15 Eagles to watch in preseason game vs. Vikings

15 Eagles to watch in preseason game vs. Vikings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles will wrap up their 2024 preseason at home against the Vikings with a rare 1 p.m. Saturday game at the Linc.

After that, the Eagles will have to cut their 90-man roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. And then it won’t be long before the season opener in Brazil on Sept. 6.

Football is back!

Here are 15 players to watch in the preseason finale:

DT Thomas Booker

After spending time last season on the Eagles’ practice squad, Booker put together a strong training camp and is coming off a productive preseason game last week against the Patriots. In that game, Booker had a big sack and another pressure that led to a sack. He might be the odd man out at the defensive tackle position but he’s still in the mix.

S James Bradberry

There’s no sugarcoating it. Bradberry’s second preseason game ended on a sour note with a missed tackle and a surrendered touchdown on the last drive against the Patriots. For the most part, Bradberry hasn’t looked awful as a safety this summer but he’s obviously still a project. I never thought Bradberry would still be on the roster nearing final cuts … but here we are.

LB Oren Burks

After missing most of training camp and the first two preseason games with a knee injury, Burks returned this week and got some practice reps under his belt. With those reps and a good performance on Saturday, can he make the team? Maybe. But there just might not be a place for the veteran linebacker/special teamer on the roster.

WR Parris Campbell

Like Burks, Campbell missed significant time during training camp with a groin injury. Had he stayed healthy and performed well, then Campbell had a shot at being the Eagles’ third wide receiver. But since no one really claimed that role, the Eagles went out and traded for Jahan Dotson. No one was hurt more by that trade than Campbell.

DB Cooper DeJean

DeJean’s first practice of training camp came in the joint session with the Patriots when he was finally removed from the Non-Football Injury list. Thanks to an injury last season at Iowa, the second-round pick hasn’t played in a game since November. He’s looking forward to suiting up and tackling somebody.

WR Jacob Harris

Harris, 27, has actually played in 18 NFL games but has just 1 catch for 6 yards in his career. He was with the Eagles all training camp and isn’t going to make the roster but he was the best of the back half of the receiver position in camp and made some impressive plays. This is more about figuring out if Harris can make the practice squad and be some insurance throughout the season.

TE E.J. Jenkins

The Eagles released veteran C.J. Uzomah this week after he failed to make a strong push for the roster. There’s no question that Jenkins, the former college receiver, has been the third-best tight end in camp after Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra. Is that enough to make the team? We’ll have to wait to see that but another strong preseason performance could make it a really tough decision.

CB Josh Jobe

The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent has played in 28 games (and started 3) with the Eagles over the last two years. While Jobe has clearly been pushed down the depth chart at cornerback, he has been a special teams stalwart. If he’s going to make the team this year, it’ll be on the strength of his special teams ability.

OLB Patrick Johnson

Johnson is entering Year 4 of his NFL career and is again making a strong push for the roster. Johnson has flashed as a pass rusher in practices and in games and has played more special teams snaps than any Eagles player over the last three seasons. I think Johnson is going to make the team again.

S Tristin McCollum

The Eagles are noticeably light at safety, especially because Sydney Brown is still on the PUP list. That leaves them with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship and Avonte Maddox on the roster. If the Eagles have to choose between McCollum or Bradberry — they could choose neither — the better bet might be McCollum. He has been flying around during the preseason and looks the part.

DT P.J. Mustipher

If the Eagles want a prototypical nose tackle to be a backup for Jordan Davis in 2024, Mustipher could be the guy. Mustipher (6-4, 318) has been having a really solid summer. He’s not going to flash the way a Thomas Booker does (they’re different types of players) but he’s strong at the point of attack and can stuff the run a bit.

CB Eli Ricks

Ricks is still just 23 and entering his second NFL season. Even with the increased depth at the cornerback position this year, it might not be wise to get rid of a young and promising corner. Ricks had a strong training camp and had a pick on the final day of the summer off of Kenny Pickett

S Andre’ Sam

Of the group of the UDFAs this summer, Sam has stood out. He is still a longshot going into the final preseason game but with the lack of depth at the position, he could still factor into that position this season. He’s at least worth keeping around on the practice squad.

WR Ainias Smith

Smith caught a game-winning 2-point conversion in the last preseason game and finished off training camp with his two best days of the summer. It seems like the fifth-round pick has turned a corner. If Smith has another strong preseason game, the Eagles will be able to justify keeping him on the roster.

OL Brett Toth

Toth first came to the Eagles back in 2019 and he’s now on his third stint with the team. Toth offers versatility and can play any of the five positions on the offensive line. During this camp, Toth has mostly been the second-team center. He’s firmly on the bubble entering the final game.

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