Eagles Pre-Preseason 53-Man Roster Projection
The Philadelphia Eagles will play their first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. We’ve learned a lot about the Eagles through the first several weeks of training camp, as players have moved up and down the depth chart. But we’ll learn a lot more about Philadelphia’s position battles during the preseason. Therefore, it’s time for an updated, pre-preseason 53-man roster projection for the Eagles.
Quarterback
In (3): Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Cole Payton
Out (1): Andy Dalton
In my previous 53-man roster projections, I had the Eagles keeping Andy Dalton and trading away Tanner McKee. Yet it feels like the desperation of the quarterback needy teams around the NFL hasn’t necessarily materialized as I thought it would. Therefore, I’m not sure that Philadelphia will get the offer necessary to pry McKee away. They could likely find a taker for Dalton, especially after the Houston Texans potentially lost Graham Mertz to a torn ACL.
Running Back
In (3): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
Out (3): Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, Ja’Quinden Jackson
Philadelphia’s running back room has felt like the easiest position group to project for a while. Things got a little interesting when Dameon Pierce was making plays earlier in training camp before suffering an hamstring injury. If Pierce can get healthy and play in a few preseason games, maybe he can push Will Shipley for the third running back spot. Yet as of right now, it feels like the three running backs are set.
Wide Receiver
In (6): DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore, Hollywood Brown
Out (7): Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey, Samori Toure, Danny Gray, Quez Watkins, Erik Ezukanma, Brandon Hayes
Philadelphia’s top four wide receivers seem set in stone. Meanwhile, the Eagles will have a tough decision to make between Hollywood Brown, Johnny Wilson and Elijah Moore. Brown has struggled in training camp but signed a one-year deal that included $5 million guaranteed. Ideally, the Eagles will find a trade partner for Brown but I have my doubts. Moore has built a solid connection with QB1 and could potentially be a returner, while Wilson has missed a few practices due to a knee injury.
Tight End
In (4): Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers, Cameron Latu
Out (3): Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, E.J. Jenkins
The top three in Philadelphia’s tight end room is set in stone, barring injury. The fourth and final spot may come down to preseason performance in 2026. I’m going to give the edge to Cameron Latu, who was a key special teams contributor last season and has experience playing in a similar offensive scheme from his time with the San Francisco 49ers. There’s always a chance that the Eagles could make an outside addition to fill a spot here as well.
Offensive Tackle
In (4): Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Markel Bell
Out (4): Cameron Williams, Myles Hinton, Hollin Pierce, John Ojukwu
While Lane Johnson revealed that this will likely be his final season in the NFL, Philadelphia has built a solid contingency plan behind him. Markel Bell has shown a ton of promise and in an ideal world, he’ll be the eventual successor to Johnson. Meanwhile, Fred Johnson has reportedly had an inconsistent training camp, yet I believe that he’ll still make the final 53-man roster as the primary backup left tackle.
Interior Offensive Line
In (6): Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin, Micah Morris
Out (2): Michael Jordan, Jake Majors
Both Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens struggled with injuries last season. While Jurgens reportedly looks good in training camp, Dickerson has reportedly been inconsistent and looked slow at times. Therefore, Philadelphia’s depth along the interior of the offensive line will be key. Luckily, Drew Kendall has emerged as a solid option, while Willie Lampkin and Micah Morris are worth developing.
Interior Defensive Line
In (6): Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard
Out (3): Gabe Hall, Zion Wilson, David Blay
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo have established themselves as arguably the best interior defensive line in the NFL. Byron Young has emerged as a capable fourth-option behind Philadelphia’s trio. While Ty Robinson struggled to start training camp, he has reportedly looked better in recent weeks. Lastly, I can’t see the Eagles exposing Uar Bernard to waivers given the investment that the team has made in his development.
Edge Rusher
In (5): Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr., Arnold Ebiketie, Joshua Weru
Out (4): A.J. Epenesa, Jose Ramirez, Keyshawn James-Newby, Tarron Jackson
Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr. and Arnold Ebiketie are all locks to make Philadelphia’s final roster. While A.J. Epenesa has earned the praise of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, I wonder if they could release him as a vested veteran and sign him to the practice squad. It would allow the Eagles to keep Joshua Weru on the initial 53-man roster and avoid exposing him to waivers. Weru has reportedly shown a ton of promise and may get poached by another team, especially if he plays during the preseason.
Linebacker
In (4): Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Chance Campbell
Out (2): Smael Mondon Jr., Deontae Lawson
The Eagles have an embarrassment of riches at inside linebacker with Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. If Roseman is going to force Fangio to elevate a player like Epenesa from the practice squad for a few weeks, Philadelphia’s general manager might have to make an accommodation or two elsewhere. One of those could be keeping Chance Campbell over younger players such as Smael Mondon Jr. or Deontae Lawson. Fangio seems to think highly of Campbell, who has worked in the defense since last season.
Cornerback
In (5): Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Mac McWilliams, Kelee Ringo
Out (5): Jonathan Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Ambry Thomas, Tariq Castro-Fields, Shaun Wade
Similar to Philadelphia’s interior defensive line, the Eagles have formed one of the best cornerback trips in Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Riq Woolen. Yet the depth behind Philadelphia’s trio remains a question in 2026. Luckily, Mac McWilliams has emerged as the top backup cornerback during Jonathan Jones’ absence due to a shoulder injury. Kelee Ringo will also stick around due to his special teams ability. My guess is that the Eagles could release Jones and sign him to the practice squad for the beginning of the regular season.
Safety
In (4): Andrew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Kapena Gushiken
Out (4): J.T. Gray, Andre’ Sam, Cole Wisniewski, Maximus Pulley
After allowing Reed Blankenship to walk in free agency, the Eagles are making a bit of a transition in the skill set that they’re looking for at safety in 2026. Andrew Mukuba, Michael Carter II and Cooper DeJean are all players that have the versatility to play both safety and slot cornerback. Marcus Epps brings stability and experience as a traditional safety as well. Kapena Gushiken offers similar versatility to Mukuba, DeJean and Carter while reportedly working his way up to the second-team defense in training camp.
Special Teams
In (3): Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rocco Underwood
Out (0): N/A
The Eagles could get creative and try to release Rocco Underwood and elevate their long snapper from the practice squad for the first three weeks of the regular. But given the team’s inconsistent operation and working with two different long snappers last season, my guess is that Roseman will want to keep this unit intact. The risk of Underwood being poached by another team and then having to start from scratch at long snapper could be too much.
Practice Squad
RB (1): Dameon Pierce*
WR (2): Samori Toure*, Brandon Hayes
TE (1): Stone Smartt*
OL (3): Cameron Williams, Myles Hinton, Jake Majors
IDL (2): Zion Wilson, David Blay
EDGE (2): A.J. Epenesa*, Keyshawn James-Newby
LB (1): Deontae Lawson
CB (2): Jonathan Jones*, Shaun Wade*
S (2): Maximus Pulley, Cole Wisniewski
* = One of six veterans allowed on the practice squad