Before practice, the Eagles placed linebacker Nakobe Dean on the Physically Unable to Perform list. He watched the first day of Training Camp from the sidelines, along with Jalen Carter (shoulder) and Kenyon Green (knee). The Eagles also made roster moves, signing defensive tackle Joe Evans and waiving guard Marcus Tate with an injury designation. Evans is a rookie free agent out of Texas-San Antonio. In his college career, the 6-foot-2, 337-pound Evans posted 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks.
Here's what else you missed from Wednesday's Training Camp practice:
- In the first set of 11-on-11s, right guard Tyler Steen, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., cornerback Kelee Ringo, and safety Sydney Brown were all working with the first team. Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba and cornerback Adoree' Jackson also rotated in with the first team, and Cooper DeJean got some safety reps in the base defense.
- A.J. Brown caught a jump ball 20 yards downfield from Jalen Hurts that got the attention of the crowd. After practice, Brown spoke about wanting to solidify himself as the best wide receiver in the NFL. "I think I'm the best in the league, and I want to put my stamp on it," he said.
- Hurts was sharp throughout practice as the ball rarely touched the ground. He also had a couple of scrambles.
- Quinyon Mitchell had some strong reps, including tight coverage down the sideline into the end zone against A.J. Brown. Mitchell was flagged by the official for pass interference, but in his post-practice press conference, Brown said the second-year cornerback got the best of him on that play. Mitchell also had a pass breakup later in practice.
Position Spotlight: Cornerback
There are 11 cornerbacks on the current Training Camp roster (actually 10, plus Cooper DeJean, who is listed as a defensive back) and the operative words here are "competition" and "versatility." The Eagles expect the roster battles to be vigorous, to say the least, for cornerback, and they demand that the candidates display positional versatility because, as we've seen, there can be a lot of shuffling in-game and during the course of a long season.
And the truth is for the Eagles at cornerback, there is a lot to be determined. The team knows that Quinyon Mitchell, the first-round draft pick in 2024, returns after starting from Day 1 of his rookie season and turning in a superlative first year and that he should benefit from a full offseason after a championship campaign of outstanding play. They know that DeJean proved himself as one of the league's top nickel cornerbacks as a rookie and will return to that position for Year 2, with the potential – per the words of Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio – to see some time at safety and outside cornerback to see how he fares.
Other than that, it's all about the best men winning roster spots and playing time. And that circles back to "competition." Who earns the other outside cornerback spot opposite Mitchell? That remains to be seen.
Kelee Ringo is in his third season after seeing key reps in his first two years. Ringo is poised to play his best football and, certainly, has eyes on being a significant contributor to the defense. Adoree' Jackson joins the Eagles after eight seasons with Tennessee and the New York Giants and he brings speed and playmaking ability to the defense. Eli Ricks remains in position to help the defense here and fifth-round draft pick Mac McWilliams will look to make his initial mark as Fangio works him in at various spots in coverage.
Veteran Parry Nickerson will challenge in his sixth NFL season and Tariq Castro-Fields and A.J. Woods are back after spending much of last season on the team's practice squad. They know the defense and will make this a heated and spirited battle in the defensive backfield.
More rookies to consider: B.J. Mayes and Brandon Johnson, both signed following the 2025 NFL Draft.
All in all, the Eagles want to see how this group contests against the likes of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson as Training Camp sharpens the level of performance at the secondary position.
Thursday: Safety
On Deck
Eagles practice on Thursday at 10 AM. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will meet the media before practice. Several Eagles, including Cooper DeJean, are scheduled to speak with reporters after practice at around 11:30. All press conferences will be carried live on PhiladelphiaEagles.com, the team's app, and social media channels.
