Saquon Barkley — and the Eagles offensive line and other playmakers — ranked as the best in the NFL

With NFL training camps quickly approaching, players — and experts — are already preparing for the season. After a season that saw the Eagles overwhelm their opponents, league insiders are compiling lists of some of the biggest names in the NFL, ranking them as units or by individual positions.

ESPN and Pro Football Focus have ranked a number of Eagles offensive players high on their lists. A few defensive players were also mentioned, with a majority of position rankings still waiting to be released.

Here’s what the experts are saying about the Eagles so far …

Using advanced metrics to see how players performed on a snap-by-snap basis, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell published his annual list of the “best set of playmakers” in the league — separating the production of running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends from the quarterbacks, offensive line, and coaching staff.

The Eagles — with an offense that includes running back Saquon Barkley, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert — came away as the team with the best playmakers.

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“After years of top-10 finishes, the Eagles did just enough to earn the top spot,” Barnwell wrote. “Their big addition last offseason was a key difference-maker. Saquon Barkley stayed healthy, and while he certainly benefited from playing next to Jalen Hurts and behind a great offensive line, he produced one of the greatest seasons by any back in NFL history.

“And while the Eagles throw the ball less often than just about any other team, their receivers are spectacularly efficient. A.J. Brown‘s 3.3 yards per route run ranked second in the league, with the 28-year-old leading all players in receiver score. … DeVonta Smith wasn’t far behind, as he ranked 14th in yards per route run and eighth in receiver score.”

The Detroit Lions followed at the No. 2 spot among playmakers and the Cincinnati Bengals were ranked third.

But playmakers aren’t exclusively at skill positions. They can be seen on the offensive line as well, especially with a group as athletic as the Eagles. With veterans like Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson returning and the continued emergence of center Cam Jurgens, Pro Football Focus ranked the Eagles as the NFL’s best offensive line.

“The Eagles boast the NFL’s best offensive tackle duo, featuring two players who rank at the top of their respective positions,” wrote Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus. “Left tackle Jordan Mailata’s 95.2 PFF overall grade in 2024 led all offensive tackles, while right tackle Lane Johnson’s 88.9 mark placed fifth.”

Next in the rankings were the Denver Broncos at No. 2 and the Buffalo Bills at No. 3.

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ESPN also conducted a poll of anonymous NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to determine the top 10 players at 11 positions. At the top of the running back position was Barkley, a three-time Pro Bowler and the reigning offensive player of the year.

“Barkley got greedy in 2024. He clearly wanted every first-place vote in our 2025 poll. And he got all but one of them,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “When including the regular season and playoffs, Barkley’s 2,504 rush yards and seven scrimmage touchdowns of 60-plus yards are the most in a season in NFL history. His speed was constantly on display, reaching at least 20 mph on nine touchdown runs, per Next Gen Stats. No other player had more than two.”

Barkley moved up three spots from last year’s No .4 ranking. He was followed by the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry at No. 2 and the Detroit Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs at the third spot.

In the same survey, those polled ranked Jalen Carter high among the top 10 defensive tackles in the league. The former Georgia Bulldog came in at No. 3, a big jump from last year’s honorable mention.

“A year ago, evaluators around the league projected big things for Carter, who had already shown a knack for beating top-shelf offensive guards at the line,” Fowler wrote. “He validated that faith with All-Pro second-team honors, a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring.

“Carter’s 4.5 sacks and 8.8% pass rush win rate are not gaudy, but he’s the classic need-to-see-him-in-person player. He’s as disruptive as they come. The only thing keeping him out of the top two is experience.”

That top two? Veterans Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 2 and Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants at No. 1.

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Besides Carter, former seventh-round pick Moro Ojomo is another defensive tackle to keep an eye on this season. According to The Athletic, Ojomo is a candidate to have a breakout season for the Eagles.

“DT Milton Williams left for New England, giving his Nigerian-born successor a chance to build on a strong 2024,” wrote The Athletic’s Jacob Robinson. “One year after he nearly went undrafted as a seventh-round pick in 2023, Ojomo’s 31 pressures ranked fourth on the team, and his PFF grade was top-40 at the position.”

Although Robinson believes Ojomo will have a breakout year, he’s not expecting the Eagles to have a better season than last year — after all, it would be hard to top.