The Philadelphia Eagles have a closed walkthrough today so you won’t be seeing video clips and pictures of the action on your timelines.
The team has held six total practices since the start of training camp with each of the last two in pads. There have been some nice plays made on offense while the defense continues to dominate most days as is typical in training camp, especially with the Eagles.
It’s also still very early. Obviously, a lot can change from now until the season opener on September 13.
With that said, let’s take a look at some players who have increased their stock while others have had theirs drop:
It’s hard not to list the third-year linebacker above anyone else. Last season, Hunt had a lot of momentum around him as a potential breakout candidate for the Eagles. He lived up to the billing, becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the team in sacks and interceptions in the same season.
“Last year was a good starting point for me,” Hunt told the media on Tuesday. “I took a step in being detail-oriented and just learning football.”
He has been a menace all throughout camp and is laser focused on improving and being even better than he was last season, which is great news for the Eagles, bad news for opposing offenses.
DeVonta Smith is the unquestioned number one wide receiver on the team, but Wicks looks to be the frontrunner for that WR2 spot alongside Smith. The former Green Bay Packer has impressed so far this summer with his performances highlighted by this one-handed grab from Jalen Hurts earlier in the week.
Wicks is making a strong push to take that spot on the depth chart thanks to his play. Rookie Makai Lemon’s lingering hamstring injury also helps his case to stand out as he continues to get more reps to develop a rapport with Hurts.
Is there an offensive player that Eagles’ fans want to see more than the explosive running back? After fans were clamoring to see more of Bigsby with the ball in his hands last season after showing exciting bursts of what he can bring to the football field, the former Jag now has the benefit of starting his first full season with the team during training camp.
He has made some nice plays so far and it’s clear that Sean Mannion wants to get his running backs out in space to become more weapons for Hurts.
When Vic Fangio praises you during his press conferences, that means you’re doing something right and that’s the boat Carter is in.
“I think Michael has had a good camp so far, “Fangio said on Wednesday. “He might be the only guy, I’d have to think, but he’s learning three positions. He’s playing safety, nickel and when we go to our six DB stuff, he’s in there. I think he’s had a really good camp and has done nothing but help himself and not eliminate him from anything.”
Carter played in just 106 snaps on defense last year (9.4%) and 65 snaps on special teams (14.8%). If he keeps trending in this direction, he could see an uptick in his defensive snaps this season.
“I feel good about him playing nickel or playing safety if need be.”
Along the same lines as Carter, Trotter Jr. also received high praise from the long-time defensive coordinator thanks to his standout performance to this point in camp.
“To me, he’s moving better, he’s playing better. I think it’s not so much a conditioning and physical thing, it’s more of he knows what he’s doing, he’s seeing things quicker, he’s playing faster,” Fangio said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him look since we’ve had him.”
Last year’s training camp darling is looking to prove that his feel-good story last year wasn’t just that. The undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State has looked strong in camp.
So much so that Hurts mentioned him during his interview with the NFL Network.
"I think Darius Cooper has done a really good job," Hurts said in the interview. "He's always been a big body, physical, strong hands guy. But just to see how he's transitioned going into Year 2, definitely excited for him."
Cooper isn’t a lock to make the roster despite being on it last year and having regular season experience with nine catches for 92 yards, but he is certainly making a case to be one of the final wideouts to make the 53-man roster.
Hamstring injuries are tricky and that rings true when it comes to the tea’s 20th overall pick. After missing time in the spring during OTAs with the same injury, Lemon has missed each of the last two practices due to a left hamstring issue.
There’s still time for the rookie to heal and get on the field, but it certainly warrants some attention. He’s missing valuable practice time which would allow him to build a connection with Hurts and the rest of the offense.
It hasn’t been a great start for the second round pick in this year’s draft either. The explosive playmaker out of Vanderbilt who won the John Mackey award for the best college tight end has not made much noise at all so far.
He did speak to the media on Wednesday.
“I’m just out here trying to learn, continuously learn every single day. And I’m really appreciative of my coaches so far just trying to help me get going at this level and I’m super excited for what’s to come.”
Stowers was the 54th player taken in this year’s draft and the second tight end, only behind Kenyon Sadiq, the Oregon product who went 16th overall to the New York Jets. Stowers is also the fourth-highest tight end the Eagles have ever drafted behind Keith Jackson (13th overall in 1988), Zach Earts (36th, 2013) and Dallas Goedert (33rd, 2018).
The veteran wide receiver was brought in to help fill the depth in the wide receiver room. So far, it has not been a notable training camp for the wideout.
Brown, who has a lengthy injury history looks to be a downfield threat for Hurts this season, but so far it’s been a quiet six practices.
No city loves their backup quarterback like Philadelphia. However, the praise for McKee might be waning as he is trailing 14-year veteran Andy Dalton in the backup quarterback battle.
The sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford has constantly been mentioned in potential trade deals for a quarterback needy team, but the Eagles have opted to keep the 6-foot-6 QB. He will need to start playing better if he wants to leapfrog his new teammate.
