The Eagles will kick off their 2024 preseason against the Ravens in Baltimore tonight at 7:30.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni wouldn’t divulge whether or not his starters will play in this game. It sounds like starters will see some time, we’ll obviously be watching the stars.
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But here are 15 other players we’ll be keeping a close eye on tonight:
S James Bradberry
We’re well into August and Bradberry is still on the roster. All summer, he has been working as a safety, mostly taking reps with the second-team defense. Is Bradberry going to be on the 53-man roster as a backup safety in 2024? We’ll see. But he hasn’t looked out of place at his new position in training camp. Friday night will be our first chance to see him play safety in game action.
TE Grant Calcaterra
NFL
Jack Stoll went to the Giants in free agency, which left the TE2 job open. Calcaterra has taken over that position. Even after the Eagles signed C.J. Uzomah in free agency, it has been Calcaterra in that No. 2 spot all summer. Not only is he getting a bunch of first-team reps in 12 personnel and even some in 11, but he’s been catching the ball frequently in camp. And he also looks like an improved blocker, which is very important for that role.
WR Britain Covey
In his first two NFL seasons, Covey has been the Eagles’ primary punt returner and in 2023, he was one of the best return men in the NFL. But can he be more than that? So far in training camp, Covey looks like a much improved receiver and he’s getting some looks with the first-team offense behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Because of his size (5-8, 173) Covey might be a slot-only option but we’ll see if he can continue his strong summer in the preseason.
DE Jalyx Hunt
The rookie third-round pick from Houston Christian is pretty raw but he’s shown flashes of his athleticism all summer. If nothing else, Hunt should be able to contribute as a special teamer in his first NFL season. If he doesn’t get many defensive snaps this year, the preseason could be our chance to watch him rush the passer.
CB Quinyon Mitchell
The first-round pick from Toledo has looked solid all training camp. While Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo appear ahead of him for a starting outside corner job, the Eagles have been getting Mitchell reps inside in the nickel and dime package. That could be his role in 2024. Maybe we’ll see Mitchell play a few different positions in his preseason debut.
QB Tanner McKee
The Eagles traded for Kenny Pickett this offseason and it’s pretty clear that Pickett is going to be their backup in 2024. But McKee has been really good this summer and has even been taking some of the second-team reps over Pickett. It doesn’t seem like Pickett’s job is in jeopardy but McKee looks like he might have a bright future.
RB Lew Nichols
A bit of an under-the-radar player, Nichols joined the Eagles’ practice squad in October and then signed a futures deal after the 2023 season. The 2023 seventh-round pick began his NFL career with the Packers after his time at Central Michigan. He led the nation in rushing in 2021. In camp this summer, he’s been the standout of the back-end running backs. He has good burst through the line, solid hands in the passing game and holds his own in pass protection.
DT Moro Ojomo
The 2023 seventh-round pick didn’t play very much as a rookie but has a chance to crack the rotation in his second NFL season. He’s looked like an improved player in training camp, especially ever since the pads went on. Ojomo has been flashing with plenty of TFLs and “sacks” in the last couple weeks of camp.
CB Isaiah Rodgers
Rodgers might be a starting cornerback for the Eagles in 2024 but good luck keeping him off the field in this game. Rodgers missed the entire 2023 season on suspension and is looking forward to getting back in game action on Friday night. Even though he hasn’t played a game in a long time, he hasn’t looked rusty at all in training camp.
RB Will Shipley
The fourth-round pick from Clemson has had some ups and downs in training camp but has really flourished as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He needs to improve in pass protection to get on the field as a rookie but the preseason could be a good opportunity for Shipley to show off his ability.
WR Ainias Smith
It’s been a rough summer for the fifth-round receiver from Texas A&M. After coming back from a stress fracture in his shin this spring, Smith has been healthy in training camp but hasn’t looked comfortable. He has dropped way too many passes and has fallen behind the guy drafted a round after him. But maybe Smith is a gamer; maybe all he needs to put his rough start behind him is a good game on Friday night.
OL Tyler Steen
In recent days, Mekhi Becton has clearly been the first-team right guard and it now appears that it’s his job to lose. But Steen is still in the mix and even if he isn’t the starting right guard, he’s going to have an important role. It’ll be interesting to see if he continues to get second-team right guard reps or if the Eagles will start to prep him to be a backup at guard and tackle.
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
While Devin White, Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean have gotten the most first-team reps this summer, Trotter has gotten a few. And he’s been showing off the instincts that made him such a good linebacker at Clemson. He has more climbing to do but it’s not crazy to think that Trotter could end up getting some playing time this season. Linebacker is a position where game action can really help the evaluation.
LB Ben VanSumeren
Last preseason, VanSumeren really showed out. In fact, he led all NFL players last preseason with 26 combined tackles. He eventually ended up on the roster last year as a special teams contributor but has a chance to make the team out of training camp this summer. Veteran Oren Burks has missed most of camp and VanSumeren could snag that roster spot.
WR Johnny Wilson
The 6-foot-6 rookie receiver might be a sixth-round pick but he has made the most of the first-team reps he’s gotten this summer. Wilson moves better than you’d expect for such a lanky player and Jalen Hurts has already shown a ton of trust in the rookie. Fans are already excited about Wilson and if he makes one big catch in the preseason, the hype train might be unstoppable.
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