Eagles Mailbag: What Will Be the Fiercest Competition During Training Camp?

The Philadelphia Eagles won’t return to the NovaCare Complex until the start of training camp on Tuesday, July 22nd. Yet there are still plenty of questions to discuss as the players enjoy their time off between the end of OTAs and beginning of training camp for now.

Several key players are recovering from major injuries, new faces are competing for starting jobs in Philadelphia and there are several other questions to discuss. I’ll dive into all of those topics and much more in the latest edition of my Eagles Mailbag!

Prior to the start of OTAs, it felt like there were going to be three legitimate competitions for starting jobs in Philadelphia. Yet it feels like the expected battles for the starting job at right guard and cornerback have likely already been settled with Tyler Steen and Kelee Ringo in comfortable leads at their respective positions.

Yet the same cannot be said at safety, where it remains unclear who will start next to Reed Blankenship in 2025. Therefore, the fiercest competition at Eagles training camp will likely be between Sydney Brown and Drew Mukuba for the starting job alongside Blankenship.

The safety battle extends far beyond the starting job as well. Tristin McCollum, Andre’ Sam, Lewis Cine and several other players will be battling for the depth spots at safety on Philadelphia’s roster all. It’ll be interesting to see which safeties emerge victorious once training camp and preseason games are over.

I’m not sure if it’s fair to select a second-year player here but I still believe Jalyx Hunt is being severely underrated. Hunt had a strong end to his rookie season and I believe he has the right approach and mindset to take a massive leap in year two with the Eagles.

While Nolan Smith has rightfully received a ton of hype heading into next season, Hunt should be in that conversation as well. It would not surprise me at all if Hunt recorded eight or more sacks as the starting edge rusher opposite of Smith in 2025. Although I could be biased given that I was a huge fan of Hunt’s skillset and upside before the 2024 NFL Draft.

We discussed this same exact question during a recent episode of “The Philly Special” and I’m going to stick with my answer. Despite an absurdly strong rookie season, I believe Quinyon Mitchell is quietly under a ton of pressure heading into year two in Philadelphia.

After moving on from Darius Slay, Mitchell is expected to be CB1 in the City of Brotherly Love and that comes with a ton of pressure. While everyone is right to assume that Mitchell will continue to play at a high level, there is a chance that he’ll struggle against tougher competition.

The Eagles are already taking a bit of a risk at CB2 by likely rolling with Ringo on that side. If Mitchell struggles or deals with a sophomore slump in year two, it could cause an unfortunate chain of events in Philadelphia’s rather inexperienced secondary.

I would be shocked if Nakobe Dean wasn’t on the PUP list to start the regular season. While Dean is heading into a contract year and likely wants to return to the field as soon as possible, I can’t see Philadelphia rushing him back onto the field. It would also free up a roster spot that they could use elsewhere during final cuts until Dean is ready to return.

Meanwhile, Jihaad Campbell appears to be trending in the right direction. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was held out of preseason action, yet was active in Week 1. If I had to guess right now, I think Dean will miss a few weeks while Campbell will be ready to roll.

If fully healthy, I’d agree that the Eagles have the best LB room in the NFL. Zack Baun, Dean and Campbell is an elite trio with a ton of versatility and speed. Yet “if fully healthy” is carrying a ton of weight given the recovery of both Dean and Campbell in 2025.

I wouldn’t expect Philadelphia’s defense to surpass last season’s output. Simply because the Eagles will be starting several new players and facing a significantly tougher schedule. While the youth movement went remarkably well last season, I’m expecting Philadelphia’s defense to hit a few more bumps in the road this time around.

Ogbo Okoronkwo was recently released by the Cleveland Browns but I’m just not sure that he would bring much to Philadelphia’s edge rusher group. They already seem set there with Smith, Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, Joshua Uche and several others. Yet I could see the Eagles making another move at cornerback.

I wrote about both Greg Newsome and Asante Samuel Jr. earlier this month. While Newsome is the more proven player, Philadelphia would have to trade for him and he’s set to make $13 million in 2025. Samuel appears to be the likeliest option among those three players.

I won’t make my case for your take, simply because I don’t agree with it at all. Jalen Hurts is the most important player on the Eagles, period. Lane Johnson would be second on my list, which is clearly evident by Philadelphia’s horrendous record without him.

I would then rank Saquon Barkley third and A.J. Brown fourth. Barkley was able to carry Philadelphia’s offense, even when the passing game wasn’t effective. Meanwhile, the Eagles have really struggled to pass the ball when Brown is unable to play. Hurts has a ton of trust in Brown and he elevates the passing attack to another level when he’s available.

Luckily, Philadelphia won’t have to deal with that situation for another year or two. Jordan Davis is under contract for at least two more seasons, thanks to the fifth-year option. While Jalen Carter and Smith can be locked in for three more seasons, if the Eagles elect to exercise their fifth-year options as well.

It’s clear that the Eagles weren’t ready to sign Davis to a long-term contract just yet, which is why they are taking advantage of the fifth-year option in his rookie contract. Both Carter and Smith are far more likely to receive contract extensions before that fifth-year option is even considered.

Therefore, Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily have to worry about paying all three players just yet. But thanks to the availability of the fifth-year option and Howie Roseman’s ability to be creative with contract structures, the Eagles could certainly keep all three players if they truly wanted to do so.