The ESSENTIAL Football Show 
Top 51 Cap Space (per Spotrac): 2026: $26.0 million | 2027: -$13.1 million | 2028: $249.4 million
Draft Picks: 2027: 1-2, 4-5, NE 5, GB 6 | 2028: 1-7, NE 1
Football Decision Makers: GM Howie Roseman | HC Nick Sirianni | OC Sean Mannion | DC Vic Fangio | ST Michael Clay
State of the Team
If we point to 2022 as the first season Jalen Hurts established himself as a “franchise quarterback”, the last four Eagles seasons have been quite the study in the difference between “contender” and “also-ran” in the NFL, and how narrow those differences can be. There’s a lot of variables that go into all of this, but it’s a bit amazing how the same core that built so much positive momentum during the 2022 and 2024 seasons felt incredibly frustrating during the 2023 and 2025 campaigns.
There’s no way to guarantee this on-again, off-again pattern continues, but it’s tough to question the talent in Philadelphia, particularly if the offensive line is in better shape heading into 2026. There are plenty of questions about how the new offense will look, both with Sean Mannion taking over as offensive coordinator and with first-round receiver Mekhi Lemon effectively replacing mercurial star A.J. Brown, but there were questions about the offense last year, and this defense was still good enough to nearly pull out a playoff win.
With an abundance of talent on the defensive side of the ball and an offense that features plenty of potential, the Eagles stand out among potential bounce-back candidates; that might be an odd phrasing for a team that won their division, but based on recent history, that isn’t the standard in Philadelphia these days. With notable salary cap commitments through 2027, this version of the team, or some flavor of it, is largely locked in for the next two seasons; whether they can get the vibes right and capitalize on that window is another question.
Offense
Jalen Hurts is an interesting player to grade; in terms of overall impact, I have him as a “plus” player, but there’s no question that he’s a highly specific type of quarterback. On the positive side, his ability as a runner, whether on the “Tush Push” or in the quarterback run game, allows the Eagles to control tempo and create explosives. And while he isn’t in the discussion as the NFL’s most proficient pocket passer, Hurts is an effective passer on enough concepts to give the Eagles enough of a pass game to win titles. How Hurts develops in Mannion’s new offense will be interesting to watch, but the group around him remains talented, and the morale level might be higher with DeVonta Smith getting an opportunity to showcase himself as a true number one receiver and 1st-rounder Makai Lemon coming into the league as an unproven rookie.
If Lemon hits, the Eagles should once again have a dynamic top pairing of pass catchers, and the surrounding cast features some interesting pieces; Dallas Goedert remains a quality two-way tight end, Dontayvion Wicks is a capable route runner, Hollywood Brown is coming off a 49 catch, 587 yard, 5 TD season, Darius Cooper looked like he had the physical tools to stick as a rotational piece in some late-season action, and second-round pick Eli Stowers, though listed as a tight end, was drafted with a premium pick because of his pass-catching chops. At running back, Saquon Barkley is coming off another quality season - it would have been quite the feat to repeat ALL the long TDs from 2024, but over 1,300 combined yards and 9 total TDs isn’t bad - and the duo of Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley gives them two usable backups.
The offensive line has a lot more questions. At left tackle, Jordan Mailata seems like a lock to have an incredible impact - the 6’8, 365-pounder continues to add refinement, amplifying the impact his freaky physical tools bring - but the rest of the group has question marks. Right tackle Lane Johnson is elite when he’s out there, but he missed a good chunk of time last season and is 36, and while left guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens battled through their respective ailments in 2025, I didn’t think they were as impactful as 2024, when both were clear “plus” players, and it’s hard to say whether they return to form given the wear and tear they’ve sustained. Right guard Tyler Steen rounds out the group, but he’s an adequate player who doesn’t move the needle. The Eagles also invested a 3rd-round pick in Markel Bell, who might be an upgrade on Fred Johnson as the swing tackle; Johnson didn’t tank the offense when he played last year, but he’s not drawing interest as a starter for a reason, which opens the door if the 6’9, 345-pound rookie Bell can translate some fascinating measurables to productive play.
Defense
There’s many examples of how good this Philadelphia defense has been the past few years, but for the most recent vintage, and particularly for the front seven, I thought their Week 17 battle with Buffalo’s offensive line particularly stood out.
Buffalo is a really good group up front - for last year’s starting five, they’re in the discussion as the best group in the NFL - but while the Bills got their punches in, Philadelphia did a brilliant job limiting James Cook to 74 yards on 20 carries, and more important than the numbers, consistently handling the front in a heavyweight brawl. Whether it’s Jordan Davis, who shows great instincts for scraping himself clean when pursuing down the line (on top of being massively strong) and has arguably developed into an “elite” player, the insane combination of explosiveness and finesse next to him in Jalen Carter, or the ascending Moro Ojomo, the Eagles are incredibly stout up front. The edge room will swap out Jonathan Greenard for Jaelen Phillips, and while Greenard battled injuries last year, his late-season film still shows a player with standout traits; expect him to provide a heavy-handed presence across from the ultra-twitchy Nolan Smith, who punches above his weight engaging linemen, with Jalyx Hunt rotating in as a high-end third pass rusher.
At off-ball linebacker, Zack Baun has stacked two elite seasons, and there’s a chance his running mate ascends to that level in 2026; I thought Jihaad Campbell struggled with the physicality of the NFL when he was asked to start out of the gate, but after catching a mid-season breather when Nakobe Dean returned to the lineup, Campbell showed big-time development by the time his number was called again down the stretch. Campbell’s athletic traits are right there with Baun’s - he is fluid, long, and explosive - and his ability to adapt in-season is a positive sign for what Campbell can do with a full offseason of training after a pre-draft shoulder injury caused him to slide to the Eagles. I can’t wait to see what it looks like; I had thought Campbell was a fine player, particularly for a rookie, in his early action, but on late-season film, he is a must-watch player.
Even with all the potential in the front, the back end of this defense might be even better; it starts with the third-year duo of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who have established themselves as elite players at the outside corner and slot positions. The ability of that pair to consistently provide sticky coverage and sound tackling has taken this defense to another level over the past two years, and adding Riq Woolen, whatever the faults that made him available at a reasonable price, gives the Eagles a rare athletic specimen who can run with any receiver in the NFL; if he’s at his best, Woolen would give the Eagles the best trio of corners in the NFL.
The safety room is less imposing, but Marcus Epps does a fine job in the context of this defense - he doesn’t stick out as an overwhelming athlete, but he can trigger from depth and is generally where he is supposed to be - and Andrew Mukuba was starting in front of Epps before a broken leg ended his season in Week 12. The Eagles are also planning to play Cooper DeJean at safety in their base looks, a move that makes a lot of sense given DeJean’s skillset, which creates some additional flexibility.
Vic Fangio remains in place to oversee things, and there’s no reason to think the veteran coordinator won’t continue to have success; his variety of coverages out of two-high safety looks makes life difficult on opposing offenses, and he’s got all the talent in the world to play that way. Stranger things have happened, but short of a rash of injuries, it’s hard to see this unit being anything less than a Top 10 group in 2026; the combination of talent and coaching are just too strong.
Final Takeaways
Nobody bats one thousand, but in his tenure as general manager, Howie Roseman has continued to keep this roster stocked with talent, both in the trenches and at the skill positions. The variety of quarterback, head coach, and offensive coordinator combinations that have had success in that period Is fairly unique relative to the rest of the NFL, but it works for the Eagles, and with a standout defense led by a core group that is squarely in the prime of their careers, the floor on this Eagles team looks very high.
How things shake out on offense will likely determine how far things go, but with all the talent involved, I’d hope we’ll get a fun product to watch come Week 1.