The 53 Pre

The countdown to Eagles training camp is officially on, with the team returning to the practice field in less than a week. The dawn of training camp marks the unofficial start of the 2026 season. It’s a setting where rosters are shaped and players emerge, providing some clarity to the offseason discourse.

Heading into camp, the Eagles don’t appear to have many openings. The scarcity of opportunities promises to promote fierce competition, making this among the more challenging 53-man roster predictions in recent memory. With that, here’s a look at my pre-training camp roster forecast.

GETTY IMAGES: Jalen Hurts will have a remade cast of wide receivers and tight ends to throw to in 2026.

Offense: 25

Quarterback (3): Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton

Not much has changed in my thought process. I don’t see how the Eagles, with this roster, will be able to afford carrying four quarterbacks. The Eagles hold Tanner McKee in high regard, but he’s more likely to yield a better return in a trade than Dalton, and there’s belief he has starting upside. The Eagles wouldn’t deal McKee without what the team deems to be appropriate compensation, but maybe there’s a team that isn’t enthused with its quarterback situation once camps get rolling. An injury at the position might also entice a team to pounce on McKee. For now, I kept the rookie Payton, though I don’t feel overly confident. The North Dakota State product brings intriguing athleticism, but he’ll likely need time to develop. His progress in camp will be worth monitoring.

Out: Tanner McKee

Running back (3): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley

There’s little suspense here. The Eagles will look to re-establish their dominance on the ground, and Barkley figures to shoulder a high-volume of touches. Bigsby, positioned for training camp stardom, delivered a handful of splash plays last season and slots in as Barkley’s immediate backup. The fourth-year pro brings urgency and juice every time he touches the ball and perfectly complements Barkley as a change-of-pace option. Shipley should comfortably maintain his role as the team’s No. 3 running back. The 23-year-old adds a different skill set to the mix, most notably as a receiver, and is a core-four special teamer. Shipley is also among the in-house favorites to return kicks.

Out: Dameon Pierce, Elijah Mitchell, Carson Steele

Wide receiver (5): DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Johnny Wilson

Smith headlines this remade receiving corps, and he’ll be complemented by Wicks and the rookie Lemon. Lemon, returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him this spring, will need to make up for lost time, but he’ll be a key piece to the Eagles’ passing game in 2026. Brown, in theory, adds a different dimension to the room as a deep threat. With Hurts at the controls, the thinking here is that Brown, for the first time in his career, will have an opportunity to maximize his long speed. In this exercise, the 6-foot-6 Wilson hangs on over Darius Cooper. Wilson, who was coming into his own last summer as a pass-catcher, is valued for what he provides as a blocker and seems to have developed a nice rapport with Hurts. Cooper was a tough omission, but the second-year pro will likely need to differentiate himself from others to increase his roster prospects. The Tarleton State product has demonstrated a willingness to check off whatever box is required, and he could potentially punch his ticket onto the roster with a strong showing on special teams.

I suspect Elijah Moore will dazzle in camp at his position of trade, but as a fifth or sixth receiver, special teams becomes a critical component. The sixth-year receiver has totaled just 19 special teams snaps in his career. Personally, I’m curious to see what Moore can offer as a punt returner.

Out: Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore, Britian Covey, Danny Gray, Quez Watkins, Samori Toure, Erik Ezukanma

Tight end (4): Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers, Cameron Latu

Heading into training camp, Mundt, a blocking-centric veteran, is projected to slot in second on the depth chart, behind Goedert. His skill set better balances out what was previously a one-dimensional group. The uber-athletic Stowers, drafted in the second-round this spring, will also have a role in his first season.

This is a spot where I can see the team electing to go heavier, as the group offers differing skill sets and varying degrees of optimism. Also, the tight end position is expected to be featured under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion. Latu felt like the logical choice. The fourth-year pro is a punishing blocker, doubling as a fullback, and carries untapped potential as a receiver. He also functioned prominently last season as a core special teamer.

Out: Grant Calcaterra, E.J. Jenkins, Stone Smartt, Dae’Quan Wright

Offensive line (10): Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Drew Kendall, Markel Bell, Micah Morris, Cameron Williams

The top eight are safely entrenched. Sure, a case could be made for Fred Johnson being on the outs if Bell rapidly progresses, but the veteran gives the Eagles a proven commodity at multiple spots. Kendall steps into a prominent role as an interior reserve on game day. The final two slots, however, will be determined in camp.

I decided on Morris and Williams. Morris, a 2026 sixth-round pick, represents developmental upside at a thin position. And I gave the nod to Williams over Myles Hinton due to his potential. He projects as the a higher upside player, though, to this point, has repped exclusively at tackle. Hinton cross-trained at guard this spring, sure, but he’ll likely need to showcase encouraging steps forward to earn another season.

Out: Myles Hinton, Michael Jordan, Hollin Pierce, Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors, Jaedan Roberts, John Ojukwu

GETTY IMAGES: The Eagles’ secondary is in good shape with two blue-chip DBs in Quinyon Mitchell (27) and Cooper DeJean.

Defense: 25

Defensive tackle (6): Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard

It’s a big summer for Robinson, who logged only 104 defensive snaps last season as a rookie. Can the Nebraska product leap Young this time for a higher place in the pecking order? How does he look entering Year 2 of the system?

As much as I wanted to, I resisted the urge to stash Bernard on injured reserve. While he’s very much a work in progress, it makes sense to keep him on the 53-man roster, as he’ll be afforded valuable rep to build on.

Out: Gabe Hall, Ta’Quon Graham, Zion Wilson

Edge rusher (5): Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie, A.J. Epenesa

An argument can be made that this is the Eagles’ deepest position room. Greenard, Hunt and Smith give the defense a strong three-headed pass-rush, while Ebiketie is equipped to provide quality snaps as a depth rusher. Rounding out the group is the veteran Epenesa, who signed on the heels of mandatory minicamp. Epenesa, 27, has appeared in 91 games (19 starts) and is regarded as a strong run defender. A 2020 second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, there won’t be many snaps available for Epenesa, but the experience and versatility are appealing. I’m curious to learn more about rookie Keyshawn James-Newby, an athletic, albeit relatively thin, pass rusher. He’s a fluid mover with good speed, traits that could translate into a Patrick Johnson-like special teams role.

Out: Keyshawn James-Newby, Jose Ramirez, Joshua Weru

Off-ball Linebacker (5): Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr., Chance Campbell

The Eagles carried only four off-ball linebackers to start on last year’s 53-man roster, but Campbell could potentially force an interesting decision. Ultimately, I decided to include him, with special teams upside factoring heavily into my thought-process. Remember, the team lost two major third phase contributors this offseason in safety Sydney Brown and tight end Kylen Granson. Campbell, 26, spent the entire 2025 season on the Eagles’ practice squad, so he should also enter camp with a firm grasp of the defense. Campbell had an active spring, and I suspect he’ll approach each snap as if his hair is on fire. His background with Eagles linebackers coach Bobby King, who coached Campbell with the Titans, was also taken into account.

Out: Deontae Lawson

Cornerback (5): Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo

With Ringo, a special teams stalwart, registering as more of a specialist than a true position player, I really wanted to go heavier here for depth purposes. The top three names are etched in stone, with DeJean slotting in as the nickelback and moonlighting at safety when the Eagles are in base. Jones, as mentioned here various times this offseason, could be one of the team’s most underrated offseason additions. The veteran offers the versatility to essentially align anywhere in the secondary and gives the Eagles an experienced reserve option. Ringo, one the game’s top gunners, sticks due to his third phase impact. Should the team prefer additional depth at the position, Jakorian Bennett and Mac McWilliams could conceivably elbow their way into the conversation.

Out: Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams, Ambry Thomas, Tariq Castro-Fields, Kapena Gushiken, Shaun Wade

Safety (4): Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Cole Wisniewski

On paper, this group probably doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Time will tell. As things currently stand, the veteran Epps enters training camp as the frontrunner to start opposite second-year pro Drew Mukuba. Epps, who notably received an endorsement this spring from coordinator Vic Fangio, boasts a resume that includes 94 career appearances (49 starts). Carter II seems to be flying under-the-radar a bit. A nickelback by trade, Carter, 27, will wear an additional hat this season. His combination of range, instincts and versatility make him an intriguing wildcard who could surprise. As for the final slot, well, I was torn between third-year pro Andre’ Sam, rookie Maximus Pulley and Wisniewski. A case can be made for any of the three, but I rounded out the room with Wisniewski, the Eagles’ 2026 seventh-round pick. The Texas Tech product profiles as a big-time special teams contributor in Year 1.

Out: J.T. Gray, Andre’ Sam, Maximus Pulley

Specialists (3):

Kicker: Jake Elliott

The Eagles are banking on a bounce-back campaign from the veteran placekicker, whose field goal percentage last season (74.1) registered as the second-lowest output of his career. Elliott was 4-of-8 from 50-plus and converted 7-of-10 attempts of 40-49 yards.

Punter: Braden Mann

Mann, who last season averaged a career-high in punting average (49.9) and delivered in key spots, signed a four-year, $14 million contract extension with the team back in March. Mann should be universally viewed as one of the league’s top punters.

Long snapper: Rocco Underwood

In the previous edition of my way-too-early 53, I went without a long snapper to buy an extra roster spot. This, of course, was a method used by the Eagles just last season, with veteran Charley Hughlett eventually rejoining the team ahead of Week 1. For this exercise, I altered my approach. Underwood, an undrafted rookie, has no competition, earning the nod by default. Circumstances can change, obviously, but I elected to go chalk this time.