In my opinion, under the radar guys usually come in two forms. The first is an important backup that the team doesn't know much about until called upon who performs better than expected. In this category, we can go with Fred Johnson or Oren Burks in 2024. Both of these players had to fill in at important positions, and it was unknown at the time how well their backup performances would go. They both played well enough, exceeding expectations, that both could be hailed as unsung heroes in the year of Saquon. A second under the radar type is an unheralded bottom of the roster guy that steps up unexpectedly when his position group is underperforming. In this group, I'd point to Travis Fulgham and Greg Ward in 2020. Neither of these guys were supposed to be the team's leading receivers, but in a season where nothing went right and the quarterback struggled mightily behind a makeshift line each week while the latest WR draftees (JJAW and Reagor) busted, Fulgham and Ward became safety blankets for Wentz and were the only reasons the Eagles seemed to move the ball when they did.
Now, if I am being honest, my hope for the Eagles under the radar guy this season is Tank Bigsby. I'd love to see the team balance out the RB touches more between Barkley and Bigsby after the juice that Tank showed last year. I'd love to see an Eagles offense with a two-headed monster like the Lions had with Gibbs and Montgomery for a few seasons. However, picking Bigsby would mean that I need to add a third category of under the radar types--guy who showed a little last season, was given an increased role in the next, and he runs with it. This third category doesn't seem like how the Eagles manage their depth. Bigsby will be given some chances, maybe even a few more than last season, but my guess is Bigsby isn't going to have a huge role unless something is wrong with Barkley. So, in order for Bigsby to get his chance, then I'd probably have to root for an injured or ineffective Barkley, which of course, I am loathe to do.
If we stick to the original archetypes I laid out in the first paragraph, I think the two position groups from which an under the radar guy could emerge on the 2026 Eagles are offensive line and safety. I would never root for an injury on the Eagles' offensive line, but it is a likely place for an injury needing a replacement for some time to occur. The Eagles already have a few linemen that are injury prone, so someone having to come in to play solid backup while keeping Hurts upright and the offense humming while they heal seems like a good place to look for an under the radar guy from the Oren Burks model. The Eagles seem to want to have Drew Kendall and Fred Johnson as the top backups for interior and tackle depth respectively, so maybe one of Lampkin, Hinton, Williams, or Bell leapfrogs to become the top backup.
The Eagles have not addressed the safety position with a proven starter from free agency, but the Eagles have a plan. Fangio seems to think that they can play DeJean at safety in base defense, and while DeJean is in need at nickelback, Marcus Epps plays competently enough to hold the fort. However, what if Cole Wisniewski arises from one of the weaker position groups on the team to claim a starting role, much like Fulgham did in his one and only season with an NFL reception? Or an even larger role like Reed Blankenship carved out as an undrafted free agent? I guess stranger things have happened, so I wouldn't feel blindsided if one of the scenarios I hypothesized happens, but these under the radar guys often come from places where no one was looking.