The Eagles held their seventh open practice of training camp for the 2025-26 season on Friday at the NovaCare Complex. Links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Here are my observations from Day 7:
Mukuba returns
Safety Andrew Mukuba (shoulder) was upgraded as a limited participant after missing the three previous practices. The rookie wasn’t in full gear, though, and only participated in individual drills.
Fullback Ben VanSumeren didn’t practice because of the ankle injury he suffered on Thursday. Cornerback Mac McWilliams was also added to the injury list with a quadriceps strain. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (back), linebacker Zack Baun (back), outside linebacker Nolan Smith (concussion), receiver Terrace Marshall (knee), and tight end EJ Jenkins (hamstring) were also held out.
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Left guard Landon Dickerson (ribs) appeared on the injury report and was limited. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (shoulder), center Cam Jurgens (back), and linebacker Jihaad Campbell (shoulder) also faced restrictions. The only other notable absence was coach Nick Sirianni. He skipped his scheduled news conference because he wasn’t feeling well, but trainers made sure he was able to attend practice.
Gnarls Barkley
Practice was easily the most spirited of camp, with players in full pads and team drills essentially run like a scrimmage between the first and second unit offenses and defenses. The third units tackled to the ground. Saquon Barkley could likely ask out of certain periods if he wanted to, but the 28-year-old running back has not coasted this summer. He was as involved and as animated as anyone on Friday.
He had around 10 carries and was targeted three times in the passing game. Barkley’s first tote resulted in a long gain off the left side behind tackle Jordan Mailata. He had varying degrees of success on his other runs, but seemingly took it to another gear near the goal line on back-to-back plays that appeared to result in touchdowns.
I wasn’t so sure about the first. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. got over in time and “thudded” Barkley up. But coaches ruled it a score, and Barkley trash-talked Trotter on the way back to the huddle. On the conversion, he clearly would have crossed the goal line if live. Barkley playfully got in Trotter’s face, but the second-year linebacker wasn’t cowed. To back it up, he had a couple of other stops of Barkley that netted few yards.
Near the edge
The defense might be unsettled at cornerback and safety with competitions still ongoing, but I’d rate edge rusher as potentially a greater concern. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are promising youngsters, with the former having proved more thus far in his career. But they form one of the most inexperienced starting pairs in the NFL.
So there’s some projection there. The bigger issue may be with the guys behind them. Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche have had a modicum of success at prior stops, but will they be able to recapture that form in a new scheme? The Eagles have some other options in-house, but adding an edge rusher could be top priority for general manager Howie Roseman.
Hunt had a strong day on the left side. He notched an early sack, later forced a Jalen Hurts throwaway, and generated another pressure when he drove right tackle Lane Johnson to his heels. Ojulari has been mostly quiet in camp, although he seemed to get a sack after turning the corner on Mailata. In one-on-one drills, Mailata put the clamps down on Ojulari. Reserve tackle Kendall Lamm was just as stout against the edge rusher in their two matchups.
Uche had a late pressure with the second unit in team drills, but didn’t do much in his battles with tackle Darian Kinnard during one-on-ones. Ochaun Mathis has been more productive, albeit mostly working against the second unit O-line. He has taken reps against the starters and has used his bend to win on outside speed rushes. I credited him with two sacks, two pressures, and one batted pass on the day.
Tackle and bait
Carter’s return has buoyed the defensive front. He’s a joy to watch. He ferociously wrapped up Barkley on one run play. At first, I thought it might be a linebacker who closed on the running back with such speed. Carter didn’t get much pressure on his rushes — at least as far as I could see. Was he getting doubled? Not always. Right guard Tyler Steen contained him when I narrowed my focus on the two during one set. Carter’s not to be trifled with, as guard Brett Toth surely thought to himself when Carter gave him a little love tap to the helmet post-play.
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Defensive tackle Jordan Davis continued to collapse the pocket and force hurries on his rushes. The combination of Davis in Hurts’ face plus safety Reed Blankenship taking away the post on a deep A.J. Brown route resulted in a throwaway. Moro Ojomo strip-sacked Hurts on one drop. Was he supposed to refrain from touching the quarterback? Maybe, but it’s hard to compete with restraints.
Rookie Ty Robinson kept his one-on-one win streak intact with a devastating move on rookie tackle Cameron Williams. He later batted another pass in team drills. Gabe Hall is stacking together solid practices. He beat Kinnard in team drills for a would-be tackle for loss. And in one-on-ones, he dusted guard Kenyon Green and did the same to Williams off the edge.
Inside out
Campbell had some struggles in coverage. He was late to Barkley after biting on a play-action bootleg and was victimized by running back Will Shipley on a wheel route. Shipley had more than one step on the rookie when he caught Hurts’ floater in the end zone. Campbell did chip in to contain Barkley on a run near the goal line.
Rookie linebacker Smael Mondon received more time with the first unit than Campbell. He had several tackles, but his finest moment came when he picked up Barkley on a wheel route, ran with him step for step, and karate chopped the ball away just as it reached the running back in the end zone.
Give and receive
Quinyon Mitchell mostly kept shadowing Brown. After catching a short cross with Mitchell draped on his shoulders, Brown nudged the cornerback — and not playfully. The receiver apparently dropped Hurts’ next pass. Mitchell acted as if he broke up the pass. Brown got pitted against Blankenship on a corner fade, but he couldn’t pull in a difficult over-the-shoulder grab.
With Brown resting the second half of team drills, other receivers got opportunities with the ones. Jahan Dotson seemed to cool off after a strong start to camp, but he had several catches on Friday. He got behind cornerback Kelee Ringo and drew defensive pass interference on one pass play. He did later drop a perfectly tossed back shoulder by Hurts.
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Ainias Smith failed to pull in another Hurts throw to the post in the end zone. Trotter had good position underneath, but the receiver’s route didn’t look precise.
Snap benefits
The first and second units had more than their share of highlights, but they’re still working out the kinks. Snaps continued to be a problem, especially for Trevor Keegan. It’s a new position for the second-year guard, but his low tosses back to quarterback Tanner McKee became so prevalent that he was yanked from the lineup. Rookie Drew Kendall, who is likely to be Jurgens’ backup, took his place.
There were also at least three false starts by the offense.
Shipley school
Shipley did more than just the wheel route touchdown — both on the ground and through the air. His brightest moment running the ball came on a north-to-south carry into the end zone with the twos. Shipley projects as Barkley’s primary backup. A.J. Dillon had a couple of solid rushes, too. Hurts tossed an ill-fated pass to Dillon toward the end of practice that Mitchell broke up, and maybe should have been intercepted.
Undrafted rookie Montrell Johnson went to the medical tent midway through practice. That gave Keilan Robinson and ShunDerrick Powell extra reps. Powell had a Kyle McCord dart sail through his hands, but he rebounded with a touchdown run after breaking cornerback B.J. Mayes’ tackle attempt.
Reserve bank
Tight end Grant Calcaterra has quietly had an efficient camp. He’s caught nearly every pass that has come his way, although safety Lewis Cine did break up a late McKee attempt to the sideline. Receiver Elijah Cooks caught a touchdown on a slant route on the inside of Ringo. Cooks later dropped a throw delivered into his bread basket. He did bounce back with a few more receptions.
Extra points
Dotson and Ainias Smith, to their credit, worked with Hurts after practice on the two routes and throws they failed to complete. … Kicker Jake Elliott was 4 of 4 on his field goal tries. … Players are off on Saturday and return Sunday for the start of the first three-day stretch of camp.
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