NFL age inventory: Offensive skill positions

Zach Ertz is still only the sixth youngest projected starting tight end in the NFL.
Matt Rourke/AP

All week, we'll be taking age inventory of the Eagles' projected starters compared with the rest of the NFL. Today we'll begin with offensive skill position players, followed by the offensive line on Tuesday, the defensive front seven on Wednesday, and finally, the defensive secondary on Thursday.

First, let's take a broad look at the offensive skill positions as whole, and where the Eagles rank, age-wise. For the below chart, we took the projected starters for each team at the following positions -- QB, RB, WR1, WR2, WR3, and TE.

Rank Team Avg age
Youngest Dolphins 24.5
2 Eagles 24.7
T-3 Vikings 24.8
T-3 Rams 24.8
T-3 Raiders 24.8
T-6 Texans 25
T-6 Buccaneers 25
T-6 Jaguars 25
9 Bills 25.2
10 49ers 25.3
11 Bengals 25.5
T-12 Lions 25.7
T-12 Seahawks 25.7
14 Browns 25.8
T-15 Colts 26
T-15 Titans 26
17 Redskins 26.2
18 Saints 26.5
19 Packers 26.7
20 Chiefs 26.8
21 Jets 27
22 Falcons 27.2
T-23 Panthers 27.5
T-23 Steelers 27.5
T-25 Bears 27.8
T-25 Giants 27.8
T-25 Broncos 27.8
28 Cowboys 28.3
29 Chargers 28.7
30 Cardinals 29
31 Patriots 31
Oldest Ravens 31.5

As the chart above shows, the Eagles have the second-youngest skill position players in the NFL, with a caveat. For the above chart, we used Carson Wentz as the Eagles' quarterback, seeing as he is ultimately going to be the long-term starter. If you were to substitute in Sam Bradford, the Eagles' average age would be 25.5, which would tie them with the Bengals for the 11th youngest team.

Quarterback

Here is a list of the NFL's starting quarterbacks, listed in order from oldest to youngest. We included both Wentz and Bradford to show were they fit in compared with the rest of the NFL.

Player Position Team Birthday Age
Tom Brady QB Patriots 8/3/1977 38
Drew Brees QB Saints 1/15/1979 37
Tony Romo QB Cowboys 4/21/1980 36
Carson Palmer QB Cardinals 12/27/1979 36
Eli Manning QB Giants 1/3/1981 35
Ben Roethlisberger QB Steelers 3/2/1982 34
Philip Rivers QB Chargers 12/8/1981 34
Jay Cutler QB Bears 4/29/1983 33
Aaron Rodgers QB Packers 12/2/1983 32
Alex Smith QB Chiefs 5/7/1984 32
Matt Ryan QB Falcons 5/17/1985 31
Joe Flacco QB Ravens 1/16/1985 31
Mark Sanchez QB Broncos 11/11/1986 29
Matthew Stafford QB Lions 2/7/1988 28
Andy Dalton QB Bengals 10/29/1987 28
 Sam BradfordQB Eagles11/8/1987  28 
Kirk Cousins QB Redskins 8/19/1988 27
Ryan Tannehill QB Dolphins 7/27/1988 27
Cam Newton QB Panthers 5/11/1989 27
Russell Wilson QB Seahawks 11/29/1988 27
Andrew Luck QB Colts 9/12/1989 26
Tyrod Taylor QB Bills 8/3/1989 26
Robert Griffin III QB Browns 2/12/1990 26
Blaine Gabbert QB 49ers 10/15/1989 26
Brock Osweiler QB Texans 11/22/1990 25
*Geno Smith QB Jets 10/10/1990 25
Derek Carr QB Raiders 3/28/1991 25
Blake Bortles QB Jaguars 12/16/1991 24
Carson Wentz QB Eagles 12/30/1992 23
Teddy Bridgewater QB Vikings 11/10/1992 23
Marcus Mariota QB Titans 10/30/1993 22
Jameis Winston QB Buccaneers 1/6/1994 22
Jared Goff QB Rams 10/14/1994 21

Bradford is right around the median age for starting NFL quarterbacks, while Wentz, at 23, is obviously among the youngest at his position, although older than your typical rookie quarterback.

Of note to the Eagles are the ages of the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFC East. Tony Romo and Eli Manning are now the third- and fifth-oldest projected starters in the NFL, respectively. Their careers are drawing near an end. 

There are 10 teams with starting quarterbacks who are at least 32 years old, seven who are at least 34, and five who are at least 35. There's an argument to be made that the Eagles drafted a quarterback before a huge chunk of the NFL will need one.

Running back

Here's a list of the projected starting running backs in the NFL. Note the vast difference in the ages of the starting running backs below, and the ages of the starting quarterbacks above. The idea that running back shelf lives are short is far from a myth:

Player Position Team Birthday Age
Frank Gore RB Colts 5/14/1983 33
Adrian Peterson RB Vikings 3/21/1985 31
Rashad Jennings RB Giants 3/26/1985 31
Justin Forsett RB Ravens 10/14/1985 30
Matt Forte RB Jets 12/10/1985 30
LeGarrette Blount RB Patriots 12/5/1986 29
Jamaal Charles RB Chiefs 12/27/1986 29
Jonathan Stewart RB Panthers 3/21/1987 29
Ryan Mathews RB Eagles 10/10/1987 28
DeMarco Murray RB Titans 2/12/1988 28
Chris Ivory RB Jaguars 3/22/1988 28
LeSean McCoy RB Bills 7/12/1988 27
Doug Martin RB Buccaneers 1/13/1989 27
Mark Ingram RB Saints 12/21/1989 26
Eddie Lacy RB Packers 1/1/1991 25
CJ Anderson RB Broncos 2/10/1991 25
Latavius Murray RB Raiders 2/21/1991 25
Lamar Miller RB Texans 4/25/1991 25
Carlos Hyde RB 49ers 9/20/1991 24
Jeremy Langford RB Bears 12/6/1991 24
David Johnson RB Cardinals 12/16/1991 24
Le'Veon Bell RB Steelers 2/18/1992 24
Devonta Freeman RB Falcons 3/15/1992 24
Jeremy Hill RB Bengals 10/20/1992 23
Isaiah Crowell RB Browns 1/8/1993 23
Matt Jones RB Redskins 3/7/1993 23
Melvin Gordon RB Chargers 4/13/1993 23
Ameer Abdullah RB Lions 6/13/1993 23
Jay Ajayi RB Dolphins 6/15/1993 23
Thomas Rawls RB Seahawks 8/3/1993 22
Todd Gurley RB Rams 8/3/1994 21
Ezekiel Elliott RB Cowboys 7/22/1995 20

Ryan Mathews is the ninth-oldest projected starting running back in the NFL, although he's unlikely to factor into the Eagles' long-term plans.

This offseason, both Mathews and DeMarco Murray were on the trading block. The Eagles were going to trade one and keep the other. When they traded Murray, Mathews became the lead back, out of necessity. 

Mathews has only played all 16 games once in his career. When he wasn't missing games, he was often playing with some kind of injury. From 2010-2015, Mathews appeared on the injury report a staggering 53 timesHe also doesn't have good hands as Eagles fans witnessed a season ago, so he may not be the fit the Eagles are looking for at running back in Doug Pederson's offense. Pederson has expressed that he wants to move his backs around the formation, where they can create mismatches for opposing defenses. If the Eagles trade or cut Mathews next offseason, they'll save $4 million.

It is also worth noting that the 2017 running back draft class figures to be extremely stacked.

Wide receiver

A season ago, the Eagles led the NFL in dropped passes. This is where youth will hurt you. The Eagles' receiving corps are very young, but they are also among the least threatening in the league.

Player Position Team Birthday Age
Steve Smith WR Ravens 5/12/1979 37
Vincent Jackson WR Buccaneers 1/14/1983 33
Nate Washington WR Patriots 8/28/1983 32
Larry Fitzgerald WR Cardinals 8/31/1983 32
Brandon Marshall WR Jets 3/23/1984 32
Ted Ginn WR Panthers 4/12/1985 31
Jordy Nelson WR Packers 5/31/1985 31
Danny Amendola WR Patriots 11/2/1985 30
Andrew Hawkins WR Browns 3/10/1986 30
Eddie Royal WR Bears 5/21/1986 30
Julian Edelman WR Patriots 5/22/1986 30
Stevie Johnson WR Chargers 7/22/1986 29
Mike Wallace WR Ravens 8/1/1986 29
Pierre Garcon WR Redskins 8/8/1986 29
Jordan Norwood WR Broncos 9/29/1986 29
Brandon LeFell WR Bengals 11/4/1986 29
Victor Cruz WR Giants 11/11/1986 29
DeSean Jackson WR Redskins 12/1/1986 29
Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Steelers 2/26/1987 29
Eric Decker WR Jets 3/15/1987 29
Emmanuel Sanders WR Broncos 3/17/1987 29
Michael Crabtree WR Raiders 9/14/1987 28
Demaryius Thomas WR Broncos 10/25/1987 28
Cecil Shorts WR Texans 12/22/1987 28
Jeremy Maclin WR Chiefs 5/11/1988 28
Antonio Brown WR Steelers 7/10/1988 27
AJ Green WR Bengals 7/31/1988 27
Golden Tate WR Lions 8/2/1988 27
Kenny Britt WR Rams 9/19/1988 27
Doug Baldwin WR Seahawks 9/21/1988 27
Dez Bryant WR Cowboys 11/4/1988 27
Jeremy Kerley WR Lions 11/8/1988 27
Torrey Smith WR 49ers 1/26/1989 27
Julio Jones WR Falcons 2/3/1989 27
Cole Beasley WR Cowboys 4/26/1989 27
Kamar Aiken WR Ravens 5/30/1989 27
Brian Quick WR Rams 6/5/1989 27
Mohamed Sanu WR Falcons 8/22/1989 26
Terrance Williams WR Cowboys 9/18/1989 26
Rishard Matthews WR Titans 10/12/1989 26
Kendall Wright WR Titans 11/12/1989 26
TY Hilton WR Colts 11/14/1989 26
Jarius Wright WR Vikings 11/25/1989 26
Michael Floyd WR Cardinals 11/27/1989 26
Travis Benjamin WR Chargers 12/29/1989 26
Jermaine Kearse WR Seahawks 2/6/1990 26
Alshon Jeffery WR Bears 2/14/1990 26
Marvin Jones WR Lions 3/12/1990 26
John Brown WR Cardinals 4/3/1990 26
Quinton Patton WR 49ers 8/9/1990 25
Randall Cobb WR Packers 8/22/1990 25
Marquise Goodwin WR Bills 11/19/1990 25
Kelvin Benjamin WR Panthers 2/5/1991 25
Markus Wheaton WR Steelers 2/7/1991 25
Taylor Gabriel WR Browns 2/17/1991 25
Seth Roberts WR Raiders 2/22/1991 25
Tavon Austin WR Rams 3/15/1991 25
Rueben Randle WR Eagles 5/7/1991 25
Bruce Ellington WR 49ers 8/22/1991 24
Allen Hurns WR Jaguars 11/12/1991 24
Marqise Lee WR Jaguars 11/25/1991 24
Justin Hardy WR Falcons 12/18/1991 24
Robert Woods WR Bills 4/10/1992 24
Kenny Stills WR Dolphins 4/22/1992 24
Keenan Allen WR Chargers 4/27/1992 24
Quincy Enunwa WR Jets 5/31/1992 23
DeAndre Hopkins WR Texans 6/6/1992 24
Brandon Coleman WR Saints 6/22/1992 24
Albert Wilson WR Chiefs 7/12/1992 23
Jordan Matthews WR Eagles 7/16/1992 23
Tyler Lockett WR Seahawks 9/28/1992 23
Willie Snead WR Saints 10/17/1992 23
Chris Conley WR Chiefs 10/25/1992 23
Odell Beckham Jr. WR Giants 11/5/1992 23
Jarvis Landry WR Dolphins 11/28/1992 23
Davante Adams WR Packers 12/24/1992 23
Phillip Dorsett WR Colts 1/5/1993 23
DeVante Parker WR Dolphins 1/20/1993 23
Dorial Green-Beckham WR Titans 4/12/1993 23
Nelson Agholor WR Eagles 5/24/1993 23
Sammy Watkins WR Bills 6/14/1993 23
Jamison Crowder WR Redskins 6/17/1993 23
Adam Humphries WR Buccaneers 6/24/1993 23
Kevin White WR Bears 6/25/1993 23
Donte Moncrief WR Colts 8/6/1993 22
Mike Evans WR Buccaneers 8/21/1993 22
Allen Robinson WR Jaguars 8/24/1993 22
Brandin Cooks WR Saints 9/25/1993 22
Stefon Diggs WR Vikings 11/29/1993 22
Sterling Shepard WR Giants 2/10/1994 22
Will Fuller WR Texans 4/16/1994 22
Devin Funchess WR Panthers 5/21/1994 22
Amari Cooper WR Raiders 6/17/1994 22
Corey Coleman WR Browns 7/6/1994 21
Tyler Boyd WR Bengals 11/15/1994 21
Laquon Treadwell WR Vikings 6/14/1995 21

We projected Rueben Randle to beat out Josh Huff for a starting job. If you're of the opinion that Huff will start, he is a year and five months younger than Randle. It should probably also be noted that Nelson Agholor's starting job is far from safe at this point as well.

Tight end

And finally, we come to the tight ends. For this study, we only used one tight end and three wide receivers for each team, although certainly there are teams around the league whose TE2 is better than their WR3. This might actually be the case with the Eagles, frankly.

Player Position Team Birthday Age
Antonio Gates TE Chargers 6/18/1980 36
Ben Watson TE Ravens 12/18/1980 35
Jason Witten TE Cowboys 5/6/1982 34
Delanie Walker TE Titans 8/12/1984 31
Zach Miller TE Bears 10/4/1984 31
Greg Olsen TE Panthers 3/11/1985 31
Jacob Tamme TE Falcons 3/15/1985 31
Gary Barnidge TE Browns 9/22/1985 30
Darren Fells TE Cardinals 4/22/1986 30
Jimmy Graham TE Seahawks 11/24/1986 29
Lance Kendricks TE Rams 1/30/1988 28
Julius Thomas TE Jaguars 5/14/1988 28
Virgil Green TE Broncos 7/21/1988 27
Jordan Cameron TE Dolphins 8/7/1988 27
Coby Fleener TE Saints 9/20/1988 27
Larry Donnell TE Giants 11/1/1988 27
Charles Clay TE Bills 2/13/1989 27
Rob Gronkowski TE Patriots 5/14/1989 27
Travis Kelce TE Chiefs 10/5/1989 26
Kyle Rudolph TE Vikings 11/9/1989 26
Ryan Griffin TE Texans 1/11/1990 26
Dwayne Allen TE Colts 2/24/1990 26
Ladarius Green TE Steelers 5/29/1990 26
Vance McDonald TE 49ers 6/13/1990 26
Jordan Reed TE Redskins 7/3/1990 26
Tyler Eifert TE Bengals 9/8/1990 25
Zach Ertz TE Eagles 10/10/1990 25
Clive Walford TE Raiders 10/21/1991 24
Richard Rodgers TE Packers 1/22/1992 24
Jace Amaro TE Jets 6/26/1992 23
Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE Buccaneers 9/29/1992 23
Eric Ebron TE Lions 4/10/1993 23

In case you're among the disappointed fans who think that Zach Ertz hasn't "broken out" yet, he has 133 catches and 1555 yards the last two years, and is still the sixth youngest projected starting tight end in the NFL.

NEXT: Offensive line


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Footnote:

*There's a good chance Geno Smith might not even make the Jets' final roster if Ryan Fitzpatrick eventually signs a deal, but for now there's really no more realistic player to pencil in as the starter. Fitzpatrick is 33.