Eagles cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Kelee Ringo were selected with consecutive picks in the fourth round of the 2023 draft (Bennett went to the Raiders at No. 104 overall, while Ringo went to Philadelphia at No. 105). Bennett came to the Eagles via trade last August, and he and his draftmate are entering the final year of their rookie deals. According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, the two players share another similarity: they are both trade candidates.
When Philly swung a trade for Bennett roughly one year ago, the Maryland product joined Ringo and established veteran Adoree’ Jackson in competing for the starting outside cornerback job opposite Quinyon Mitchell. But Bennett missed time due to injury and earned just 98 defensive snaps in 2025, while Mingo got a modest three starts and did the bulk of his work on special teams. Although Jackson did not impress and remains on the open market as of the time of this writing, he did earn 10 regular season starts, a 63% defensive snap share, and the starting nod in the Eagles’ lone playoff contest.
The fact that Philadelphia gave Jackson that kind of run despite a lackluster performance – he was Pro Football Focus’ 92nd-ranked CB out of 112 qualifiers – says a great deal about the Eagles’ views on Ringo and Bennett. The team further complicated the duo’s path to playing time when it added Jonathan Jones and Riq Woolen in free agency this offseason.
Woolen, who earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie in 2022, finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting that season after leading the league with six interceptions. The former Seahawk proved to be a better fit in Pete Carroll’s defense than Mike Macdonald’s, and Macdonald reduced his playing time down the stretch of the 2025 season. Though Woolen still saw extensive action and was on the field a great deal during Seattle’s march to the Super Bowl, it seems a robust market for his services did not materialize, as he settled for a one-year, $12MM deal with Philly in March.
Woolen’s talent has been on full display during his first few months with the Eagles, with Berman calling him “the standout of the spring.” His presence will give the club a formidable starting CB trio, as Mitchell and slot defender Cooper DeJean are both coming off First Team All-Pro campaigns.
As Berman noted in an earlier piece, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was surprised Woolen did not land a multiyear deal this offseason. A strong showing on his high-end pillow contract should give Woolen a route to a bigger payday in 2027.
Meanwhile, Ringo and Bennett may not be with the Eagles when their platform years commence. Berman views Jones as the top reserve in the slot, and the team probably wants to give 2025 fifth-rounder Mac McWilliams a bit of a longer look after he played just 28 defensive snaps as a rookie. That could leave at least one of the 2023 draftees as potential trade fodder in what would surely be a low-level swap.