The preseason is finished, the 53-man roster is set, and the next time the Philadelphia Eagles practice, they’ll prepare for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Once that game kicks off, all the summer speculation is prologue. So let’s get some Eagles superlatives on the record before that occurs:
Most likely award winner
Jalen Hurts as MVP
The last time you saw Hurts play, he was the Super Bowl MVP. Next on his résumé could be NFL MVP. Hurts is sixth in MVP odds behind Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels. He took a backseat to Saquon Barkley last season, but the Eagles could pass the ball more in 2025 and Hurts has the weapons around him (and protection in front of him) to accumulate prolific numbers. If Hurts nears his 2022 statistics (3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards, 35 total touchdowns) when he was No. 2 in MVP voting and the Eagles are atop the NFC standings, Hurts could add more hardware.
Runner-up: Jalen Carter as defensive player of the year
Jalen Hurts
Eagles
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Most likely to earn first Pro Bowl honors
Jordan Mailata
Mailata is recognized as one of the NFL’s premier offensive tackles, yet the Pro Bowl invitation has eluded him. That will change in 2025. He was named second-team All-Pro last season while allowing only one sack and one quarterback hit in 406 pass-blocking snaps. The challenge is that he plays in a conference with Lane Johnson, Penei Sewell and Tristan Wirfs. That has kept him on the outside looking in; this season will be different.
Runner-up: Quinyon Mitchell
The “Wow, he’s a star” breakout player
Quinyon Mitchell
Mitchell emerged as the Eagles’ top cornerback as a rookie last season. He’ll be viewed as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks by this season. Mitchell has been a training camp standout and has practiced on both sides of the defense in case he must follow the other team’s top receiver. He’s sticky in coverage and has worked to improve his hands, which were the weakness in his game last season. Opposing quarterbacks might try to throw away from him, but Mitchell can push himself into the conversation as an elite player at his position.
Runner-up: Nolan Smith
The “from backup to key starter” breakout player
Moro Ojomo
The Eagles lost Milton Williams to New England in free agency — on a $104 million contract — and Ojomo could quickly make fans forget the former starter. Ojomo, a third-year defensive tackle, did not have a sack until the postseason last season. He’ll now have a bigger role, and judging by how disruptive he was during training camp, there’s reason to think he can replicate Williams’ five-sack season.
Runner-up: Jalyx Hunt
Player most likely to take a step back
Saquon Barkley
The reality is, Barkley could lead the league in rushing, and it might still seem like a step back after he produced what might have been the best season by a running back in NFL history. Barkley’s 2,005 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry are hard to match, and he totaled 482 offensive touches between the regular season and postseason. That’s a daunting workload to replicate. He also avoided injury and played more than 14 games for the third time in his seven-year career. Given the nature of the position, regression could be expected.
Runner-up: Zack Baun
Starter not getting enough attention
DeVonta Smith
On a different team, Smith would be viewed as the no-doubt No. 1 receiver. On the Eagles, he’s the third offensive weapon after Barkley and A.J. Brown. Smith finished with a career-low 833 yards last season while playing 13 games. He’s ranked outside the top 30 in Jake Ciely’s fantasy football rankings after he was ranked No. 21 at this time last season. Look for an uptick in production from Smith, who had 95 catches for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. He will near those totals again.
Runner-up: Reed Blankenship
Backup most likely to make an impact
Fred Johnson
The Eagles re-acquired Johnson before cutdown day because they knew they needed more certainty at swing tackle. Lane Johnson has missed at least one game in each of the past nine seasons, and Mailata missed four games last season. Chances are, Fred Johnson will need to start for the Eagles. He started six games last season, and the Eagles went 5-1 in those games.
Runner-up: Grant Calcaterra
The position Howie Roseman will upgrade
Edge rusher
The Eagles lost Josh Sweat in free agency, Brandon Graham in retirement and they traded Bryce Huff. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the starters. The Eagles are counting on big leaps from both players. The reserves are all free agents on one-year deals: Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo. None of them generated a robust market. This is a premium position, and if the Eagles don’t get the production they need, Roseman will be aggressive with his 12 projected 2026 draft picks to try and land an edge rusher who can push the defense over the edge.
Runner-up: Safety
Storyline we’re not talking about yet
What’s Nakobe Dean’s role?
The Eagles had the top-ranked defense last season with Nakobe Dean as a key player in the middle. Dean tore his patellar tendon in the postseason and will start the season on the PUP list. At some point this season, Dean will return — but will a starting job be available for him? Baun is a blue-chip player and Jihaad Campbell is the first-round pick who has emerged as a likely Day 1 starter. If Campbell progresses as expected, the Eagles won’t want to take him off the field. That could leave Dean without a significant role.
Runner-up: Will the Eagles need to replace their offensive coordinator again?
Biggest concern
No. 2 cornerback
The Eagles released Darius Slay this offseason, and the hope was that Kelee Ringo would emerge as a starter. Instead, it looks like Adoree’ Jackson could be the starter opposite Quinyon Mitchell, with recently acquired Jakorian Bennett as another option. The fact that it’s a question is a concern. When Vic Fangio last spoke to reporters, he sounded resistant to making Cooper DeJean the full-time option on the outside because of how valuable DeJean is in the slot. The strength of the defense last season was the secondary. If there’s a significant drop-off and opposing quarterbacks pick on the side opposite Mitchell, the defense will decline.
Runner-up: Offensive line depth
(Top photo of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
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