Philadelphia Eagles: Top 5 Eagles Most Likely to Break Out

Although last season provided many twists and turns for the Philadelphia Eagles, in the end it can only be labeled as a disappointment.  

Andy Reid and company failed to win it all after losing to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs—once again, the fans were left with an empty feeling.

And a reason to hope.

The offense seems to be firing on all cylinders now that it includes a superstar cast led by quarterback Michael Vick.  Even the defense, for all its struggles last year, gave promising performances at times. The only things missing are a few key pieces.

Some of those pieces may be found in free agency (hello, Nnamdi Asomugha). 

Others, however, may already be on the roster.

If this consistently good-yet-unspectacular team is to become elite, it needs to have some of its promising players step up and deliver impressive performances.

Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin did it last year. 

Now, it is time for these five players to help turn the Eagles into Super Bowl champions.

5. Jaiquawn Jarrett, Safety

February 28, 2009 will be remembered as a day of mourning for Eagles fans.  It was on that day that Brian Dawkins—one of the hardest-hitting safeties to ever play the game—left Philadelphia to play for the Denver Broncos, taking the heart and soul of the Eagles defense with him.

But on April 29, 2011, the Eagles may have drafted his replacement.

A four-year starter out of Temple University, rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett’s play on the field will remind many fans of their beloved Dawkins. 

He is an in-the-box safety who knows how to deliver the big hit to change the tide of a game.  Add to that the instincts and awareness needed to excel in coverage, and you have the makings of a playmaker.

And with Quintin Mikell likely leaving Philly, Jarrett will be offered the chance to compete with second-year veteran Kurt Coleman for the starting strong-safety position; a competition that he is likely to win.

Brian Who?

4. Riley Cooper, Wide Receiver

For perhaps the first time in the Andy Reid era, the Eagles have one of the most lethal receiving corps in the NFL. There is the speedster DeSean Jackson, the young but promising Jeremy Maclin and the sure-handed Jason Avant.

Time to add a new name to that list.

Second-year player Riley Cooper offers offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg the type of big-bodied receiver the team has been without since Terrell Owens. At 6’3” and 222 lbs, he would be an ideal target in the red zone. 

The Eagles have been linked to free agent Plaxico Burress, but Cooper provides the same height advantages as the troubled receiver minus the off-field issues.

Granted, it will be tough for Cooper initially to earn targets with such a talented group of receivers in front of him.  But he has both the talent and physical attributes needed to provide quarterback Michael Vick with a dangerous threat in the back of the endzone. 

3. Danny Watkins, Offensive Lineman

When the Eagles selected Baylor’s Danny Watkins with the 23rd pick in April’s draft, many considered it a bit of a reach. 

As it turns out, he could be the key ingredient to keeping Michael Vick upright and healthy.

Watkins offers new offensive line coach Howard Mudd the versatility of a lineman who may start his career at right guard but could eventually swing out to play at the tackle position. He is a tough, gritty player who is not afraid to get in a defensive lineman’s face and stand his ground.

And it is not just his physical talents that set him apart.

I mean, let’s face it.  If he is willing to risk his life by entering a burning building in order to save others (he is a firefighter back in British Columbia), chances are he has the mental toughness to protect a quarterback.

Yes, he is a 26-year-old rookie. And yes, he has only been playing the game for four years. But Watkins not only has the talent to succeed in the NFL, but he has that never-back-down attitude that will instantly enamor Eagles fans everywhere.

2. Jamar Chaney, Linebacker

After middle linebacker Stewart Bradley was lost for the remainder of the season with a dislocated elbow in Week 14, most fans believed that the Eagles’ already struggling defense was about to get worse. 

But one man’s loss turned into another man’s gain. 

To replace Bradley, the Eagles sent in rookie Jamar Chaney—for the next three games he was nothing short of spectacular.

Chaney proved to be a thumper in the middle of the defense, posting 23 tackles and a forced fumble in Weeks 15 and 16 combined. Though he is lacking some in size, he makes up for it in both instincts and sideline-to-sideline speed.

The question is not if Chaney will start next season. It is whether he will start at middle linebacker or at one of the other two linebacker positions on the Eagles defense.  The answer to that will largely depend on whether or not Bradley is retained.

Regardless of where he plays, look for Chaney to make an impact.

1. Antonio Dixon, Defensive Tackle

If Andy Reid excels at anything, it is the ability to see talent in players who would otherwise be passed over by another team. 

He turned Trent Cole from a fifth-round draft pick into a dominating defensive end. Heck, before becoming the quality (and highly underrated) strong safety he is now, Quintin Mikell was an undrafted free agent signed by Reid in 2003. 

And now it looks as though the Eagles head coach has struck gold again.

After being plucked off waivers in 2009, Antonio Dixon has transformed himself into a run-stuffing defensive tackle capable of taking on some of the best centers in the league.

He started out the 2010 season as a second-stringer.  But once Brodrick Bunkley went down with an elbow injury, Dixon took over and simply dominated.

At the end of the season, Dixon graded out as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-best interior defensive lineman in run defense. And that was after only starting 10 games.

He does need some help when it comes to getting after the quarterback.  Luckily, he has legendary defensive line coach Jim Washburn to train him.

With (hopefully) a full training camp to master the playbook and perfect his techniques, Dixon is poised to become one of the most dominated defensive tackles in the league.