2025 Preseason Preview

The Eagles open the 2025 preseason on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Do not expect to see much from the Eagles starters. Nick Sirianni prefers to focus on Training Camp and joint practices for them. That isn’t to say the game will be all backups.

Go back to last year’s preseason opener. The Eagles mixed in some new and young players who needed the game time. Most of the defense started in that game. Vic Fangio had a new scheme and there were a lot of young players. Proven vets like Darius Slay, CJGJ and BG sat out. The defenders didn’t play long. They gave way to the backups, which included Nakobe Dean. Devin White was the starting MLB in that game.

The only key player on offense who started was Mekhi Becton, who was new to the Eagles and playing RG.

I don’t anticipate any offensive starters playing against the Bengals. Sydney Brown is likely to play. I think Kelee Ringo and Adoree Jackson will both play. They are battling for a starting job and game film could be a key tiebreaker.

It will be interesting to see all the young guys in action. Lots of players have a lot to prove.

QB – Kyle McCord and DTR will be competing for the #3 job. DTR has more experience and that should help him to look better. McCord is a talented passer and could come alive in extended game action.

RB – I hope Will Shipley gets a decent amount of carries (8-10). I want to get a better feel for him as potentially the #2 RB. He is a good receiver and I could see him getting a few catches in the game. Rookie ShunDerrick Powell has had some impressive moments in camp. It will be interesting to see what he can do in a game. He’s small, but explosive.

WR – This is a crucial position for the preseason games. Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith are draft picks who need to prove they still belong. Darius Cooper and Eli Cooks have been better in camp and want to make plays in the game. Taylor Morin and Giles Jackson want to get noticed. Let’s hope the offense functions well so the receivers have passes coming their way. So much easier to judge them when the ball is involved.

TE – We know the top two. Things are wide open after that. It would help for someone to emerge. The TEs need to impress as blockers as well as catching passes. They also need to show up on STs. That’s key for them. Kylen Granson is probably the guy I’m most intrigued by.

OL – I’ll be interested in all of the backup linemen. I know Kenyon Green has the big name, but I want to see rookies OT Myles Hinton and C Drew Kendall. Both have chances to be primary backups this year. I’m also looking forward to watching UDFA Hollin Pierce. He’s struggled in camp. Pierce is huge and powerful. Playing in a game could bring out the best in him, at least as a run blocker.

ED – I don’t think Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari will play too much. They are veterans and there is plenty of tape on them. Ochaun Mathis and Ogbo Okoronkwo should play a lot. Both guys have a chance to win a roster spot. They need to flash.

DL – Gabe Hall is one of the surprises of camp. I’m excited to see him in action. Rookie Ty Robinson should be fun to watch. He is an athletic, disruptive DT. Robinson is another guy who could come alive in a game. I’m curious to see Joe Evans and Jacob Sykes. Both are athletic DTs.

LB – Rookie Smael Mondon is starting to build some hype. I’m excited to see what he can do. I think Jihad Campbell will play. Fangio will want him on the field. He wants to try to get Campbell ready for the regular season. Jeremiah Trotter has a chance to start early this season since Nakobe Dean will be out. Trotter needs to play well and show he’s ready for a bigger role.

S – Sydney Brown is dying to come blow up some runners and receivers. He’ll finally get to do that on Thursday night. The coaches will be more interested to see how he does in coverage. Is he in the right spots? Is he making the right reads? Is he taking good angles? Andre Sam and Tristin McCollum are fighting for a roster spot and playing time. Fangio seems to like McCollum. Rookie Drew Mukuba probably isn’t healthy enough to play this week. We haven’t heard much about UDFA Maxen Hook this summer. He is a guy that really intrigued me so I’m excited to see what he can do.

CB – Ringo vs Jackson. The epic battle for world domination moves to a game setting. Let’s hope Ringo shows us something and is able to take a lead in the competition. Rookie Mac McWilliams could play a lot. It will be interesting to see if he’s in the slot or outside. Eli Ricks needs a good showing to help his cause. UDFA Brandon Johnson has flashed at times in camp and could play a lot as the nickel.

ST – Check out the returners. The coaches could give several guys looks. Suddenly LS is a position of interest. Pay attention to who is snapping.

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Practice Notes Roundup

The Eagles held their 10th practice of Training Camp on Tuesday. Let’s talk about some of the notable performances.

Jimmy Bama took time off from writing about punters and Joe Ostman to rave about a rookie LB. Just not the one you’re thinking of.

Every day, rookie LB Smael Mondon does something impressive. Today, he had blanket coverage on Saquon Barkley, who looked like the primary receiver on the play. Jalen Hurts waited a bit for Barkley to break free from Mondon’s coverage, but Mondon suffocated him and Hurts was forced to look elsewhere.

If I had no idea about draft statuses or the backgrounds of of these players and I were asked who the best linebacker has been this summer, for me it would be Mondon. He’s athletic, he can cover, he’s physical against the run, and he seems willing to do the dirty work stuff. He can play.

Mondon was a 3-year starter at LB for Georgia. That’s a position he knows well so it isn’t a surprise that he looks natural there and is doing well in camp. He wasn’t the most rugged defender in college and could be a sloppy tackler so I’m happy to read about him playing the run well and being a physical player. If he can do that stuff, he will be a starter. Mondon can blitz and cover. He’s a good athlete.

*****

UDFA receiver Darius Cooper is a player I have yet to mention. He’s been in camp notes for the past few days. I just kept ignoring him because he seemed like such a long shot. At some point you have to give the guy credit and talk about what he’s doing.

Darius Cooper with a leaping TD on a fade throw by Tanner McKee to beat Mac McWilliams. Cooper can play. Making a case for the Eagles to keep him.

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 5, 2025

Cooper has an unusual build at 5-11, 213…short, thick. He had a great final season at Tarleton State. Here’s what I wrote about him after the draft.

Dominant player at the FCS level. Led the FCS in receiving yards. Has good body control and can make some tough catches. Ran 4.49 at his Pro Day, but I don’t think you see that speed on tape. Has a strong, thick build.

I’m really intrigued to watch him in the preseason opener. The Eagles are wide open at receiver after the top three spots. Cooper could make the roster. He’s got an excellent chance to be on the practice squad at the least.

*****

We can’t legally talk about backup receivers without mentioning Eli Cooks.

Elijah Cooks just broke Eli Ricks’ ankles by making a cut after catching a pass on a slant and accelerating to the end zone for a TD. Cooks then beat Mac McWilliams on a quick slant for the two point conversion. Intriguing player.#Eagles

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 5, 2025

Cooks is older, taller and more athletic than Cooper. Cooks has made plays just about every day. I’m excited to see him in action.

*****

Jeff McLane is highly impressed by DT Moro Ojomo.

Ojomo has given Eagles interior linemen all they can handle in the first 10 practices. On Tuesday, he opened with a tackle for loss on a run play. Two plays later, he slipped through guard Landon Dickerson and Jurgens and flushed Hurts outside. Hurts threw to receiver Johnny Wilson, but safety Sydney Brown knocked the ball to the ground. There was a flag, but I couldn’t tell who was the guilty party.

During the last team period, I credited Ojomo with two sacks. He beat Dickerson inside on the first. Hurts still threw to Smith, who had gotten behind edge Joshua Uche for a catch-and-run touchdown. On his second, Ojomo circled around guard Brett Toth, and when Hurts backtracked, he ran into a sack.

Ojomo has been the defensive star of camp. He’s give the Eagles OL fits no matter who he goes against. If he plays like this in the regular season, the defense has a chance to be just as good as last year.

*****

Jahan Dotson has been playing better in recent practices. Dotson is a talented receiver. He showed that at Penn State, at times in Washington and you saw glimpses of it late last year. He’s just got to be on the same page as Jalen Hurts and to be consistent. He’s not going to get a ton of passes thrown his way so that makes it challenging. Dotson has to be ready when the ball does come to him. The more reps he has with Hurts, the better.

*****

Dave Zangaro had a note on the backup OL.

Kendall Lamm has mostly worked at left tackle this training camp but today the veteran got some reps at right tackle. He is a 10-year veteran with experience on both sides of the line. The second-team OL looked like this: Myles Hinton, Brett Toth, Drew Kendall, Darian Kinnard, Lamm.

The coaches are trying different looks and lineups to see who can do what. Matt Pryor could be the #3 OL, backing up everywhere but center. Or Lamm could be the #3 OT and Pryor could focus on OG. They want to see what Hinton can do. They’d love him to play well enough to make the roster. Kinnard was pretty much a pure RT last year. If he can play OG, that improves his value.

Jeff Stoutland will mix and match players as he tries to find out who can do what.

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