By my count, the Philadelphia Eagles have five starting spots to figure out before the start of the 2025 season. They are at tight end, right guard, linebacker, cornerback, and safety.
The Eagles have a lot of young players poised to step into bigger roles, but as Howie Roseman noted at the NFL owners meetings, they have to earn it.
"We have to bring in competition, but these are all guys that we feel like have, we've seen them and we've seen that they have talent in their body and they'll get some opportunity here," Roseman said. "Now, what they do with that opportunity, we have to evaluate."
Tight end
We're projecting here that Dallas Goedert will not be on the 2025 roster, likely to be traded or cut sometime after June 1, when the financial impact of his departure will be more palatable.
Grant Calcaterra started 14 games for the Eagles last season — 13 in the regular season, one in the playoffs. He is very clearly the favorite to be the Eagles' TE1 in 2025. The Eagles also signed veterans Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson, who will compete for roles.
The 2025 draft is loaded with tight end talent, both at the top of the draft and will players more likely to be taken on Days 2 and 3. Still, even if the Eagles select a tight end with an early pick, Calcaterra has shown enough — at least as a receiver — to fend off a rookie in the short term.
Likely starter: Grant Calcaterra, at, like, 90%. (Let's put percentages next to each favorite, cool? Cool.)
Right guard
The RG spot is probably the one most up for grabs. Tyler Steen has been in camp battles for that spot each of the last two training camps, losing both to Cam Jurgens (2023) and Mekhi Becton (2024). He'll get another chance to battle for that spot in 2025.
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His biggest threat at the moment is Kenyon Green, a first-round bust who has ability but has not played well his first three seasons in the NFL. Green was acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, of course.
There's also second-year player Trevor Keegan, who we didn't see much of in 2024, and Matt Pryor, who the team signed during a later wave of free agency for depth.
The Eagles have also brought in a bunch of offensive linemen for pre-draft visits, many of whom project to guard in the pros.
Likely starter: Steen is probably the favorite, for now, but he is a player who could be most affected by what the Eagles do in the draft. 40%.
Linebacker (temporary starter)
With Nakobe Dean likely to miss some time to begin the 2025 season as he continues to recover from a torn patellar tendon, the Eagles need someone to keep his spot warm until he's ready to return.
Somewhat surprisingly, the team didn't add any linebackers in free agency, which feels like a vote of confidence in Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., who doesn't really have any legitimate competition.
The only other off-ball linebackers on the roster are Ben VanSumeren, whose primary position is now listed at fullback, and 2024 practice squad guy Dallas Gant.
Likely (short-term) starter: Jeremiah Trotter, 90%.
Cornerback
A starting cornerback spot opened up when the Eagles released Darius Slay. Quinyon Mitchell will start at one spot, and Cooper DeJean will start in the slot. The other outside corner spot is up for grabs.
In 2024, the CB4 was Isaiah Rodgers, who left in free agency. Kelee Ringo was the CB5. Ringo has a chance to make a big jump from second or third corner off the bench to starter.
The Eagles traded a third-round pick to select Ringo in the 2023 draft, and were clear after he was selected that they would allow him ample time to develop behind the scenes. His time to step into a bigger role is now.
Ringo has legitimate competition in free agent acquisition Adoree' Jackson, an eight-year vet who has started 82 games. Still, it would have to be viewed as a disappointment if Ringo can't beat out Jackson.
Likely starter: Kelee Ringo, 65%.
Safety
After shipping off CJGJ to Houston, the Eagles opened up a hole at safety opposite Reed Blankenship.
Sydney Brown was a 2023 third-round pick who tore an ACL late in his rookie season, causing him to miss all of 2024 training camp, plus the first five games of the regular season. Upon his return, he was behind both CJGJ and Blankenship, as well as Tristin McCollum.
Certainly the team has higher hopes for Brown's future than they do for McCollum's, but it has to be at least somewhat concerning that McCollum was ahead of Brown in the pecking order last season.
Brown is the favorite to start, but he'll have competition from McCollum, late-season acquisition Lewis Cine, and an under-the-radar second-year player in Andre' Sam.
Likely starter: Sydney Brown, 60%.
Others: EDGE and iDL
I just also wanted to note here that I already view Jalyx Hunt as a starting EDGE, and Moro Ojomo as a starting interior lineman. (Also, Jahan Dotson is pretty comfortably the WR3.)
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