Breakout Birds

The regular season is fast approaching. The page has turned from the preseason storylines and conjecture, shifting focus to the here and now.

For the Eagles, that means preparing for the season opener Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field against a division rival. The buzz surrounding the team is palpable, as the 2026 roster features plenty of star power and a collection of intriguing young talent, keeping expectations and standards high.

But as is the case leading up to the opener, the days in between are typically reserved for season projections, derived from observations and conversations throughout the summer.

GETTY IMAGES: Can Saquon Barkley get back to being an elite RB in 2026?

With that, let’s get into some predictions for the 2026 season.

Saquon Barkley tops 1,400 rushing yards

The 2025 season was a down year for Saquon Barkley’s standards, but context is important. Barkley ran behind an injury-riddled offensive line, on an offense that often found itself playing behind the sticks. There were times when it felt as though he put the onus on himself to generate a spark to facilitate momentum on a sputtering offense, perhaps pressing, but the 2024 All-Pro should no signs of slowing down on the heels of a season in which he logged a career-high in rushing attempts (345).

In 2025, Barkley started 16 games, showcasing the same burst he displayed the previous season. This summer, Barkley again looked spry and explosive, hitting the hole with authority and urgency and finishing runs. He also caught the ball cleanly and frequently, which the public saw firsthand in the open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. Playing in a system with a run dominant philosophy, behind a healthy offensive line, should unlock vintage Barkley.

Last week, Eagles running backs coach Jemal Singleton spoke glowingly of Barkley in light of the schematic changes.

“I think the thing with Saquon is there’s not a cut in his bag that he doesn’t have, right?” running backs coach Jemal Singleton said. “He can make every cut, he can make every move, and it’s just really learning the style of the offense of being able to press the ball a hair longer, putting one foot in the dirt and going, and he’s done a really good job. Again, I think he can be really good in this system.

“He can be good in any system, let’s be honest. But I think this is one that allows him to do some things that I think’s gonna be fun. It’ll be fun to watch him work, and he’s one of those guys that dives into everything. He reaches out to former players that have played in a system like this. I’ve been fortunate enough coaching it before. Was with [Jon] Gruden kinda in Oakland when we did it. Was a little bit with Zac Taylor at Cincinnati, so having some background myself to help him has been really good so far.”

DeVonta Smith earns his first Pro Bowl nod

Admittedly, this prediction might be the equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. Smith, of course, inherits the distinction of top billing on a revised Eagles receiving corps. The passing game runs through Smith, who carries a career receiving average of 1,004 yards per season. Smith, 27, has also yielded more than 100 targets in four of his first five seasons – a number that is expected to swell in the absence of A.J. Brown.

Smith is a three-level threat who can impose defenses from anywhere on the field, and part of my bullishness stems from an offense that’s expected to feature more route and alignment diversity. His longstanding chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts should translate to consistent production, even if the offense requires some synchronization in the early going. The Eagles will most certainly lean into its prolific rushing attack as its foundation, but Smith, who has also taken on more of a leadership role and was elected a team captain, stands to see plenty of volume in what should be his most fruitful season to date.

“He’s been through a lot of wars here,” wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said. “He’s been through a lot of games. He’s been through a lot in his career. And, and when you’re a guy like him, people are gonna look up to you and ask, you know, ‘You’ve been through this, you’ve had success with this,’ and now you’re able to kind of tell your side of things as far as this route versus this coverage, or, ‘Hey, this DB we played against, I know he’s gonna do this’ or, ‘Hey, this defensive coordinator, we played them, we did this.'”

…So does Tyler Steen

For whatever reason, Steen was largely maligned by the public in his first season as a starter. The reality, however, is that the fourth-year lineman was solid for the Eagles at right guard on a unit that was marred by injuries. It was evident that his confidence was building throughout the season. Entrenched as a starter once again, Steen continued his progression with a strong camp, demonstrating his athleticism and technique while adjusting to a new blocking scheme.

There’s a detectable mean streak to his game. He’ll now be playing between a healthy Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson, in a scheme that accentuates his strengths as a lateral mover. With this projection, I’m banking not only on health and continuity, but also on the praise heaped on Steen by teammates. In an offense predicated on the run game first and foremost, Steen should be positioned to become a household name in 2026.

“[Tyler’s] been doing a great job throughout camp and [he’s] just consistent and steady,” Jurgens said. “He should be confident. He’s playing some really good football.”

New Eagles CB Riq Woolen has the potential to thrive playing opposite All-Pro CB Quinyon Mitchell

Riq Woolen leads the Eagles in interceptions

The Eagles, on paper, have perhaps the strongest cornerback trio in football. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, All-Pros a season ago, rightfully garner the headlines, but Woolen – an offseason addition – significantly raises the ceiling of coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit.

Woolen’s play over his final three seasons in Seattle is probably best described as inconsistent following a rookie campaign that yielded six interceptions and recorded 16 passes defended – and a Pro Bowl berth – but the potential was always tantalizing.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Woolen offers the unique measurables to narrow throwing windows and impede throwing lanes, while his blazing speeding affords him the latitude to be aggressive. Fangio noted that Woolen can sometimes get a little sloppy with his technique, but I suspect that will resolve itself with more time on task in his system. With teams presumably looking to avoid testing Mitchell and DeJean in coverage whenever possible, Woolen should see a spike in opportunities to make plays on the ball. I could see Woolen securing five or more interceptions in 2026, parlaying his resurgence into a lucrative pay day.

Jalyx Hunt leads the Eagles in sacks

For those who followed along with my practice reports, it should come as no surprise that I seriously considered listing fourth-year defensive tackle Moro Ojomo here. Ojomo, 25, last season finished second on the Eagles in sacks and is coming off a stellar training camp. He’s also entering a contract year. But the momentum Hunt has generated this offseason is tough to ignore.

The 25-year-old is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he led the Eagles in sacks (6.5) and quarterback hits (24). He also led all Eagles edge rushers in snaps (693) and appears primed to take another step forward in his third season. The technical demands of Hunt’s job description have clearly caught up to the innate athleticism he showcased over two seasons, and he can defeat tackles in a variety of ways with a broader repertoire of moves.

There were moments this summer when he couldn’t be contained. Hunt should also benefit playing opposite Jonathan Greenard, who figures to command extra attention from opposing offenses. For perspective, of Hunt’s 6.5 sacks from last season, 5.5  of them were collected from Week 10 onward, coinciding with the arrival of Jaelan Phillips.

Hunt last month offered a response when asked about his growing confidence:

“Exponentially,” he said. “That’s been the word around the building, low key. Just constant growth, steady growth over time. Each day I’m stacking because I’m accomplishing goals. Each day, I set a goal, what I want to look like today, what I want to do today, and how will I approach it? When I accomplish it, it stacks and stacks and stacks. So, accomplishing the small things each and every day has been steadily building my confidence.”

ITB PHOTO: Eagles RB Tank Bigsby might have a bigger part in the offense, as a runner and pass catcher.

Eagles running backs combine for 70 or more receptions

Training camp production has duped me before. Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, D’Andre Swift and Will Shipley all experienced active summers as receivers at one point in time and the output never materialized into regular season production. The thinking here, though, is that in what’s expected to be a true West Coast offensive under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion, the running backs will be more prominently featured as pass catchers.

In timing-based offenses that require quick decision-making, quarterbacks tend to benefit from built-in outlet options. Barkley, a popular target in camp, accounted for 37 receptions a season ago. Tank Bigsby pulled in three, while Shipley totaled nine. I expect that collective number to rise under Mannion, with Barkley commanding the lion’s share of those targets.

Last month, Mannion spoke specifically about Barkley and Bigsby with regard to the passing game:

“Don’t want to get too far into specifics, but I think they’re all very, very capable of that,” he said. “The backs have protection responsibilities. Sometimes they might be a free release back. A lot of it kind of depends on the play. It depends on maybe what the defense is bringing and what we need from a protection standpoint.

“But they’re all capable pass catchers and route runners. I think a lot of it sometimes comes down to the protection element and do we need a sixth man in protection, a seventh man in protection, so on and so forth. Then some of it is defensively, is there a matchup we want to attack? But they’d certainly bring that skillset to the table. It’s something that every day, like I said, we’re trying to push these guys and have everyone have as much flexibility with what they can do so that when we get in the season, we know how [to] put these guys in the best position possible.”

Four defenders reach 1,000 snaps

Last season, three defenders earned this distinction: linebacker Zack Baun, defensive back Cooper DeJean and safety Reed Blankenship. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell came up just shy with 986. Baun and DeJean seem like safe options, as both are critical to the unit’s overall functionality and rarely leave the field. They’ve also proven to be especially durable over their two seasons in Philadelphia. I believe Mitchell, who also eclipsed 900 snaps as a rookie, will join the 1,000-snap club in Year 3.

The fourth choice was a bit more challenging to forecast. Blankenship, of course, is now in Houston, but he served an important capacity as the headlining safety in a Vic Fangio defense. That role now belongs to second-year pro Drew Mukuba, who notched 672 in 11 games. Veteran Michael Carter II complicates things a bit, as he’ll have a role as a multifaceted backend player, but I have Mukuba down as the fourth defensive player to total 1,000 snaps.

Durability potentially becomes a factor, as Mukuba is known for playing bigger than his size suggests, but all things equal, the value and versatility figures to keep him on the field enough to check off that box in more of a take-charge role.

“Year 2 is a big deal for young players, no question,” defensive passing game coordinator Joe Kasper said. 
”You’re always looking for guys to take a step no matter if they’re a high-round pick or an undrafted guy. You’re looking for guys who take a step from a maturity standpoint, an intelligence standpoint. Just like the other guys, Drew is extremely smart. I see a lot of things that make me really excited about Andrew.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is the Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.