July 17, 2026
Jeff Hanisch/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NFL decision makers think there are 20 wide receivers in the NFL better than DeVonta Smith.
Over the last couple of weeks, ESPN surveyed "league executives, coaches and scouts" to come up with a list of the top 10 players at each positional group. The Philadelphia Eagles had eight players crack those top 10 lists, which was second in the NFL.
Here I thought we'd take a look at the placement of those players, plus others who were "honorable mentions" or those "also receiving votes," and determine where the voters are either correct or misinformed about the Eagles.
Hurts finished 17th in this survey, which places him in the back half of the league. Survey blurb:
"I know it has been up-and-down, but I'm still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles and the toughness." -- AFC offensive coach
#JimmySays: We'll have a roundup of where Hurts ranks around the league soon, so I'll save some of my thoughts for that.
But I will quickly note that Hurts has been to the playoffs every season since he has been a starter. He's a Super Bowl MVP, and he was arguably the best player on the field in a Super Bowl loss. And then you have guys like Baker Mayfield ranked ahead of him with the following explanation:
"He's a winner. [He] can make every throw. Fearless. Teammates seem to love to play for him."
Mayfield has a career record of 58-62 (0.483) in the regular season. He has a career playoff record of 2-3, and has never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs. He's a winner how, exactly?
Discussions around Hurts are frustrating. The Hurts stans who think he is infallible are delusional and annoying, and his biggest detractors find ways to diminish the fact that he has done what only a very small handful of current starting quarterbacks have done — you know, win a Super Bowl.
Hurts has had great teams around him for sure, but he has also been a reason for the team's success during two playoff runs and not just along for the ride. Conversely, he has his share of flaws.
Is he among the league's top 10 most talented quarterbacks? As a passer, certainly not. And if he's not going to run a lot like he used to, then he'll be judged against his peers strictly as a passer.
But is he a back half of the league quarterback? Also no. I've watched players in Philadelphia have amazing regular seasons and then not play to that standard in the postseason. Joel Embiid, for example, has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 10 NBA seasons. Similarly, Dak Prescott has never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs in 10 NFL seasons. And he ranked sixth! Lol.
Does playoff performance just not matter?
Barkley finished behind the Falcons' Bijan Robinson and the Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs. Blurb:
Barkley proved how great he can be with a 2,000-yard season in 2024 behind Philly's elite offensive line, resulting in last year's No. 1 ranking.
But the Eagles' line in 2025 was subpar by its standards. Barkley still produced 1,180 yards, but big gains were far less frequent. His four runs of 20-plus yards were 13 fewer than the previous year. His rushing yards over expected, as charted by NFL Next Gen Stats, went from second in the NFL in 2024 to 24th last season.
Many voters did not knock him too harshly for that.
"I'm not going to penalize him for a terrible all-around offense last year," a high-ranking personnel official with an NFL team said. "He's still a three-down weapon and if I needed a running back for one season I'm still taking him 1."
Since 2024, Barkley ranks second in 100-plus-yard rushing games (14) behind Derrick Henry (17).
"My only criticism is that he doesn't always produce when things aren't completely clean," an NFL coordinator said. "That's dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him."
#JimmySays: I think that's all fair. I'd love to know who would take Barkley over Bijan Robinson for one season. That's nuts.
If I'm Jonathan Taylor I'd be a little perturbed being placed behind Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, despite absolutely balling out in offenses with crappy quarterbacks.
There's no blurb for Smith because he didn't even get an honorable mention. In fact he finished 21st (!) in this survey.
#JimmySays: Smith was behind Tyreek Hill, whose career is in question. He was behind Terry McLaurin. He was behind a rapidly declining Mike Evans. He was behind Alec Pierce. I mean Alec Pierce? Really?
Smith was a better football player for the Eagles last season than A.J. Brown, in my opinion, and I don't think it was particularly close. I don't object to Brown being voted higher on the list, but he was ninth, and Smith was way down at 21st.
I'm honestly kind of shocked that Smith is this underrated. Again, there was no commentary provided, but I'll assume that he was knocked because of his slender frame? Is that still a thing somehow? Or have these scouts just not watched him play?
Again, there's no blurb on Goedert because he didn't even get an honorable mention.
#JimmySays: Goedert finished 19th in the survey. At first glance that felt a little harsh. He did break the Eagles' single-season record for TDs by a tight end last season, with 11. However, he also declined substantially as a blocker.
After perusing the list of tight ends in front of Goedert, his placement really isn't that unfair. There are just a lot of good tight ends in the NFL right now.
The Eagles pretty clearly have the best offensive tackle tandem in the NFL.
Mailata's blurb:
Mailata is getting a pass for the Eagles' bad offensive season. Most voters recognize that the team's overall struggles in the running and passing games affected him.
"He was the best tackle in the NFL by far [in 2024]," a personnel executive with an NFL team said. "He regressed some last year. But that wasn't all his fault."
Mailata is considered scheme-transcendent. One NFL coordinator said, "He does everything consistently well.
"That's rare."
Mailata's 89.8% pass rush win rate was in the middle of the pack, and the Eagles finished an uncharacteristic 18th in rushing offense last season. But Mailata is still one of the best in the league.
And Johnson's blurb:
When Johnson plays close to a full season, he's a fixture on the Pro Bowl and All-Pro circuit. But last season was tough for Johnson, who missed eight games (including the playoffs) with a Lisfranc injury. He still earned a solid 77.4 Pro Football Focus grade on 449 offensive snaps. And his 93.2% pass block win rate and 77.2% run block win rate are both strong clips.
"I know they had a tough year as an offense, but the play was still elite," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "He's a guy you can trust more than just about any other tackle to play at a high level. I just don't know if the body will hold up at this stage."
#JimmySays: Lane Johnson remains one of the most underrated players in the history of sports. He's inarguably one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history, and has been left off of those dumb NFL top 100 lists in the past.
Here he's somehow behind the Bears' Darnell Wright. Wright has some highlight reel run blocks, but if he were left on an island to block the league's elite pass rushers one-on-one every week with no help like Johnson has his entire career, he'd give up double-digit sacks.
On the overrated side, I thought Mailata's placement above Laremy Tunsil (and Johnson, for that matter) was generous.
Dickerson finished fifth in this survey last season; Jurgens finished 14th. They predictably (and rightfully) tumbled after injury-plagued seasons.
#JimmySays: No arguments here.
The Eagles have a nice trio of edge defenders in Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith, but none of those guys are star players by any stretch. Greenard finished 13th last year, but he had a down season in 2025. Hunt has a chance to be really good, but he's not close to top 10 consideration at this stage.
#JimmySays: No arguments here.
Carter's blurb:
Carter is one of the toughest evaluations among the top 10. He is immensely talented and has made two Pro Bowls. All but one of his votes were in the top seven. But his pass-rush prowess is modest, with 13.5 sacks during his three-year career. Carter's production dipped in 2025 -- with three sacks and five tackles for loss -- though he batted down six passes, which tied for the most among defensive tackles.
"He's a problem," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "A game-wrecker. You feel his presence out there consistently."
Several evaluators argued, however, that was not the case on every snap. A few voters said Carter is not the best defensive lineman on his own team, opting for Jordan Davis instead.
"He flashes 10 times a game but gets dragged far too often by average players," an NFL coordinator said.
Carter's 83 pass-rush wins as an interior lineman since 2023 are tied for the seventh most in the NFL.
Davis' blurb:
Davis emerged as a star in his fourth season. The 2022 first-round pick was a 336-pound problem for guards and centers. Multiple voters picked Davis ahead of Carter, his DT running mate in Philly.
"He's just so f‐‐‐ing strong and consistent," an NFL coordinator said. "And he's gotten better as he's gotten older and in better shape."
Davis famously reached 18.6 mph on his return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown to seal the Eagles' Week 3 win over the Rams, the fastest by a player weighing at least 330 pounds since NFL Next Gen Stats tracking began in 2017. His 72 tackles last season ranked third among interior linemen, and his 39 run stops versus double-teams ranked second.
"Carter is the better talent, but Davis had the better season," a veteran NFL defensive coach said.
#JimmySays: I was surprised that Carter ranked as high as third. I think there's an argument to be made that he is the most talented defensive tackle in the league. He showed that in 2024, but did not play like it at all in 2025.
I thought this was interesting:
A few voters said Carter is not the best defensive lineman on his own team, opting for Jordan Davis instead.
Davis had the better 2025 season, for sure, but anyone who thinks Davis is just outright "better" doesn't know what they're looking at.
Side note: Milton Williams finished ninth. In 10 years we may look back and find it crazy that Carter, Davis, and Williams were all on the same line together.
Baun's blurb:
Baun is one of the league's great success stories. Once a part-time player, he parlayed an All-Pro season in Philadelphia into a three-year, $51 million deal during the 2025 offseason. His most recent season showed he was no fluke, producing a second consecutive Pro Bowl performance. Baun was one of two linebackers to appear on every top-10 ballot.
"He's got lateral quickness and is an incredibly smart player," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "He's perfect for Vic's [Fangio] scheme, can play close to the line and get pressure or can play off the ball."
Baun was the only player with at least 120 tackles and 10 disrupted dropbacks last season (a disrupted dropback is a sack, interception or batted/defended/tipped pass).
#JimmySays: Baun finished behind 2025 Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, who was a really good player last season, but, I mean, GTFOH.
Fred Warner ranked No. 1 in this survey. No argument there. Roquan Smith was No. 2, and Schwesinger No. 3.
Smith is a more recognizable name than Baun, but in the last two seasons (playoffs included) Smith has 1 INT and 1 forced fumble. Baun has 5 INTs and 7 forced fumbles. Give me the guy who makes game-changing plays.
Mitchell blurb:
It's only a matter of time before Mitchell cracks the top three. In just two seasons, Mitchell has worked his way into first-team All-Pro status with 29 pass deflections.
"Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team's No. 1," an AFC executive said. "Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player."
Mitchell has yet to record his first NFL interception. The greats are paid to get the ball. But Mitchell's metrics are undeniable.
He allowed 4.8 yards per target in coverage last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, third best in the NFL among 87 defensive backs who were targeted at least 50 times. His minus-0.16 expected points added is tied for fourth among cornerbacks last season (minimum 75 targets faced). He has allowed 1.8 yards after the catch per reception, the fewest among corners. And his 42% tight-window throw rate was the highest in the NFL.
The Eagles had gone 22 years without drafting a cornerback in the first round before selecting Mitchell 22nd overall in 2024. The move has paid off for general manager Howie Roseman in a major way.
"Sticky man-to-man guy," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "He's tough. Plays smart in big moments. Connected at the point of attack, which is one of the hardest things to ask for on a consistent basis. Will continue to get better and better."
#JimmySays: "Mitchell has yet to record his first NFL interception."
Oh, is that so? 🤔🤔🤔
Our Geoff Mosher ripped Mitchell's ranking after it came out. Mitchell was knocked for a lack of INT production, but as Geoff pointed out, Mitchell has more postseason INTs than Patrick Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon and Trent McDuffie have combined in the postseason.
DeJean's blurb:
DeJean's presence on the list was a hot topic because of his positional flexibility. Is he a safety or a cornerback? He played mostly slot corner last season, but the Eagles plan to play him as a safety in base coverage and a slot corner in subpackages.
Since defenses are subpackage-heavy nowadays, and DeJean clearly has high-end cornerback traits, he remains a corner on our list. He appeared in 50% of the top 10 submissions for the position.
"He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside," a veteran NFC coach said. "He's a corner because of the way he plays. [The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain't shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too. He's a Swiss Army knife."
Along with Mitchell, DeJean is the first Eagles cornerback to make first-team All-Pro since Lito Sheppard in 2004. DeJean led all slot cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (61.4%), passer rating allowed (55.4) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.72). He has not allowed a passing touchdown as a slot cornerback over two seasons.
#JimmySays: DeJean's ranking here was probably a failure of the way the survey was presented. DeJean's superpower is his versatility, which probably cost him because scouts didn't know how to vote for him. But certainly, there aren't nine defensive backs (corners, safeties, whatever) who are better than him.
Unsurprisingly, no Eagles safeties received any votes.
#JimmySays: No arguments here.
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