PHILADELPHIA — The age-old dilemma when evaluating a one-sided training camp practice is whether to be encouraged by the unit that excels or concerned about the side of the ball that appears overmatched. That was the question that lingered after the Philadelphia Eagles’ third training camp session of the summer Saturday morning.
The Eagles practiced for around 100 minutes in front of servicemen and servicewomen invited for the team’s annual Military Day. Here’s what we observed and heard:
1. The big picture takeaway: The defense clearly outplayed the offense. It was not a productive day for the Eagles’ new-look offense, with Jalen Hurts under duress from the defensive line and few big (or even productive) plays downfield.
The flip side is that the Eagles defense is one of the best in the NFL, and it looked outstanding. Some of the plays were disrupted by high-level pass rushers, and defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Jalyx Hunt continue to look sensational this summer.
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Hurts had multiple plays that would have been sacks, either whistled dead or requiring him to tuck it in and run. His first two passes of team drills were deflected at the line of scrimmage, including one by Carter. It’s hard to determine whether he didn’t have anywhere to go with the ball or didn’t have enough time, but that’s not ideal in a controlled setting. The passing game stalled on a red zone drive (though Hurts ran for a touchdown). In the final drill, coach Nick Sirianni awarded a point on each play to the defense or the offense. The first-team defense won four of six plays and the second-team defense won three of four plays.
“I think the biggest thing we want is great effort every day and then (to) compete. That was a big thing coming into this camp for us is every day high-level competition,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said before practice. “I think for us offensively, it’s, ‘Hey, can we have a really sound pre-snap operation?’ Those are some of the things early in camp, Day 1, we struggled with a little bit. I thought there was improvement Day 2. And then just assignment, alignment, execution. Are we getting lined up properly? Are we not having mental errors? Through the first two days of practice, it’s still early, but I’m happy with the progress we’ve made, and we’ve just got to keep improving from there.”
2. The Eagles practiced without seven players from the 90-man roster, although four were excused for reasons unrelated to injuries: Lane Johnson, Jihaad Campbell, Ta’Quon Graham and Elijah Moore. Campbell earned his degree from Alabama and was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for Saturday morning’s commencement.
The two new injuries were offensive tackle Cam Williams (knee contusion) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard remains on the PUP list because of a pectoral strain.
Three players left practice with injuries: fifth-round guard Micah Morris, seventh-round edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby and undrafted offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts. The players are off on Sunday, but their statuses will be updated by Monday’s session.
3. Some depth chart notes and position battles we’re continuing to monitor:
• With Lane Johnson out, Fred Johnson was the first-team right tackle.
• With Campbell missing, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took over at first-team linebacker next to Zack Baun.
• Marcus Epps remained first up at safety in nickel next to Drew Mukuba, although the Eagles continue to mix and match.
• Andy Dalton was first up as No. 2 quarterback ahead of Tanner McKee.
• Drew Kendall played center with the second-team offense after playing guard the first two days. He also mixed in at guard with the first-team offensive line.
• Markel Bell played left tackle with the second-team offensive line. He had played right tackle in previous practices.
4. Two players to spotlight on defense: Hunt and Carter. Both were disruptive at the line of scrimmage.
Hunt has been a star for the Eagles in these first three days. I’d argue that he already made a leap last season — he led the team in sacks and interceptions — but he could reach another level this season. Hunt forced consistent pressure and was a nuisance for Fred Johnson on Saturday. There are no true sacks in practice, but you can see double-digit sack upside based on Hunt’s would-be sacks in practice. He had at least three in this session.
Carter, who became the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history this week, was in Hurts’ face and also deflected a pass in the first 11-on-11 series. He’s healthier than last season and appears to be the game-wrecking player that earned the contract.
5. It was noteworthy to see Hurts use his legs in this practice. He ran for a touchdown on a zone read. Hurts was under pressure often and scrambled downfield at one point (although the play might have been a sack in a game). Regardless, this is important to monitor in training camp and this season. Hurts’ 105 rush attempts last season were his fewest since becoming a starter; he averaged 18.5 fewer yards per game last season than his average from the previous four seasons.
Mannion said the ability to use “him as an athlete in the running game is something unique,” and those plays “are elements we can lean into a little bit.” It remains to be seen whether designed runs from zone reads/run-pass options will be a prominent part of the offense compared to Hurts extending plays.
“I think a lot of it is just dependent on week by week or situationally,” Mannion said. “There’s a lot of different things that come up throughout the game from one week to the next, things you’re seeing from the defense. I think to have all those different elements in your back pocket, I think there’s room for many different things.”
6. Something I’m watching closely this summer is how often the running backs are targeted in the passing game. I had four targets to running backs written down in my notes from the first-team offense in Saturday’s session, and it’s worth monitoring because the Eagles can feature more this season than in past years.
Saquon Barkley was targeted 93 times in two seasons with the Eagles but was targeted 136 times in the previous two seasons with the Giants. He can be a factor in the passing game. So could Tank Bigsby.
“I think they’re all very, very capable of that,” Mannion said. “The backs have protection responsibilities. Sometimes they might be a free release back. A lot of it depends on the play. It depends on what the defense is bringing and what we need from a protection standpoint. But they’re all capable pass catchers and route runners.”
7. A few notable plays/sequences that deserved attention:
• Outstanding instincts by Trotter to break up a swing pass to Barkley in the red zone period.
• Mukuba had a nice breakup on a pass to Makai Lemon in the seven-on-seven period.
• Dontayvion Wicks continued to earn Hurts’ trust with a catch in the middle of the field.
• Britain Covey, who received more work Saturday, made a clutch fourth-down grab on a pass from Dalton.
• Cornerback Mac McWilliams, the 2025 fifth-round pick, was active in coverage and broke up a pass to Eli Stowers.
• Rookie Cole Payton looked better in this session. He connected with Danny Gray on an impressive play from the third-string offense.
• Will Shipley kept the ball on a fake punt. He’s the top option as a punt protector.
8. Landon Dickerson said after practice that he did not consider retiring after last offseason.
“No, I’m not sure where you guys got that,” Dickerson said in his first public comments this offseason.
Dickerson’s 2025 campaign was disrupted by lingering injuries. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during training camp. He rushed back to play in Week 1 and played 15 games and a playoff game, but he never seemed healthy.
“Probably shouldn’t have gone out there and played,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson is healthier and fresher this offseason. He underwent stem-cell treatment in Colombia in March. He feels the benefit, although the key is a surgery-free offseason.
Entering Year 6, the three-time Pro Bowler often lauded for his toughness said he’ll reconsider playing through injuries.
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s any reason to be tough and work through it if it’s just going to wear you down,” Dickerson said. “They don’t pay you to be hurt.”
