10 Eagles That Deserve More Attention This Summer

The Philadelphia Eagles will wrap up OTAs on June 10th before taking a break until training camp begins in July. While everyone is well aware of the star power on Philadelphia’s roster, there are plenty of sleeper candidates that deserve more attention this summer.

Despite the media’s limited access to OTAs, several players have reportedly stood out different reasons throughout practice in the City of Brotherly Love. Here are 10 players that you should keep an eye on once the Eagles return for the start of training camp next month.

Darian Kinnard

The 25-year-old offensive tackle was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Kinnard has miraculously won the Super Bowl in each of his first three seasons, so clearly that’s enough of a reason for the Eagles to keep him on the final 53-man roster, right?

In all seriousness, Philadelphia signed Kinnard in February of 2024 and he’s been enrolled at Stoutland University ever since. While Kinnard was essentially stashed on the roster for his first season with the Eagles, he apparently showed Jeff Stoutland enough to earn a legitimate role in 2025. Kinnard appears to be in the early lead for the swing tackle vacancy that was created by Fred Johnson’s departure in free agency.

Byron Young

The 24-year-old interior defensive lineman followed a similar developmental path as Kinnard during his first season in Philadelphia. Young was claimed by the Eagles in late August following final cuts and remained on the active roster until being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury in October.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves taking a chance on former relatively high draft picks and Young was selected in the third round by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now Young is healthy and will have his first full offseason with the Eagles. Despite heading into his third season in the NFL, Young is actually the same age as Eagles rookie IDL Ty Robinson.

Andre’ Sam

Following a lengthy college career, Sam arrived in Philadelphia as a 25-year-old undrafted free agent. While Sam was unable to make the team’s final 53-man roster, he was signed to the Eagles practice squad and eventually made his regular season debut after being elevated to the active roster against the Carolina Panthers in Week 14.

Sam worked closely with former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson during their time together last season. Now Sam is competing for one of the final spots on the active roster at safety created by Gardner-Johnson’s departure. Sam reportedly received snaps with the first-team defense during team drills at OTAs.

Keilan Robinson

Robinson is the shiny new toy in Philadelphia after being claimed by the Eagles on June 6th. The 25-year-old RB was selected in the fifth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft. Yet after spending most of his rookie season on injured reserve, Robinson was waived by the new regime in Jacksonville.

Now Robinson will look to break through in a relatively top heavy RB room in Philadelphia. While Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley are guaranteed to make the roster, Robinson will have to compete with A.J. Dillon and others to make Philadelphia’s final roster. His limited workload in college and upside as a returner could help him make the Eagles in 2025.

Danny Gray

Surprise! Another former relatively high draft pick that Roseman and his staff identified as reclamation projects in Philadelphia. Gray was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and never lived up to expectations in the Bay Area.

After spending last season on Philadelphia’s practice squad, Gray is turning heads at OTAs. He has reportedly made a few impressive catches and switching his jersey number from #41 to #80 will certainly help his case to make the Eagles final roster. The lack of WR depth in Philadelphia is a bit of a concern and Gray could potentially help address that issue in 2025.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland

While it might seem odd to include a rookie on this list, I believe that Powell-Ryland is still being slept on. I dubbed “APR” as my guy at EDGE in the 2025 NFL Draft and I’m genuinely excited to see how he will perform during training camp and preseason action.

Despite the concerns about his length and strength, there is no denying Powell-Ryland’s production in college. “APR” recorded 25.5 sacks in two seasons at Virginia Tech and has a complete repertoire of pass rush moves. Following the departure of Bryce Huff, there’s a legitimate chance that Powell-Ryland could push for a role during his rookie season.

Ainias Smith

After the Eagles selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there were some that hoped he would show some flashes as a rookie. Yet his first season in the NFL was derailed by injury and a rather inconsistent performance overall. Heading into year two, there is a belief that Smith isn’t even a lock to make the final 53-man roster in Philadelphia.

Despite Smith’s turbulent rookie season, I believe he’s actually become underrated at this point. Philadelphia’s WR room is rather unproven outside of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson, which should create plenty of opportunities for Smith to prove himself in 2025. If he is fully healthy and ready to go for the start of training camp, Smith could prove to be a pleasant surprise for the Eagles.

Kylen Granson

While everyone is happy to see Dallas Goedert return to Philadelphia, there are still concerns about his availability. Goedert is nearly guaranteed to miss multiple games each season and Grant Calcaterra isn’t necessarily the best blocking TE to fill that role. Yet Granson has shown flashes and earned high blocking grades from Pro Football Focus in recent years.

Both Granson and Harrison Bryant could be competing for that final TE spot on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. Yet I believe that Granson offers a bit more upside as a pass catcher, which he was able to show at times with the Indianapolis Colts. While Granson doesn’t have the height that Bryant does, he offers an intriguing skillset that is worth watching.

Matt Pryor

The 30-year-old veteran OL is no stranger to Philadelphia and working with Stoutland. Which could be why he appears to have the early lead as the top backup guard on the Eagles during OTAs. Pryor brings a ton of experience to the OL room among the reserves, which is something that Philadelphia was lacking this offseason before he returned to the team.

While many expected Tyler Steen to compete with Kenyon Green for the starting job at right guard, Pryor could suddenly be the one to watch for. Steen appears to have a comfortable lead for the job, yet if he suffers another injury or slips up, Pryor’s experience could give him an edge among the others for that role in 2025.

Parry Nickerson

Similar to Pryor, Nickerson is another 30-year-old veteran that has spent plenty of time in the NFL. Nickerson was with the Eagles during training camp last offseason but was eventually released during final cuts. Philadelphia added him to the practice squad in October, where he remained with the team through their Super Bowl run.

Now Nickerson is back with the Eagles and pushing to make the final 53-man roster once again. Following the departure of Avonte Maddox in free agency, Nickerson is seemingly making a push for the backup slot CB role. He was reportedly spotted working with the first-team defense at slot CB during OTAs when Cooper DeJean was playing outside CB.