Eagles Way-Too-Early 53-Man Roster Projection
The 2026 NFL Draft is over and the Philadelphia Eagles will now host their rookie minicamp before gearing up for OTAs. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made plenty of moves this offseason, as Philadelphia dealt with several departures in free agency. There is also the expected trade of A.J. Brown that will likely happen after June 1st.
Roseman has done his best to retool a roster with Super Bowl aspirations and will continue to make moves throughout the year. Yet Philadelphia’s 91-man roster is relatively set as there aren’t many drastic moves for Roseman to make, at this point. Therefore, it’s time for a way-too-early 53-man roster projection for the Eagles.
Quarterback
In (3): Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton
Out (1): Tanner McKee
The Eagles aren’t going to carry four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. After waiving sixth-round pick Kyle McCord last season, I don’t see the Eagles doing the same thing with fifth-round pick Cole Payton. So it’ll come down to which quarterback has more trade value between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee. My guess is that another team will either suffer an injury at quarterback or become unhappy with their situation at the position and eventually trade for McKee.
Running Back
In (3): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
Out (2): Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele
The battle between Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce for the final roster spot could be an interesting one. Yet given Shipley’s tenure in Philadelphia and how those in the building seem to feel about him, I’m going to give him the edge. But it’s entirely possible that Pierce outplays Shipley during training camp and preseason games to win that spot. Carson Steele could be a fun addition at fullback but I don’t currently see a path to him making the 53-man roster.
Wide Receiver
In (5): DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Darius Cooper
Out (6): A.J. Brown, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey, Danny Gray, Quez Watkins
It’s only a matter of time before A.J. Brown is traded, likely to the New England Patriots. If the Eagles receive Kayshon Boutte in the deal, that could shake things up. But it feels like the top four wide receivers are locked in with the Eagles. It’ll then come down to which player pushes for a fifth or even sixth spot at the position. I’ll give Darius Cooper the edge over a journeyman like Elijah Moore or Johnny Wilson recovering from a major injury.
Tight End
In (4): Dallas Goedert, Eli Stowers, Johnny Mundt, Dae’Quan Wright
Out (4): Grant Calcaterra, Cameron Latu, Stone Smartt, E.J. Jenkins
The top three tight ends feel like locks to me, at this point. The fourth spot could come down to which player has the most upside and undrafted free agent Dae’Quan Wright is the clear leader in that category. Many believed that Wright should’ve been drafted on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft and the Eagles likely gave him a decent amount of guaranteed money to come to Philadelphia. I’d take a chance on Wright over any of the other names listed as out in this exercise.
Offensive Tackle
In (5): Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Markel Bell, Cameron Williams
Out (3): Myles Hinton, Hollin Pierce, John Ojukwu
Assuming that everyone stays healthy, the Eagles are in really good shape at offensive tackle. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are the best bookends in the NFL and Fred Johnson is a proven swing tackle. Following the return of “Big Fred,” the Eagles are allowed to gamble on developmental talent behind their top three. Markel Bell obviously isn’t going anywhere and I’ll give Cameron Williams the nod over Myles Hinton following his Week 18 performance last season.
Interior Offensive Line
In (5): Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Drew Kendall, Micah Morris
Out (3): Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors, Jaeden Roberts
The Eagles could certainly use some veteran depth along the interior of the offensive line. It feels less than ideal to have Drew Kendall and Micah Morris as the reserves behind Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, given that both players have a lengthy injury history. My guess is that we’ll see Philadelphia make an addition or two before it’s all said and done but for now, this is the group that I’m going with in 2026.
Interior Defensive Line
In (6): Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Brandon Graham, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard
Out (2): Byron Young, Gabe Hall
Listing Brandon Graham here might be a bit of a cheat code but given the flashes that he showed as an interior defensive lineman last season, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him play there again in 2026. I’ll give Ty Robinson the nod over Byron Young, simply due to the investment that the Eagles made in him. Lastly, the Uar Bernard situation is fascinating. If Philadelphia wants to stash him in the international exemption spot on their practice squad, they’ll have to waive him. But given that they prioritized getting a seventh-round pick to select him, it feels like the Eagles won’t want to risk exposing him to other teams.
Edge Rusher
In (4): Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr., Arnold Ebiketie
Out (5): Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Jose Ramirez, Ta’Quon Graham, Keyshawn James-Newby, Josh Weru
After trading for Jonathan Greenard, the Eagles suddenly have an embarrassment of riches at the position. Given the versatility of Graham and players like Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, it feels like Philadelphia can go a bit lighter at the position. The team’s projected rotation of Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr. and Arnold Ebiketie is a significant improvement over what they were working with at the start of last season. I went back and forth on keeping Joe Tryon-Shoyinka but he was a victim of the numbers game.
Linebacker
In (5): Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr., Deontae Lawson
Out (3): Chance Campbell, Chandler Martin, Isiah King
After dealing with one of the worst linebacker rooms in the NFL for nearly a decade, the Eagles have really rebuilt this position over the last couple of years. Now Philadelphia has an embarrassment of riches at the position and it’s going to be fun to watch the battle for the final two spots in the room play out. Smael Mondon Jr. showed enough flashes to stick around and I could see undrafted free agent Deontae Lawson beating out Chance Campbell and Chandler Martin. Many believed that Lawson should’ve been drafted on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Cornerback
In (5): Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo
Out (5): Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams, Ambry Thomas, Tariq Castro-Fields, Kapena Gushiken
Philadelphia’s new-look cornerback trip of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Riq Woolen is one of the best in the NFL. But the Eagles will have to figure out the depth behind them this offseason. As of right now, my guess is that Jonathan Jones would be the top backup, given his experience and versatility. Then I’ll give Kelee Ringo the final spot due to his special teams ability. Yet it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Eagles ultimately make another move to improve the depth at this position.
Safety
In (5): Andrew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, J.T. Gray, Cole Wisniewski
Out (4): Andre’ Sam, Brandon Johnson, Tucker Large, Maximus Pulley
I would be shocked if the Eagles didn’t make a trade for a veteran safety by the time that the regular season rolls around. Andrew Mukuba has one starting spot locked down and Marcus Epps can start, yet that doesn’t seem ideal. If the Eagles want to compete for a Super Bowl next season, I have a hard time thinking that Roseman is comfortable with the team’s current situation at safety. Luckily for Philadelphia, there is plenty of time to make moves before the regular season begins.
Special Teams
In (3): Jake Elliott, Braden Mann, Rocco Underwood
Out (0): N/A
The Eagles restructured Jake Elliott’s contract to fully guarantee $5 million this season. So despite many fans begging for the team to bring in competition for Elliott, it doesn’t seem like anyone else will be Philadelphia’s kicker at the start of the regular season. If Elliott continues to struggle in 2026, then they could consider pivoting to someone else. Braden Mann isn’t going anywhere and undrafted free agent Rocco Underwood is the only long snapper on their current roster.