corey Clement came on as an undrafted free agent and has plenty of potential.

Wide Receiver

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WR: Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Bryce Treggs, Shelton Gibson, Paul Turner, Greg Ward Jr.

A revamped wide receiver corps signifies perhaps the biggest single-unit improvement on the Eagles' roster and a primary reason why the 2017 win total is expected to usurp that of 2016 in a major way.

The signing of Alshon Jeffery marked one of the NFL's best one-year, if not overall, acquisitions this offseason. Wentz now has a true No. 1 receiver at his disposal, and one who will walk into a lion's share of the targets while hopefully proving worthy of a long-term contract at season's end.

That wasn't all the work Philly did to bolster the position; they also signed deep threat Torrey Smith to stretch out opposing secondaries. The two veteran signings will take pressure off Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor, allowing them to develop and earn playing time instead of being thrust into shoes they can't fill.

Rookies Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson are worth keeping an eye on throughout training camp, as each will have to offer something substantial to crack the 53-man roster.

The likes of Bryce Treggs and undrafted rookie Greg Ward Jr. will have to show out in a big way if they want anything more than a practice-squad spot for 2017.

Tight End

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TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton, Billy Brown, Anthony Denham

Reliable, athletic and young tight ends are the future of the position in the NFL, and the Eagles have one of the best in Zach Ertz.

The 26-year-old is locked down for the foreseeable future in Philly, and his production thus far indicates he'll be worth every penny for years to come. Ertz has surpassed 75 catches and 800 yards in his last two seasons, and posting similar numbers with the improved receiving unit beside him would be huge for Philly's dynamic offense.

Second tight end Brent Celek isn't the pass-catching threat he used to be, but the Eagles don't need him to be a weapon in the passing game. Instead, expect him to continue excelling as a sixth lineman bolstering the line of scrimmage.

Trey Burton won't be a featured part of the passing game either, but his special teams acumen and versatility on offense make him a valued piece and well worth a roster spot. Beyond him, there won't be much opportunity for the other tight ends to crack the Week 1 roster.

Offensive Line

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LT: Jason Peters, Dillon Gordon, Victor Salako

LG: Allen Barbre, Isaac Seumalo, Chance Warmack, Aaron Neary

C: Jason Kelce, Stefen Wisniewski, Josh Andrews

RG: Brandon Brooks, Matt Tobin, Dallas Thomas

RT: Lane Johnson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Taylor Hart

As strong as the Eagles' offensive line appears to be on paper entering training camp, it would be premature to consider the starting lineup as concrete for Week 1.

Jason Peters will certainly get the nod on the left, while Lane Johnson is arguably the league's best right tackle, but beyond that there's plenty of room for movement. Allen Barbre could be usurped by promising second-year pro Isaac Seumalo, who could also threaten for a starting spot at center.

Speaking of center, that's where the real conundrum lies. Jason Kelce has proved more than serviceable in that role, but he declined somewhat in 2016 and the re-signing of Stefen Wisniewski could indicate a midseason change. 

Brandon Brooks had a good first season in gang green, but the arrivals of Chance Warmack and Dallas Thomas along with the return of Matt Tobin means his spot is far from secure.

It will be a competitive training camp for the offensive line, and that should breed the best play from the players involved.

Defensive Line

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DE: Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, Steven Means, Alex McCalister, Marcus Smith

DT: Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Beau Allen, Elijah Qualls, Gabe Wright, Destiny Vaeao, Justin Hamilton, Craig Winston

Boy, does that defensive end unit look better than it did some months ago.

One of the biggest weaknesses on a roster full of them entering the offseason, the pass rush became a focal point of the offseason, and the Eagles attacked it head on by drafting Derek Barnett with the No. 14 overall pick.

He will serve as a huge relief to Brandon Graham, who supplied the pass rush practically on his own last season, while Chris Long's arrival and Vinny Curry's hopeful resurgence could make this one of the league's most formidable pass rushes.

The interior defensive line has been strong for a while, and it got a much-needed boost with the trade for former Raven Timmy Jernigan to replace the departed Bennie Logan.

If star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox plays up to his price tag and Jernigan impresses on his contract year, teams will have serious trouble running up the middle on Philadelphia.

The battle for backup roster spots will be a tough one throughout training camp, but Beau Allen offers dependable depth up the middle, while Steven Means and Alex McCalister could prove worthy of roster spots with strong training camps.

At this point, it would be surprising if former first-round pick Marcus Smith remained on the roster past the preseason.

Linebacker

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SLB: Nigel Bradham, Najee Goode

MLB: Jordan Hicks, Joe Walker, Don Cherry

WLB: Mychal Kendricks, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nate Gerry

Jordan Hicks has evolved into one of the better middle linebackers in the league with the Eagles, a position that calls for consistency, durability and smarts from defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's 4-3 system. Nigel Bradham has offered him a strong partner on the strong side, racking up 102 tackles last season.

Beyond that, the Eagles have a lot of questions regarding the middle of their defense.

Mychal Kendricks has been a prime trade candidate ever since Schwartz's arrival, as a free-blitzing linebacker who isn't well suited for the 4-3 scheme. Not only has that trade failed to materialize but the Eagles hardly did anything to identify a potential replacement.

Rookie Nate Gerry could be a starting candidate in the future, but the hybrid safety will need to develop both mentally and physically before he can be counted on.

Najee Goode and Kamu Grugier-Hill are decent depth linebackers, but neither has the experience for Philly fans to feel comfortable if they were to be thrust into significant playing time.

Defensive Back

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CB1: Patrick Robinson, Jalen Mills, Dwayne Gratz, Aaron Grymes

CB2: Rasul Douglas, Ron Brooks, C.J. Smith, Sidney Jones (injured)

SS: Malcolm Jenkins, Jaylen Watkins, Terrence Brooks

FS: Rodney McLeod, Chris Maragos, Randall Goforth

The Eagles' secondary is far from a finished product, but an aggressive approach to the unit this offseason leaves a ton of reasons for optimism looking forward.

The cornerback unit lacked just about everything last season, and the team addressed that in just about the only way they could—through the draft. The Eagles landed Sidney Jones in the second round as one of the best value picks of the draft, before taking West Virginia corner Rasul Douglas in the third. 

With a lack of proven corners on the roster, Douglas should get his chance to start right away and show what he can do. The Eagles did add a good veteran presence in Patrick Robinson, who could impress and become a dependable starter. Jalen Mills has his fair share of weaknesses, but his confident and fiery play should get him on the field while Ron Brooks can expect to man the slot.

Philly has perhaps the best safety partnership in the NFC East to lean on behind those corners, with Malcolm Jenkins flexing his all-around muscle and pairing up spectacularly with Rodney McLeod.

Depth safeties like Jaylen Watkins and Chris Maragos could allow Jenkins to spend time at corner if the need becomes apparent.

Special Teams

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K: Caleb Sturgis

P: Donnie Jones, Cameron Johnston

KR: Darren Sproles, Shelton Gibson, Nelson Agholor

PR: Darren Sproles, Paul Turner

Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis has had his fair share of hiccups throughout his NFL career, but he kicked his way back into Philly's favor throughout 2016, making 35 of his 41 field-goal attempts and converting all but one of his 31 extra-point attempts. 

Punter Donnie Jones has played a big role in the Eagles' special teams unit, ranking as one of the league's best. The Eagles did bring on former Ray Guy award finalist Cameron Johnston out of Ohio State, but they wouldn't have locked down Jones through 2019 if his spot was in serious jeopardy.

The return game will look a little different in 2017 with Josh Huff and Kenjon Barner gone, but Sproles' presence should negate any worry on that front. He can effectively assume both the kick and punt return duties, while Shelton Gibson and Nelson Agholor possess the skill to push their way into some touches in the return game if they do well in training camp.