Eagles-Jets Preview: What To Watch For in Preseason Finale

Training camp is in the books and the Philadelphia Eagles will visit the New York Jets for their preseason finale. While the third preseason game used to be when the starters would suit up several years ago, times have changed.

Now we’ll be watching as Eagles players will be competing for the final roster spots in Philadelphia or elsewhere around the NFL. Here are the questions and topics that I’ll be watching for when the Eagles visit the Jets at MetLife Stadium in the preseason finale.

Final Look at the CB2 Competition

Adoree’ Jackson appears to be the current leader to start at CB2 in Philadelphia. Yet the door remains cracked open for Jakorian Bennett and Mac McWilliams to push for the starting job. Meanwhile, Kelee Ringo appears to be out of the running as he plummeted down the depth chart and is dealing with a quad injury.

It’ll be interesting to see what the plan will be at CB against the Jets. If Jackson doesn’t play, that likely means he has secured the starting job. But if he is still out there, along with Bennett and McWilliams, it likely signals that the competition is still open. If Ringo is able to play, it’ll be worth watching when he is on the field as well.

Which WRs Will Play Against the Jets?

The Eagles kept five WRs on their initial 53-man roster in 2025. None of those players played a single snap for Philadelphia in their final preseason game. Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see which WRs will play for the Eagles against the Jets.

Darius Cooper has emerged as the story of training camp and seems to have secured a final roster spot. Yet would the Eagles actually rest him? Meanwhile, Ainias Smith and newcomer Johnson Metchie III will likely play as they push for the final roster spots in Philadelphia.

Who Will Win the Final Spots at EDGE?

The top four spots at EDGE are likely secured in Philadelphia. Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari all appear to be locks to make the final roster. Yet the final spots behind those four remain fluid in the City of Brotherly Love.

Ogbo Okoronkwo is the veteran of the group and has shown flashes at times. But has it been enough to secure a roster spot over Patrick Johnson or rookie Antwaun Powell-Ryland? I’d currently give Johnson the edge due to his special teams ability but things could change if someone stands out against the Jets.

Can the OL Bounce Back?

Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland is arguably the best position coach in the NFL. Philadelphia’s OL has been a strength since Stoutland’s arrival and he is usually able to get the best out of the team’s backups. Yet Philadelphia’s second-team OL really struggled against the Cleveland Browns last week.

Veterans Matt Pryor and Kendall Lamm were supposed to provide a sense of security off the bench. Yet they have been inconsistent and Philadelphia’s young OL hasn’t taken the steps that many expected them to thus far. Therefore, I’m not sure that any of the backup OL besides Drew Kendall are guaranteed a roster spot right now.

Darian Kinnard could be in that category as well but it’s been tough to watch Philadelphia’s backup OL in the preseason. If the OL can bounce back and show promise against the Jets, it could inspire confidence in the group. Yet if they continue to struggle, we might see a lot of changes for the Eagles after final cuts.

Backup Safety Spot Is Up for Grabs

Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown and Drew Mukuba are clearly the top three safeties in Philadelphia. Yet Tristin McCollum and Andre’ Sam have each made plays during training camp and preseason games as they push for a final roster spot for the Eagles.

In 2024, the Eagles kept just three safeties on their initial 53-man roster, depending on what position you viewed James Bradberry at. Given the injury history of Brown and Mukuba, it seems like the Eagles will have to keep at least four safeties on their final roster this time around.

Given McCollum’s experience and value on special teams, he is likely the current leader to win that fourth spot. Yet Sam has stood out to me during preseason action and could push for the spot or force the Eagles to keep five safeties with a strong showing against the Jets.