It's no secret to the football world at this point that the Philadelphia Eagles roster is stacked.
There's talent at every position, with several players in contention for the best at their position in the sport. Many will tell you they are a "super team," myself included.
But even amongst elite teams there are a certain few players that are more important than anyone else. Whether that be because of their position, or how they force other teams to play, certain players make a team operate.
This is a breakdown of the 10 most important Eagles on the roster heading into the 2025 season.
10.Reed Blankenship
Reed Blankenship
Blankenship prepping for Super Bowl LIX | Gregory Shamus/GettyImages
One half of the lovingly nicknamed 'Exciting Whites' duo, Reed Blankenship has been one of the most underrated Eagles since he joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022. For two of the last three years, he has been an excellent free safety counterpart to hard-hitting C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Rarely hurt (he's only missed four games due to injury since cracking the starting lineup in 2022) and with a very consistent level of play, he's been an underappreciated highlight for four different defensive coordinators in three years. He has played his best under the current defensive maestro, Vic Fangio.
9.Devonta Smith
DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Watson
"The Dagger": Super Bowl LIX | Patrick Smith/GettyImages
Smith's talent isn't very reflective of his role in the Eagles' offense. That's to say that he's much better than the typical wide receiver two. He is one of the best deep ball receivers in the league (see the above photo) and has consistently performed at the level of a WR1 despite having to share the field with a top-three NFL receiver. His impact has been felt year in and year out, and he is signed through the 2028 season on a deal that will become increasingly team-friendly as the WR market continues to boom.
8.Jordan Mailata
Jordan Mailata
Jordan Mailata | Timothy Nwachukwu/GettyImages
Similar to Blankenship, Mailata wasn't a hot commodity or a first-round draft pick. That's what makes the Eagles' finding him and his ascent to one of the best left tackles in football so fascinating and impressive.
The monstrous 6'8" 365-pound Aussie has become one of the centerpieces of the Eagles' league-best Offensive line and is one of the most crucial pieces of their almost unstoppable Tush Push. His run blocking and ability to take down defensive ends have made him one of the keys to the Eagles' offensive success.
7.A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown in Super Bowl LIX | Logan Bowles/GettyImages
This may seem low to some for a player I earlier referred to as a top-three receiver in football, but that has a lot to do with the offense that surrounds him. DeVonta Smith is a WR of one caliber, and as you'll see through the rest of this list, other players make this team run. However, those other high-quality pieces make Brown so dangerous for different teams.
If a team is too focused on the Eagles' run game, they can give Brown opportunities that he almost always takes advantage of. He leads the best WR duo in the entire NFL and cannot be left one-on-one at any point. If the Eagles' offense didn't have so many talented options, and if there wasn't another extremely high-quality receiver behind him on this list, he would be much higher.
6.Quinyon Mitchell
Quinyon Mitchell
Quinyon mitchell | Michael Owens/GettyImages
The only thing in football that is harder to find than an MVP caliber quarterback is an actual one-on-one lock-down Cornerback, and the Eagles have one on a rookie deal. What Quinyon Mitchell did as a rookie last year is something you'll be hard pressed to find throughout NFL history, and he's still got plenty of time to get even better.
Fangio was able to coach a fantastic secondary last year, and often leaving Mitchell on an island was a significant part of that. Lockdown corners like Mitchell don't come around usually, and the Eagles will have one for a while.
5.Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson in NFC Championship Game | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
It's not often you hear an NFL 35-year-old say that they "feel better than they were at 29," but that's what the future Hall of Famer told reporters just a few weeks ago. It's a statistic most Eagles fans are familiar with, but it's worth reiterating: the Eagles are 102-55-1 when Lane Johnson plays, and 15-23 when he doesn't.
That's an absurd difference for one player to make, but it does reflect the consistency and quality of the Eagles' offensive line when Johnson is on the field. Eagles fans know his importance, and let's hope he was right a few weeks back when he said his peak was still ahead of him.
4.Zack Baun
Zack Baun
Baun at Super Bowl LIX | Kara Durrette/GettyImages
Last year's DPOY candidate from the linebacker corps has become one of the most critical players on the defense in just a year. 151 tackles, with 82 of them being solo, is a ridiculous season on its own, but it was imposing given he had never really played the role of an off-ball inside linebacker since he entered the NFL.
He becomes even more critical to the team this year, with the other options at the position being an injured Nakobe Dean and a rookie in Jihaad Campbell. He'll have a lot of responsibility in 2025, and his quality is a significant part of the Eagles' top-ranked defense from a year ago.
3.Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter, Matthew Stafford
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams v Philadelphia Eagles | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
I'll defer to a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in Aaron Donald when it comes to talking about defensive tackle play in the NFL, and Donald referred to Carter as "his successor," according to LeSean McCoy. Carter is the type of defensive line-defining monster that teams pray for, and one that is even tougher to find at the DT position rather than the defensive end spot.
Carter enters his third year already a Super Bowl champion and with maybe the most help around him he's had yet. Carter may not always be the guy to get the sack, but more times than not, he's the one who created it. Stack that up with the fact that winning in the trenches often defines a defense, and you're looking at the most crucial player on the entire Eagles defense.
2.Jalen Hurts
AMFOOT-SUPERBOWL-CHIEFS-EAGLES
Jalen Hurts after winning Super Bowl LIX | CHANDAN KHANNA/GettyImages
When ranking the importance of players, positional value must be taken into account, and Hurts is the leader who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl and won Super Bowl MVP this past season. Possibly the most argued about QB in the NFL right now, Hurts has never been one to get caught up in talk and has let his play speak for itself.
He's proven himself capable of winning on the biggest stage in the sport, something that multiple QBs people would claim to be much better than him haven't been able to do. Whatever you think of Hurts, it's not possible to argue that the Eagles can function at the same level with any of their backups (Tanner McKee, Kyle McCord, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson) at the helm. Hurts has proven he becomes a diamond under pressure, and takes his high-quality leadership into a title defense this year.
1.Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley, Jarrian Jones
The backwards hurdle | Elsa/GettyImages
It's no secret that the Eagles' offense struggled last year, mainly due to Barkley not having one of the greatest seasons by a running back ever. Even in the Super Bowl, where Barkley only had 57 yards, it was clear that his every move affected the Chiefs' defense in some way. They sold out all 11 players to stop Barkley, and it allowed everyone else to run wild. The talent he displayed throughout last season and his becoming only the 9th 2,000-yard rusher ever, make him the clear-cut answer for the most important Eagle right now.