Eagles training camp preview: Sizing up the depth chart on offense

On Wednesday, the Eagles will return to the NovaCare Complex for their first training camp practice, eager to set themselves up for success (although you won’t hear Nick Sirianni use the word repeat) for a second straight season.

Not much has changed on offense in terms of personnel. Ten of the 11 offensive starters from the Super Bowl are back for another season, this time under the purview of new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.

Still, one starting job on the offensive line and plenty of key backup roles are up for grabs. Here’s where the offensive depth chart stands ahead of the training-camp competitions (rookies are listed in bold):

Howie Roseman bolstered the Eagles’ depth at quarterback when he selected Mount Laurel native Kyle McCord in the sixth round of the draft. During organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee took the bulk of the reps during team drills, but McCord made the most of limited action.

The 22-year-old flashed his accuracy in minicamp team drills, completing a tight-window touchdown pass to tight end Nick Muse. Despite his overall lack of team reps, McCord showed the potential that made the former Syracuse star an intriguing developmental quarterback during the predraft process.

Could McCord earn the third-string job out of training camp? At the very least, he will have the opportunity to compete for the gig with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, whom the Eagles acquired from the Cleveland Browns in the Kenny Pickett trade. Thompson-Robinson, 25, experienced highs and lows in OTAs and minicamp, but training camp will provide a greater sample size of snaps in which both quarterbacks can be evaluated.

With Kenneth Gainwell departing in free agency for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles have an opening at second-string running back. Will Shipley, the Eagles’ 2024 fourth-rounder out of Clemson, and AJ Dillon, the 27-year-old free-agent addition, are the front-runners to back up Saquon Barkley.

During the offseason program, Dillon began to prove his health after sitting out the entire 2024 season with the Green Bay Packers due to a neck injury. He appeared unhindered in team drills and even took the initial first-team reps in seven-on-seven in place of Barkley (who was resting) during minicamp. Dillon will continue to be tested when the Eagles begin to incorporate contact in their training-camp practices.

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The Eagles added a few depth running backs in the offseason, including former Jacksonville Jaguars return specialist Keilan Robinson, who was claimed off waivers. One of the more intriguing developmental pieces is ShunDerrick Powell, the undrafted free agent out of Central Arkansas who eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his last three college seasons (including 2022 at North Alabama) and reportedly ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.

Jahan Dotson had a busy offseason program, snaring a deluge of passes with A.J. Brown resting for team drills at OTAs and DeVonta Smith absent for the optional sessions open to the media. Dotson, 25, who is going into a contract year, will look to build off a strong Super Bowl performance (two catches for 42 yards) in his second season with the Eagles. His improved reliability as a receiver could be a boon to an offense that will need to continue to evolve after its championship run.

With Brown, Smith, and Dotson locks to make the initial 53-man roster, who could round out the corps of receivers? Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith are entering their second seasons with the team and will attempt to prove they can take the next step in their games. Terrace Marshall and Danny Gray are NFL veterans who both made plays during the offseason program.

Additionally, Avery Williams, a 27-year-old return specialist, is officially listed as a wide receiver on the Eagles’ roster. The receiver’s room is relatively new territory for Williams, who entered the league with the Atlanta Falcons at cornerback before transitioning to running back.

The corps of tight ends is back to the status quo, with Dallas Goedert restructuring the final year of his contract in early May to return for his eighth season. The Eagles did not draft his heir apparent this offseason, opting to sign veterans Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson to one-year deals instead.

Last year, the Eagles carried only two tight ends on the initial 53. This year could be a different situation, with Granson and Bryant competing with E.J. Jenkins for a potential third spot. Even though Jenkins ended the season on the Eagles’ active roster and spent the bulk of the year on the practice squad, Granson (four years) and Bryant (five) boast more NFL experience.

It’s also worth noting that Ben VanSumeren, the 2023 undrafted linebacker out of Michigan State, is now officially listed as a fullback. While he doesn’t fit in this depth-chart exercise, he could potentially take up a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

The offseason program suggested that Tyler Steen is likely going to have the first crack at the starting right guard job that Mekhi Becton vacated this offseason. Steen, the Eagles’ 2023 third-round pick out of Alabama, took the first-team reps at right guard in practices open to the media.

Kenyon Green, whom the Eagles acquired from the Houston Texans in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, lined up at right guard with the second-team offensive line. Green, the 15th overall pick in 2022 by the Texans out of Texas A&M, isn’t the only one who could be in the mix for the gig — Matt Pryor, who returned to the Eagles this offseason in free agency, also has experience starting at right guard.

Cam Jurgens was still rehabbing from back surgery throughout OTAs and minicamp, doing workouts with a trainer on a separate field while the rest of the team practiced. He said in April, after agreeing to his four-year contract extension, that he felt like a “new man,” but he did not put a timetable on his return to action. Brett Toth started at center with the first-team offensive line in Jurgens’ place during the offseason program.

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