The Eagles offense will look the same with Mekhi Becton as the only starter who departed and Kenneth Gainwell, a key contributor during the first wave of NFL free agency. Dallas Goedert could depart via trade, but Philadelphia will still be explosive and among the league's most efficient and dominant offensive units.
The defense is undergoing an overhaul after defensive tackle Milton Williams (New England), Josh Sweat (Arizona), cornerback Darius Slay (Pittsburgh), cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (Minnesota), and linebacker Oren Burks (Cincinnati) all departed via free agency.
The Eagles are also trading away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was third in the NFL with six interceptions last season, and backup quarterback Kenny Pickett.
With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we're predicting the Philadelphia Eagles starting lineup.
QB
Jalen Hurts
Hurts, crowned Super Bowl LIX MVP, became just the second quarterback in Eagles history to deliver a Super Bowl to the City of Philadelphia, joining Nick Foles (Super Bowl LII MVP). According to Elias Sports, Hurts is only the seventh NFL quarterback to appear in multiple Super Bowls and win a championship in their first five seasons. The other quarterbacks who did so are Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, and Russell Wilson.
RB
Saquon Barkley
During his first season with the Philadelphia team, Saquon Barkley was honored as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press and was also shortlisted for MVP. Additionally, he secure
WR
A.J. Brown
Despite missing three games due to injury, A.J. Brown led the team with 1,079 receiving yards. He also ranked 1st in receiving average (16.1) (min. 60 catches) and 3rd in receiving yards per game (83.0) (min. 13 games), behind Ja’Marr Chase (100.5) and Justin Jefferson (90.2).
WR
DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith posted a career-high 8 TDs in the regular season and hauled in a 46-yard TD in Super Bowl LIX. During the run to the Super Bowl, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in postseason receiving yards (595)
WR
Jahan Dotson
In the 2024 regular season, following a trade from Washington to the Eagles, Dotson secured 19 out of 33 attempted passes for 216 yards across 17 games. Additionally, he ran once for another 13 yards. Although he faced some challenges, Dotson was involved in 649 offensive plays throughout the regular season, primarily functioning as the team’s third wide receiver, positioned behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. His performance gradually enhanced over time and reached its peak when the Eagles defeated Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX; in this critical match, he made two receptions contributing to 42 yards off three targeted throws. As a first-round draft choice in 2022, Dotson might see more playing time next year should Philadelphia decide not to retain Goedert.
TE
Grant Calcaterra
The prediction indicates that the Eagles might secure a fourth-round selection for the 30-year-old Goedert, whose salary amounts to $11 million but has no further guarantees left. The team may consider drafting an accomplished tight end during either the second or third rounds of this month’s draft. This choice will likely prove challenging following Goedert's outstanding performance—setting a franchise record with 52 career playoff receptions—and his leading contributions in post-season stats: he had 17 receptions and accumulated 215 receiving yards.
LT
Jordan Mailata
As per PFF, Jordan Mailata (96.9) topped the league in both offensive and run-blocking ratings (94.9). Furthermore, Mailata secured second place in the NFL for his pass-blocking score of 91.7, coming right after Tristan Wirfs (93.7).
LG
Landon Dickerson
C
Cam Jurgens
RG
Tyler Steen
The Eagles obtained Kenyon Green from the Texans in exchange for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and although he was initially selected in the first round, the ex-Texas A&M standout ranked as the second-to-last graded guard among 77 contenders in the NFL. according to PFF.
Former Alabama offensive tackle and third-round pick Tyler Steen was slightly better, landing at 75th with a 40.7 grade from PFF. There will be competition for this spot, and it's an obvious downgrade currently after Mekhi Becton's exit.
LT
Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson topped all NFL right tackles in PFF pass-blocking rating (88.1), pressure rate (2.2%), and knockdown rate (0.2%). Throughout 451 pass-blocking plays, he did not concede any sacks or quarterback hits.
Edge Rusher
Nolan Smith
DT
Jalen Carter
During the regular season, Jalen Carter was 4th among interior DL with an 81.5 PFF pass-rush grade, behind Chris Jones (91.0), Cameron Heyward (87.2), and Jeffery Simmons (81.6) in that category.
NT
Jordan Davis
Davis logged 27 tackles (15 solo), one sack, and two passes defended while playing in all 17 regular-season games in 2024. He added six tackles (four solo), including two sacks and one pass defense across four playoff appearances.
Davis started every regular-season game for the second year in a row, but he logged 122 fewer defensive snaps and ceded snaps to second-year defensive lineman Moro Ojomo.
DT
Moro Ojomo
In the 2024 season, Ojomo recorded 20 tackles (including six solo stops) across 17 regular-season matches. His role expanded notably in his sophomore year with the Eagles as he took part in 370 defensive plays and contributed an additional 70 special teams snaps over the course of all 17 regular-season contests. With Milton Williams leaving, Ojomo is set to step into a starting position.
Edge Rusher
Jalyx Hunt
We anticipate that Hunt will be the primary candidate to replace Josh Sweat, even though Josh Uche was recently signed. Throughout the 2024 season, Hunt concluded his performances with 21 combined tackles (12 of which were unassisted), along with contributing 1.5 sacks, one pass deflection, and two forced fumbles across all 16 regular-season matches.
LB
Zack Baun
Zack Baun, who made it as a finalist for AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, led all linebackers with the highest grade from Pro Football Focus at 90.1 during the regular season. He recorded 150 tackles along with forcing five fumbles, placing him second in the league only after T.J. Watt’s six forced fumbles. During his playoff run, Baun emerged as just the second linebacker since 1991 to record takeaways across his initial four career postseason starts, following Devin White in 2020. This impressive streak featured an interception against Patrick Mahomes in what would have been Super Bowl LIX had he played in it.
LB
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Given that Nakobe Dean is expected to sit out most of the 2025 season, we'll be featuring Jeremiah Trotter in his place.
CB
Kelee Ringo
Ringo will have the initial opportunity to take over Darius Slay’s position, but he’ll compete with Adoree’ Jackson and other players for the starting cornerback role. Over the past two seasons, when serving primarily as a defender in coverage, Ringo has yielded only a 46.3 quarterback rating across 170 plays.
CB
Quinyon Mitchell
Slot CB
Cooper DeJean
Cooper DeJean, who didn’t concede a touchdown in coverage during 2024, made history as the youngest player at 22 years old to score an interception-touchdown in a Super Bowl when he returned a 38-yard pick for a score against Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
S
Sydney Brown
Now that Gardner-Johnson has been traded, the ex-third-round selection will have the initial opportunity to claim the starting position. It’s been almost a complete year since Brown underwent surgery for an ACL tear towards the end of the 2023 campaign. He’ll compete with Tristin McCollum, Andre Sam, and probably a newcomer drafted this year.
S
Reed Blankenship
In the 2024 regular season, Blankenship recorded 78 tackles (52 solo), six pass deflections (with four interceptions), and one fumble recovery over 15 games. During the playoffs, he contributed an additional 27 tackles (18 solo), caused one fumble, and recovered another during the team’s four postseason contests with the Eagles.
Last April, Blankenship secured a one-year contract worth $3.58 million with the Eagles following his impressive performance, which included leading the team in both tackles and interceptions. During the postseason, he ranked as the Eagles’ second-highest tackler, coming right after Dean who had 33. As the 2025 season approaches, Blankenship is expected to negotiate an even larger contract extension.
The article was initially published on Eagles Wire. Forecasting the Eagles' opening week starting lineup following the initial phase of free agency
Post a Comment