Eagles Training Camp Preview: 5 Key Roles Remain Undecided
The Philadelphia Eagles will begin training camp next week as they’ll look to finally turn the page after a disappointing end to last season. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made plenty of moves to improve Philadelphia’s roster, yet there are still five key roles that remain undecided. Here’s a sneak peek at five position battles to watch for at training camp.
WR2
It would be a disappointment if Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon didn’t win the team’s WR2 role behind DeVonta Smith. Philadelphia invested a first-round pick in Lemon and it’s clear that he’s expected to have a massive role in 2026. While he missed some time during mandatory minicamp due to a hamstring injury, Lemon is expected to be fully healthy for the start of training camp.
The one other player to watch for in this spot will be Dontayvion Wicks. The Eagles traded two draft picks for Wicks this offseason, while also rewarding him with a one-year, $12.5 million contract extension. Wicks worked with Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion during their time together with the Green Bay Packers. At 6’1”, 206 lbs., he has more size and is a better blocker than Lemon is too.
WR3
Similar to Lemon at WR2, it would be disappointing if Wicks didn’t win Philadelphia’s WR3 role. As of right now, it feels like the Eagles will be starting a wide receiver trio of Smith, Lemon and Wicks in Week 1. Yet the Eagles have added enough talent at wide receiver over the last two years to make the battle interesting during training camp.
While Wicks is considered the current favorite for the WR3 job, he’ll have to compete with Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and others over the next month or so. Both Johnny Wilson and Darius Cooper have also shown flashes at times but likely not enough to have a serious chance of competing for a starting role. My guess is that Wicks will be able to separate himself from the rest of the pack rather quickly.
TE2
While the Eagles selected tight end Eli Stowers in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, he isn’t currently expected to fill the TE2 role in Philadelphia just yet. Veteran tight end Johnny Mundt is the early leader in the locker room for that role and his blocking ability is the main reason why. Mannion’s offense is expected to rely heavily on the tight end’s ability to block and Mundt is one of the best in the NFL at doing so.
While Mundt is a limited pass catcher, he’ll have to do enough in that area to at least keep defenses honest. Stowers will likely serve more of a specialized receiving role during his rookie season, unless Dallas Goedert misses time due to an injury. Grant Calcaterra has filled the TE2 role in recent years but he’ll have to earn a roster spot in Philadelphia before he can even think about playing that role again.
EDGE2
One of the most intriguing battles at Eagles training camp this year will be for the starting job at edge rusher opposite of Jonathan Greenard. While Jalyx Hunt appears to be in the early lead for the EDGE2 spot, Nolan Smith is entering his fourth year in the NFL and appears to be fully healthy. Hunt played 241 more snaps than Smith last season but also played in five more games too.
In the 13 games that both players participated in last season, Smith out-snapped Hunt in eight of those matchups. While Hunt had the better performance overall and is a more versatile player than Smith is, it’s clear that Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is still high on the fourth-year edge rusher. Despite Fangio’s trust in Smith, my guess is that Hunt will ultimately win the starting job opposite of Greenard in 2026.
S3
One of the biggest questions remaining on Philadelphia’s roster is the safety situation. While Andrew Mukuba and Cooper DeJean are expected to hold down the two starting spots in the team’s base defense, who will be the third safety that steps in while they heavily rely on their nickel defense? Veteran safety Marcus Epps appears to be the early leader after a strong finish to last season.
Fangio vouched for Epps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason, yet he left the door open for a competition. Epps’ main competition for the job will be Michael Carter II, who appears to be making the switch back to safety after previously playing the position in college. It’ll be interesting to see if any dark horse candidates emerge for the job, including Andre’ Sam, Cole Wisniewski, Kapena Gushiken or Maximus Pulley.