The Philadelphia Eagles will begin OTAs on Tuesday with questions surrounding some positions on the roster.
This offseason, the defense underwent an overhaul, with multiple players leaving for bigger contracts, while the Eagles followed through with their youth movement plan. This opened the door for young players like Sydney Brown, Tyler Steen, and more to take over as starters.
Some of the new starters entering the offseason, and ones from last year are on the verge of losing their jobs before the 2025 season as OTA performances could derail it.
Three Eagles starters set to lose starting jobs after OTAs
Nakobe Dean, Linebacker
Nakobe Dean has shown versatility in stopping the run and developing coverage skills on the field. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued Dean over the last two seasons. He injured his foot and Lisfranc in 2023 and tore a tendon in his knee last season in the Wild Card against the Green Bay Packers.
Eagles fans saw Dean's potential in 2024 after racking up 128 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four pass deflections, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and one forced fumble in 15 games. Dean had received votes for AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Philadelphia got insurance for Dean in case he isn't 100% healthy in 2025, with first-round pick Jihaad Campbell, who could easily come in and steal the starting job. If Dean's durability continues to be a concern as he goes through his rehab, he might be more of a rotational player to keep his high-level skill set, but lower his snap count for less risk of injury.
Sydney Brown, Safety
While Brown isn't technically a starter, he was expected to take over for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason. Brown has started games in the past and even scored big with PFF with the fourth-best overall grade among safeties in the NFL last year with 89.9.
During Brown's two-year career, he has racked up 52 tackles, two interceptions, and one interception returned for a touchdown in 25 games. His experience over Tristin McCollum gave Brown the edge to start in 2025 until the Eagles drafted Texas safety Andrew Mukuba in the second round.
Suddenly, Mukuba became the biggest threat to Brown winning the starting job in 2025, with Reed Blankenship at safety. Brown still had a legitimate shot at being a starter. Still, Mukuba was a steal for the Eagles in the draft and could as easily dethrone Brown from the starting spot.
Dallas Goedert, Tight End
Since being drafted by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has been a fan favorite on offense, but injuries have kept him off the field. Goedert has missed 15 games in the last three seasons and has seen his production go down after being ranked 24th byPFF among tight ends with a 65.7 overall grade.
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His backup, Grant Calcaterra, stepped up last year in Goedert's absence, which gave the Eagles a difficult decision. No trade was made involving Goedert, but a contract restructuring occurred to help the team save money.
There is a chance that with Calcaterra looking like the next great Eagles tight end, Goedert could lose his job and still be up for grabs for a trade. If Goedert can stay healthy, then he will be able to keep his starting job.