April 30, 2026
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
We saved Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni the trouble by coming up with the Eagles' 53-man roster – in April.
Is it too early to project the 2026 Eagles roster? Absolutely. Should we do it anyway? For sure.
The NFL Draft is in the rear view. Most of free agency is over with, reduced to a market full of future one-year signings. The Eagles will surely keep poaching the bargain market for safety and offensive line help. Believe it or not, there are still plenty of options available as starters and reserves.
Is anyone the Eagles sign in the coming days and weeks guaranteed to make the 53? With the exception of a starting safety, nope. That's why it's the perfect time for a way-too-early 53-man roster projection.
Here we go (rookies in bold):
The Eagles are keeping four QBs no matter what, even if Payton can't hit the broad side of a barn in practice or preseason games. He's a developmental QB and unlike Kyle McCord, who had no special traits to develop, Payton is worth putting time into – and he'll need it. We'll see if the Eagles try to get him on the field early in a Taysom Hill-like role.
It's still very abnormal to have someone as experienced as Dalton as the No. 3 behind McKee, but the Eagles haven't traded McKee and probably won't unless a team suffers a major QB injury during the preseason – or if Aaron Rodgers just never shows up for the Steelers.
Can the Eagles please just stop rostering a No. 4 running back who collects dust on the bench all season? There won't be a Rashaad Penny or A.J. Dillon this season, especially if Howie Roseman goes with more QBs and OL than usual. Sorry, Dameon Pierce.
Year 3 is big for Shipley, who has more pass-catching juice than Bigsby but really didn't show it last year – nine catches, 56 yards – and has struggled to stay healthy. He needs to continue to get stronger. Bigsby averages 4.5 yards per run for his career. They should probably, you know, give him a few more opportunities.
The Eagles have tried to have a fullback in each of the past two seasons, but Ben VanSumeren kept getting hurt. Sean Mannion's offense – if it's anything like Matt LaFleur's or Sean McVay's – probably won't use a fullback. VanSumeren signed with the Bills on Wednesday, so the Eagles don't really have a fullback on their current roster other than Carson Steele, who is listed on the team site as a running back.
Lemon, the first-rounder, is as pro ready as they come and should make an immediate impact in the offense, preferably in the slot in 11 personnel with DeVonta Smith and Dotayvion Wicks on the outside. The Eagles will surely miss A.J. Brown's downfield presence and his tough, physical style of play – ya know, when he was somewhat happy and motivated – but there's no question that their overall WR group is deeper and more diverse than it's been in years.
The Eagles haven't had a true slot receiver in a long time, and even though Lemon can also play the "Z" he can be an immediate boost to the interior passing game. As a rookie two years ago, Wicks looked like a legit starting outside receiver with high upside. He's been inconsistent since, but Wicks should be the biggest beneficiary of Jalen Hurts' preference to throw downfield, outside the numbers.
The last two WR spots have to play special teams. Elijah Moore doesn't, so he doesn't make it. If the Eagles need a punt returner, they can bring Britain Covey or someone else onto the practice squad and use some elevations. Wilson can play special teams and add size to the group, which could help in the red zone. Year 2 for Cooper will be really interesting after he made the 53 as a rookie free agent. He's a physical receiver who showed last year that he can create separation. The Eagles would love to see a big jump from him this season.
Just three? The reality is that none of Johnny Mundt, Stone Smartt or E.J. Jenkins will be worth a roster spot if the Eagles are going heavy at QB and OL.
Mundt was seen as a key signing because of his knowledge of – and experience in – the new scheme, but he was also available having already been cut loose by the Jags. He can help from the practice squad. Nobody is going to be in a hurry to sign him. Latu has the higher upside and is a key special teamer.
Do the Eagles really need Grant Calcaterra – an pass catching tight end who can't block – when they just drafted a younger, way more athletic and way higher upside version in Stowers? Nope.
Free-agent addition Smartt was a dart throw who has some special teams value – about 35% of specials teams snaps over the past three years – but probably not enough to warrant a roster spot unless he's somehow better than Latu, who is 20 pounds heavier and can block.
Eleven? Really? Yes, really.
These are the Eagles we're talking about. They didn't draft high-upside prospects Cameron Williams and Myles Hinton last year and keep them around as developmental linemen just to cut them ahead of their second seasons. This is one position the Eagles are willing to over-keep and soak up roster spots for, even if it means going lighter in other areas.
The starting five is set. Bell could be cross-trained at guard and tackle. If he's really good in camp, he could possibly push Fred Johnson out of a spot, especially if the Eagles are satisfied with the development from Hinton or Williams. Kendall, a fifth-rounder last season, has some potential and will be the backup center.
I would still expect the Eagles to sign a veteran interior offensive lineman for better depth, especially with Morris being a sixth-round rookie, but that veteran someone could be stashed on the practice squad and elevated if needed.
I struggled with Bernard, the seventh-round rookie from Nigeria who has never played a down of football at any level. He probably won't see the field for two years, if he ever sees the field. But the Eagles are paranoid about losing these uber-athletic prospects on the waiver wire, so he'll probably make the 53 like Jordan Mailata did in 2018 even though he's eons away from being an NFL player.
Look for the Eagles to make sure they've got an experienced DT on the practice squad – Gabe Hall, perhaps? – to have enough solid depth knowing that Bernard will be put on ice.
This is a big season for Robinson, a fourth-rounder from last year who played just 47 defensive snaps until the "resting starters" season finale. It's tough to get field time behind Carter, Davis and Ojomo – arguably the best DT trio in football – but he needs to gain Vic Fangio's trust to play more snaps.
The Greenard trade gives the Eagles a very good three-man rotation with Hunt and Smith. Is that better than the rotation of Jaelan Phillips-Hunt-Smith? Time will tell. Greenard needs to stay healthy. But the pressure and sacks should be there.
The real question is whether Ebiketie can make this a deeper pass-rush rotation or will he just become the next DPR (designated pass rusher) who doesn't impress Fangio enough to deepen the rotation, joining Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari and Bryce Huff. We already know if Graham returns, he's going to play. That could also threaten Ebiketie's snaps.
The Eagles usually keep a bottom-roster EDGE who can contribute on special teams, but Graham surely won't be and Ebiketie doesn't have a history of playing on teams. Neither does Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. So I can see a scenario where Ebiketie is traded by the end of camp to clear room for either Jose Ramirez or rookie seventh-rounder Keyshawn James-Newby if either proves to be really good on specials. Or the Eagles just keep six and go light somewhere else.
Campbell will step back into the starting spot opened by Nakobe Dean's departure, and the only concern with him is staying healthy. He is coming off his second shoulder surgery in the past two years. Campbell, last year's first-rounder, was impressive as a rookie, especially in coverage. He's a different kind of player than Dean. He'll need to improve in playing downhill, learning how to get around blocks and not exposing his body to too much punishment in run defense. But the athleticism is through the roof. He will combine with Baun to give the Eagles, once again, a top-five off-ball linebacker corps.
Trotter Jr. and Mondon Jr. are quality backups who will do most of their damage on special teams unless the Eagles have an injury to the starters. Typically, the Eagles would have a fifth LB for special teams. If they kept five, that extra body would be Chance Campbell, a respected backup who has become somewhat of a scout team superstar.
But with so many offensive and defensive linemen kept, I couldn't find a spot for a fifth LB. That's what practice squad elevations are for.
If the Eagles fix their issue at safety – more on that soon – Cooper DeJean can stay at nickelback and the Eagles have a top-five NFL cornerback trio of Mitchell, Woolen and DeJean. It could be – should be – even better than last year's trio of Mitchell-Adoree' Jackson-DeJean. The key for Woolen will be playing consistently and not getting into Fangio's doghouse.
I debated keeping Kelee Ringo over either Jones or McWilliams because Ringo is really good on special teams, but ideally, you want your young special teamers to have the chance to become starters. That shipped has sailed for Ringo. The Eagles could try to trade him by the end of camp, but most teams will suspect that he'll just be cut anyway. Same with Jakorian Bennett. His injury history and failure to impress Fangio last season doesn't bode well for him.
McWilliams, a fourth-rounder last year who has inside-outside versatility, didn't impress Fangio enough last year to play on defense and only played in four total games before the "resting starters" game. He has a ton to prove but he's an early Day 3 pick, so he will probably get a second season regardless.
This list makes it look like I'm assuming Michael Carter II will start and that Marcus Epps won't even make the team. That's only half true.
I expect the Eagles to add a starting-caliber body here, which will push either Gray or Wisniewski off the team. As for Epps, he can easily be released at the cutdown and re-signed to the practice squad. There won't be a mad scramble to sign a 30-year-old No. 3 safety, so why use a roster spot on him?
Brandon Johnson, a rookie free agent last year from Oregon who has nickel/safety optionality, has some talent and could make a push for the final spot but ultimately could just be stashed on the practice squad.
K Jake Elliott
P Braden Mann
Perhaps you've noticed there's no long snapper. Two reasons why – a) the Eagles actually don't currently have one on the roster and b) there's no need to use a roster spot on a long snapper for the first three weeks of the season when he can be elevated from the practice squad. Doing that allows the Eagles to go heavier at other positions to start the season. Eventually, they'll have to sign one to the 53. But for the purposes of this projection, it's more fun to have them without one.
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