There’s still a Super Bowl banner to reveal on Thursday night, but the 2025 season has otherwise arrived for the Eagles. Fans might still revel in the Super Bowl victory. Nick Sirianni’s team has moved on to a new season. Here are four key developments for 2025 that I saw and heard this summer:
The second-year standout cornerbacks
For whatever concerns might exist about the uncertain spots in the Eagles’ secondary, the franchise’s confidence can be seen in its best combination of young defensive backs in at least two decades: Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Mitchell has emerged as the Eagles’ top homegrown cornerback since Lito Sheppard — and based on the way he played in Year 2 and the way teammates spoke about him, you might need to go back to Eric Allen to find an up-and-coming cornerback with as much promise as Mitchell.
Defensive backs coach Christian Parker said Mitchell can become one of the NFL’s great cornerbacks. Mitchell was the only cornerback who could stay with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith this summer. He also had multiple interceptions in training camp, showing improvement in a part of his game that was mostly lacking.
“You can really see the steps that he’s taking,” Smith said. “It’s not easy going against Q.”
DeJean’s versatility has been apparent this summer. The defense changed last season when he entered the lineup as the nickel cornerback — the Eagles won 14 of 15 games in which DeJean played the majority of the defensive snaps — and they’re committed to keeping him on the field in every snap. He played safety in the base defense early in camp before moving to outside cornerback in base when it appeared that spot might be shakier. DeJean proved too valuable in the slot for veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to consider moving him to outside full-time, although nothing can be ruled out for DeJean on a game-by-game basis because he can play everywhere. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles feature him throughout the defensive formation, depending on the week, almost like Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey — and perhaps even Humphrey’s Ravens teammate Kyle Hamilton.
The Eagles still have ambiguity at the second outside cornerback spot — Adoree’ Jackson is the likely starter, Jakorian Bennett is in the mix — and will need to see whether Drew Mukuba or Sydney Brown can hold down the second safety spot next to Reed Blankenship. Inside the team facility, decision-makers must look back two decades to have two young cornerbacks on the verge of Pro Bowl consideration.
“I’ve been here a long time: To have two young corners like that, that’s a position of strength,” Roseman said.
Moro Ojomo’s development
The starter who raised his stock the most this summer was Moro Ojomo, who is the up-and-coming player fans are poised to know more about by the end of the season. You couldn’t watch a practice without seeing Ojomo pressuring the quarterback.
“Take it from me: He’s the real deal,” said All-Pro offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who’s in his 13th season.
The Eagles know what they have in Ojomo. They let Milton Williams leave in free agency, where the former starter scored a $104-million contract in New England. By the end of last season, Ojomo was pushing Williams for playing time. The Eagles have seen the former seventh-round pick develop during the past two seasons. He’s 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds with 34 1/2-inch arms, offering a rare combination of length and leverage.
“He’s awkward — in a good way,” guard Landon Dickerson said. “Just the way he moves, his size, his arm length. He’s one of those guys we say is ‘awkward’ to block. And I think that gives him a huge advantage in this game.”
Jalen Carter will command double teams as the centerpiece of the Eagles’ defensive line. Williams was the beneficiary last season — he had five sacks in the regular season and two in the postseason — and that will be Ojomo this year. His first career sack came in the postseason. Based on the way he played this summer, it would not be a surprise to see him reach or top Williams’ total from last season — and near his qualitative production, too. The Eagles lost a $103 million player and might not feel a pronounced difference.
What right guard competition?
There was never a competition at right guard. Tyler Steen was the starter from the first day of practice, and he’ll be the starter on Thursday against the Cowboys. Steen is the Eagles’ fourth starting right guard in as many seasons. He lost out to Mekhi Becton last summer after suffering an injury when he appeared to be the frontrunner. He even needed to move from his locker stall between Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens in the back corner of the locker room. That stall is designated for the starting right guard.
Steen never relinquished the first-team duties this time — or perhaps the Eagles didn’t have anyone to threaten him — and improved as the summer progressed. There was a session early in camp when Steen underperformed. Corrections were made in the meeting room, and Steen applied them in the next session to the delight of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who called it a “big day.” Steen didn’t look back thereafter.
Stoutland’s prototype at guard is Brandon Brooks, and Steen (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) fits the profile of a bigger guard who has thrived under Stoutland. A 2023 third-round pick, Steen was a tackle in college who did not play guard until the NFL. The Eagles have shuffled him between tackle and guard in a utility role during the past two seasons, but he’s now a full-time guard and is expected to hold firm on an offensive line with four Pro Bowl-caliber players who are among the highest-paid players at their positions in the NFL.
His locker is back with those four, too.
How’s the offense?
The Eagles did not have a single practice this summer with all 11 starters as full participants, although that does not seem to be a concern to the key offensive players because of the continuity of the group. The Eagles returned 10 of 11 starters. Of the 26 players on offense, 17 were with the team last season.
“When you look at the overall picture, just being in the classroom, meeting settings, walkthroughs, and just detailing out things, I think we’re in a really good spot,” first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said.
It’s Patullo’s first time calling the offense, but he was one of Nick Sirianni’s first hires in 2021 and helped install the offense. He’s been a voice in the different variations of the system since. Patullo and Jalen Hurts have a relationship going on five years. He spent considerable time in recent seasons with the receivers, so he has a keen understanding of standouts Brown and Smith.
Patullo said his imprint on the offense will be apparent over the course of the season. Sirianni wants the team to evolve from last season — a change from two years ago, when the Eagles tried to refine what they did well, even after an internal promotion at coordinator. The changes could be evident with the vertical passing game, which was a major part of the offenses Patullo was exposed to under Chan Gailey. The offense will run through its stars — Brown, Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert — but there’s been optimism about the development of Jahan Dotson as a fifth option. Dotson did not have a training camp with the team last year and they’ve seen the benefit of a full offseason. He was a participant in every session this summer.
(Top photo of Cooper Dejean and Quinyon Mitchell: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
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