August 05, 2026
Bill Steicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dontayvion Wicks has had a strong start to Eagles training camp.
The Philadelphia Eagles are five practices into their 2026 training camp, so we are a ways away from a more full evaluation of individual players and the team as a whole. Still, here are some players who are off to good starts, and some who are not.
📈 EDGE Jalyx Hunt: Hunt has already proven to be a unique edge defender because of his background as a safety and his playmaking cover skills, but he looks like he will be more dangerous as a pass rusher and run defender this season. He added muscle, but hasn't lost any quickness, and really if anything he looks faster. He has been an obvious standout on the edge the first week of camp.
📈 iDL Jalen Carter: Carter is arguably the most talented player on the team. He played like it in 2024, but not so much in 2025. There were concerns about the health of his shoulders, which hampered him last season. But not anymore. He has been a human tornado, tossing offensive lineman aside and living in the backfield.
📈 RB Tank Bigsby: Bigbsy was underused in his first season in Philly in 2025, but if his usage during training camp is any indication he is going to see substantially more snaps in 2026. He has gotten a lot of carries and has seen his share of targets through the air. He looks fast and also just kind of has a certain energy that is fun to watch when he's on the field.
📈 WR Dontayvion Wicks: DeVonta Smith is very obviously the Eagles' best receiver, but Wicks has separated from the rest of the pack early on as the No. 2 guy. To be determined if he can stay above the pack. He runs good routes, he blocks his ass off, and so far his hands — an issue for him in Green Bay — have been reliable. The Eagles have to be very happy with what they have seen from him so far.
📈 EDGE Joshua Weru: I wanted to put an under-the-radar player in this final spot, and I debated between Weru and undrafted safety Maximus Pulley. I landed on Weru, an International Pathway Program rookie from Kenya who is new to football. Weru has explosive speed around the edge, and he is already developing counter pass rush repertoire, as he showcased an impressive speed to power move on Hollin Pierce during the developmental period on Tuesday. Uar Bernard is the much more hyped IPP prospect, but I've seen a lot more so far from Weru.
📉 WR Makai Lemon: I hate to put rookies on this part of the list after just five practices, but leaving Lemon off of it would be a pretty glaring omission. Lemon missed half of spring practices with a hamstring injury, and he's on the shelf four practices into camp again with... another hamstring injury. Before he suffered his second hamstring injury, Lemon was quiet during the first three practices. He entered camp as the favorite to be the second-most targeted receiver, but he's not that anymore.
📉 TE Eli Stowers: If we put Lemon on this list, we probably have to put Stowers on it, too, since he has been every bit as quiet.
📉 iDL Ty Robinson: Robinson was an early fourth-round pick last year, and most of his reps are coming with the developmental unit.
📉 RB Will Shipley: Shipley has been out-repped by a mile by Bigsby, and when he had a chance to make a big play when he got schemed wide open on a wheel route, he dropped the pass. Shipley entered 2025 camp as the presumed RB2. In 2026 he's probably just trying to fend off guys behind him like Dameon Pierce, who has looked decent so far.
📉 QB Tanner McKee: I may have to walk back previous criticism of the Eagles for even having a competition for the QB2 spot, as McKee felt like an obviously better player than Andy Dalton. Well, so far, Dalton has outplayed McKee, and Dalton has gotten more second-team reps.
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