Though the 2026 NFL season is still a few weeks away, the Philadelphia Eagles' season has already begun, with the team arriving in South Philly for minicamp earlier in the month.
Soon, fans will get to see, hear, and read about how Sean Mannion's new offense looks on the field instead of paper in training camp, which new defensive players are in for a certified breakout, and how prized rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon looks in a midnight green No. 9 jersey, even if he's having some issues learning the names of regional delicacies.
With two Super Bowl wins in the last decade and one of the better rosters in the NFL, filled with ready-made talent and a pseudo farm system of young, developmental players ready to call next, there's a lot to be excited about heading into Week 1, but which players have less clear paths to the opening day roster than, say, Jalen Hurts and Jalen Carter? Which position battles are worth watching, and which Howie Roseman additions could find themselves looking for work elsewhere if things don't work out down the stretch?
Well, considering the Eagles are a team with more good players than roster spots, that shouldn't be too difficult to identify.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra (81) catches the ball during a training camp practice at Lincoln Financial Field.
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Grant Calcaterra
There was a time early in the summer when it looked like Grant Calcaterra might not just make the Eagles roster but could actually be the de facto starter, headlining a platoon at the position. At the time, Dallas Goedert was still testing the free agent market, and Eli Stowers, who the Eagles selected in the second round, was still doing draft prep after a successful run at Vanderbilt.
Oh, how things have changed.
Now sitting third on the depth chart at best behind the current and future starters, Calcaterra, a college teammate of Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma, is suddenly on the bubble, assuming the Eagles only keep three tight ends, and he will be competing with a very different style of player, Johnny Mundt, for a chance to stick around with the team that drafted him.
Standing 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Calcaterra proved last year that he really is more of a one-dimensional player than a do-it-all tight end, with his blocking a serious liability for a team that likes to run the ball. With Stowers also more of a joker pseudo slot wide receiver than a true two-way tight end, having a player like Mundt, who comes to Philadelphia as a run-game specialist, Calcaterra will have to prove that he's seriously upgraded that aspect of his game to justify a spot on the roster; otherwise, he could be looking for a new team before Week 1.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper (41) runs with the ball against Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson (26) after a catch during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
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As things presently stand, the Eagles likely have five wide receivers who are more-or-less locks to make the 53-man roster: the starters, DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, and Dontayvion Wicks, plus veteran speedster Hollywood Brown and third-year draftee Johnny Wilson, who missed last season after summer surgery.
On paper, that's a pretty good group, with a varied enough set of skills for Sean Mannion to call whatever plays he wants and actually take advantage of mismatches. But what happens if the Eagles want to keep six wide receivers? Which players are in the mix and which ones might be on the outside looking in?
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Well, while there's always a chance a darkhorse candidate comes out of nowhere and becomes a certified star like Travis Fulgham's one month of dominance in 2020, right now, the WR6 race is really a two-man race, with Elijah Moore and Darius Cooper competing for a final spot as players like Quez Watkins sit on the outside looking in.
Of the two, Cooper is the better story. A UDFA last summer out of a tiny school most fans couldn't easily identify on the map, Cooper was able to impress in camp and make the roster in 2025, even if he had to spend some time on IR as he recovered from a shoulder injury. While Cooper's biggest play of 2025 was a taunting penalty, turning a first-and-goal into a third-and-10, in the end, he was targeted 11 times, caught nine balls, and moved the chains six times to go with his 92 receiving yards.
And as for Moore? Well, he's a former second-round pick out of Ole Miss who once looked like the NFL's next great slot wide receiver, but after two great seasons each with the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, his 2025 season left something to be desired split between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, catching just nine balls for 112 yards and no touchdowns.
Would the Eagles prefer experience over youthful upside at their WR6 position? Or would they rather simply use that roster spot elsewhere, hoping they can sneak Cooper, Watkins, or another player on their practice squad?
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Cameron Williams (73) runs drills during minicamp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Myles Hinton/Cameron Williams/Hollin Pierce
And last but not least, the Eagles have a lot of bodies currently filling the trenches on the offensive line, but how many are actually locks to make the roster?
All five starters are safe, as are reserves Fred Johnson and Drew Kendell, unless something goes really right or wrong. The Eagles will likely also keep their 2026 draft picks, with third-round tackle Markel Bell already getting starter reps when Lane Johnson missed a practice, and Micah Morris a dark horse to be the Birds' steal of the draft due to his Georgia pedigree.
So, with nine spots more or less locked in and the potential to add another player or two, like, say, Super Bowl champion Mekhi Becton, the Eagles really only have the potential to keep one more offensive lineman on their active roster max unless they can sneak a player onto IR. That leaves a three-way showdown between Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams, and Hollin Pierce to prove who provides the most value as a guard/tackle hybrid, plus players like Willie Lampkin, who purely operates on the interior, unless he moves to fullback.
Of those three guard/tackle hybrids, Hinton likely has the inside track to a roster spot. While he didn't play for the Eagles in 2025, unlike Williams, who got some Week 17 action, he was the highest drafted of the trio coming into the year, with Howie Roseman selecting the Michigan product at pick 191. The Eagles have given Hinton snaps at guard during their early organized activities so far this spring, and that kind of versatility could give him an inside track to make the 53-man roster as a multi-position reserve with future upside.
Though the 2026 NFL season is still a few weeks away, the Philadelphia Eagles' season has already begun, with the team arriving in South Philly for minicamp earlier in the month. Soon, fans will get to see, hear, and read about how Sean Mannion's new offense looks on the field instead of paper in training camp, which new defensive players are in for a certified breakout, and how prized rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon looks in a midnight green No.