Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Up Front

Posted July 9th, 2026 | 2 Comments »

There is a lot of talk about Jalen Hurts and the new offensive scheme in regard to how the 2026 season will play out. Obviously Hurts and the offense will be key. I think the most important factor for Eagles success will be line play. It was an issue last year and that led to a lot of problems.

The good news is that the Eagles focus on the OL and DL and should be able to bounce back if the players stay healthy. So far everything we’ve seen and heard from Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens is encouraging. They participated in minicamp and looked good. The real test will be the grind of Training Camp, where there will be daily action and actual hitting. Lane Johnson is also looking good. I keep him separate because he’s coming off more of a standard injury than the other two and what they had to deal with.

Expectations are high for the Eagles OL.

That is three independent sources who have the Eagles rated as the #2 OL in the league heading into 2026. The Eagles have the best OT duo in the league. Tyler Steen is a player on the rise. Dickerson and Jurgens are Pro Bowlers when healthy. That’s a really talented group. And the depth is good, with Fred Johnson and rookie Markell Bell as the OTs. Interior depth is unproven, but Drew Kendall looked promising in limited action last year. Veteran Michael Jordan has more experience than talent and will have to earn a roster spot with a strong summer. Rookie Micah Morris has NFL size, athleticism and ability. He’s got to show he can put all of that together on a consistent basis. I’m also curious to see what Willie Lampkin and Myles Hinton do this summer.

If the line is healthy, the run game should work and the overall offense should be fine. The Packers were seventh in the league in rushing attempts last year so Sean Mannion comes from a team that wanted to run the ball and did just that. With this OL and Saquon Barkley, expect the Eagles to once again be a running team. That worked pretty well in 2024 so I certainly won’t object.

Jalen Carter missed six games last year (one was the season finale where most starters rested). The Eagles went 3-2 in the games that mattered. Carter had some struggles when he played due to his shoulders. According to Vic Fangio, Carter is healthy, which is bad news for opposing blockers.

Heck, you could see improvement last year. Carter missed three straight games and then returned to play against Buffalo. He had a sack and blocked extra point in the game and was disruptive. Having healthy shoulders is apparently a good thing for DTs.

ESPN put out their rankings for the top DTs in the league and the Eagles fared well. Carter was third, with Jordan Davis coming in 10th.

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 9
Age: 25 | Last year’s ranking: 3

Carter is one of the toughest evaluations among the top 10. He is immensely talented and has made two Pro Bowls. All but one of his votes were in the top seven. But his pass-rush prowess is modest, with 13.5 sacks during his three-year career. Carter’s production dipped in 2025 — with three sacks and five tackles for loss — though he batted down six passes, which tied for the most among defensive tackles.

“He’s a problem,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “A game-wrecker. You feel his presence out there consistently.”

Several evaluators argued, however, that was not the case on every snap. A few voters said Carter is not the best defensive lineman on his own team, opting for Jordan Davis instead.

“He flashes 10 times a game but gets dragged far too often by average players,” an NFL coordinator said.

Carter’s 83 pass-rush wins as an interior lineman since 2023 are tied for the seventh most in the NFL.

And

Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 26 | Last year’s ranking: Unranked.

Davis emerged as a star in his fourth season. The 2022 first-round pick was a 336-pound problem for guards and centers. Multiple voters picked Davis ahead of Carter, his DT running mate in Philly.

“He’s just so f‐‐‐ing strong and consistent,” an NFL coordinator said. “And he’s gotten better as he’s gotten older and in better shape.”

Davis famously reached 18.6 mph on his return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown to seal the Eagles’ Week 3 win over the Rams, the fastest by a player weighing at least 330 pounds since NFL Next Gen Stats tracking began in 2017. His 72 tackles last season ranked third among interior linemen, and his 39 run stops versus double-teams ranked second.

“Carter is the better talent, but Davis had the better season,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said.

I knew Carter would be Top 10, but didn’t expect Davis that high. That’s a real compliment to the work he’s put in to get in better shape and to play at a high level. Former Eagle Milton Williams was ninth. Howie and the scouts have done a good job with DTs in recent years.

Better line play should make the Eagles a better team this season.

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This is ugly.

Mannion and the offensive staff can improve the offense by simply speeding things up. I’m sure this will be a focal point for the staff. The Packers were in the middle, which is fine. We don’t need to go back to the Chip Kelly days, but being dead last and by that much was bad.

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Interesting take on the new offense.

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Here is your random nugget for the day.

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Avoiding Extremes

Posted July 7th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

Nick Sirianni likes to talk about not wanting to do something too much or too little when it comes to play-calling trends and habits. He uses the quote that “A wise man avoids extremes.” Sirianni doesn’t always take his own advice.

For example, we know the Eagles overused hitch routes last season. That’s a perfectly good part of the offense, but it shouldn’t be something you do over and over.

Not ideal.

Kevin Patullo might have been running the offense, but Sirianni is the head coach and has an offensive background. He should have stepped in to address this at some point. Hopefully this will be solved by the change at offensive coordinator.

There is another trend the Eagles need to work on.

You don’t want to be ranked 31st in a category like this. Play-action passes are a real weapon, especially when you have a RB like Saquon Barkley. It forces the defense to play more honest. And play-action can lead to big plays. As you can see, Green Bay was middle of the pack, which is where you want to be, if not higher. With the Eagles going under center more, play-action can be even more effective.

Ryan Paganetti is a former Eagles staffer who is now posting analytical data on Twitter. Give him a follow for interesting nuggets and good statistical data like this.

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Someone asked how the Eagles could get a good offseason grade when they lost so much talent (Brown, Dean, Phillips, Blankenship). You have to look at the whole picture and think of all the changes.

Brown – Eagles aren’t replacing him 1-for-1. They changed schemes and the new one wants to spread the ball around rather than just feed it to the stars. Howie then went and made the overall WR corps deeper to fit the scheme. DeVonta will step in as the #1, a role he is more than capable of. This isn’t replacing TO with Greg Lewis or Reggie Brown. The Eagles had a plan and it can work. Seattle just won the SB with one star receiver (JSN) and solid guys around him. +

Dean – Nakobe will be replaced by Jihaad Campbell. This was the plan and probably part of the reason for drafting Campbell. He had a solid rookie season where he started 10 games and had 80 tackles. Campbell enters Year 2 with a very bright future.

Phillips – I think Greenard is an upgrade on Phillips so this one is easy.

Blankenship – Marcus Epps is slated to replace Reed. Epps started four games last season. The Eagles went 3-1 and allowed 12 points per game. He is an outstanding hitter and tackler. The drop-off will be playmaking. Blankenship was usually good for 3 or 4 INTs a year. Epps only has 3 for his career. Drew Mukuba will be the primary playmaker, an ability he showed last year and in college.

Think of other changes.

Sean Mannion sure feels like he’s going to be a real upgrade on Kevin Patullo.

TE is improved with the addition of a legit blocker in Johnny Mundt and a dynamic athlete in Eli Stowers.

The OL added OT Markell Bell. They also added some guys who can improve the OG depth. Dickerson and Jurgens are healthier than last year so the line play should be better.

We get a full offseason/season of Tank Bigsby. The coaches should now see real value in him.

Arnold Ebikete should be an upgrade on the Uche/Ojulari guys from last year. I also like the addition of AJ Epenesa.

Riq Woolen will be a major upgrade at CB2. Jonathan Jones should be an upgrade at CB4.

There is plenty to like about the Eagles offseason. They didn’t lose guys that caught them off-guard. They knew AJ was out. They knew Nakobe would likely be too expensive. And so on. Howie prepared and has good solutions in place.

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ESPN ranked CBs today. How did the Eagles do? Quinyon Mitchell came in at #6 and Cooper DeJean at #10. The Birds were the only team with two players in the Top 10.

Quinyon Mitchell
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: 9

It’s only a matter of time before Mitchell cracks the top three. In just two seasons, Mitchell has worked his way into first-team All-Pro status with 29 pass deflections.

“Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team’s No. 1,” an AFC executive said. “Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player.”

Mitchell has yet to record his first NFL interception. The greats are paid to get the ball. But Mitchell’s metrics are undeniable.

He allowed 4.8 yards per target in coverage last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, third best in the NFL among 87 defensive backs who were targeted at least 50 times. His minus-0.16 expected points added is tied for fourth among cornerbacks last season (minimum 75 targets faced). He has allowed 1.8 yards after the catch per reception, the fewest among corners. And his 42% tight-window throw rate was the highest in the NFL.

“Sticky man-to-man guy,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He’s tough. Plays smart in big moments. Connected at the point of attack, which is one of the hardest things to ask for on a consistent basis. Will continue to get better and better.”

Oddly, Q does have multiple playoff INTs, but none in the regular season. That will change, hopefully this year. He has proven to be a great player in his two seasons.

Cooper DeJean
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 23 | Last year’s ranking: Unranked

DeJean’s presence on the list was a hot topic because of his positional flexibility. Is he a safety or a cornerback? He played mostly slot corner last season, but the Eagles plan to play him as a safety in base coverage and a slot corner in subpackages.

Since defenses are subpackage-heavy nowadays, and DeJean clearly has high-end cornerback traits, he remains a corner on our list. He appeared in 50% of the top 10 submissions for the position.

“He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside,” a veteran NFC coach said. “He’s a corner because of the way he plays. [The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain’t shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too. He’s a Swiss Army knife.”

Along with Mitchell, DeJean is the first Eagles cornerback to make first-team All-Pro since Lito Sheppard in 2004. DeJean led all slot cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (61.4%), passer rating allowed (55.4) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.72). He has not allowed a passing touchdown as a slot cornerback over two seasons.

Coop was the youngest guy on the list at just 23. It really is crazy to think how lucky the Eagles were to get him in the second round. A lot of teams have to be kicking themselves.

With such highly rated corners it is no surprise to see a stat like this.

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During the draft we hear analysts say something like “This is a guy you take and he’s your RG for the next decade.” That rarely happens, as you can see from this stat (another good one from Ryan P).

The Eagles had 3 such guys in 4 drafts.

2010 – BG
2012 – Fletcher Cox
2013 – Lane Johnson

Unbelievably impressive. And they found another longtime starter in 2011…Jason Kelce, but he was a 6th rounder.

Players struggle to last a decade, let alone stay with one team. Injuries…salary…age…becoming firemen…so many different factors.

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