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Last week, The Athletic offered one thought on every offensive player on the Philadelphia Eagles roster.
Its now the defenses turn.
This unit is the strength of the team entering training camp, with the Eagles hitting the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.
Vic Fangios personnel might be his best in his three seasons in Philadelphia.
Lets break down 41 players with training camp just two days away.
Advertisement Riq Woolen, CB: Perhaps the standout of the spring, Woolen raises the ceiling of the Eagles secondary as a high-level cornerback in the trio with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
A strong season will result in a big payday for Woolen, who signed a one-year deal to reset his value.
His length jumps out when you watch him its like a wing in basketball playing cornerback.
Nolan Smith Jr., edge: Coming off a three-sack, injury-plagued campaign following his standout postseason run one year earlier.
The Eagles exercised his fifth-year option for 2027, but Smith still must show he can be a consistent high-end player with Jonathan Greenard and Jalyx Hunt.
Kelee Ringo, CB: Didnt earn a starting job last year and is now a depth player and major special teams contributor.
Ringo is in the last year of his contract and shouldnt be ruled out as a trade possibility.
Arnold Ebiketie, edge: A depth signing in free agency whose path to major playing time was hurt by the Greenard trade.
Ebiketie is a former second-round pick with upside and is in line to be No.
4 edge rusher, although he could carve an important role if injuries creep among the top three.
Cole Wisniewski, S: A seventh-round pick who played six seasons of college football, the best-case outcome for Wisniewski is a Reed Blankenship-like situation where he makes the team as a rookie for special teams and grows into a bigger role down the line with experience.
Mac McWilliams, CB: McWilliams played only 28 defensive snaps and 21 special teams snaps as a rookie.
The hope is a second year in the scheme and a full offseason allow the 2025 fifth-round pick to compete for a top reserve role.
Jakorian Bennett, CB: Bennetts big opportunity came after training camp last summer, but he couldnt earn a starting spot.
In a similar position as Ringo last year of his contract, potential trade chip if not a top reserve cornerback on the outside.
Drew Mukuba, S: The top safety entering training camp.
Mukuba finished last season with a season-ending injury and battled inconsistencies as a rookie.
Its a lot to put on a second-year player, but the Eagles are counting on him.
Advertisement Quinyon Mitchell, CB: A first-team All-Pro in his second season, you can make the argument that Mitchell is the Eagles best player.
More ball production would be the next step in his game, but hell be in conversations for the leagues top cornerback this season.
Marcus Epps, S: Epps emerged as a starter last season following Mukubas injury and is the frontrunner to start next to Mukuba this season.
A former starter for the Eagles when they made a Super Bowl run in 2022, he regained his footing after a season-ending injury in Las Vegas in 2024 and is a solid veteran at age 29.
Just dont use ink when putting him atop the depth chart.
Jihaad Campbell, LB: Stepping into a major role this season as the starting linebacker next to Zack Baun.
His size and athleticism add a different dimension to the middle of the defense.
The Eagles let Nakobe Dean leave knowing the 2025 first-round pick was waiting.
He had an offseason surgery, but hes expected back for the summer.
I picked him as the breakout player in a survey of The Athletics beat writers.
Andre Sam, S: Mostly been a practice squad player the past two years, but will try to push for a depth safety spot this summer.
Hes well-regarded in the locker room.
Jonathan Jones, DB: An underrated veteran addition this offseason who is versatile in the secondary.
Jones has 78 career starts and could be the top reserve in the slot.
Also shares a name with The Athletics newest senior NFL writer.
Cooper DeJean, DB: A first-team All-Pro in the slot last season, DeJean will play safety on base downs this season.
Hes an elite player and one of Philadelphias most popular athletes and his effectiveness at nickel is a big reason for the defenses success since he entered the lineup after the 2024 bye week.
Kapena Gushiken, DB: A slot/safety hybrid who was signed as an undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss, Gush was name-dropped by Vic Fangio when discussing safety options on the roster.
Advertisement Michael Carter II, DB: The Eagles renegotiated Carters contract to keep him in Philadelphia even though he offered modest contributions after a midseason trade.
Im not ruling him out as the starting safety this season.
They kept him for a reason.
He has a long background with defensive backs coach Joe Kasper, who worked with him at Duke.
Maximus Pulley, S: An undrafted rookie from Wofford, Pulley will try to push through on an unsettled safety depth chart.
He was a consensus All-American at the FCS level.
Practice squad is more realistic.
Ambry Thomas, CB: Thomas spent last season on the practice squad.
He has draft pedigree as a third-round pick in 2021 with 11 starts in 42 games with the 49ers, although the cornerback depth chart is crowded.
Tariq Castro-Fields, DB: Fun fact: Castro-Fields has a Super Bowl ring as a practice squad player on the 2024 team.
He was on the practice squad last season, too.
He has yet to play a game for the Eagles and will try to change that this season.
Smael Mondon Jr., LB: Mondon was a key special teams player for the Eagles last season, playing 66 percent of the snaps.
Barring any injuries atop the depth chart, that will be his role this season.
Jose Ramirez, edge: Ramirez played in the CFL last season.
Before that, he was a depth player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He showed some pass-rushing juice at Eastern Michigan, but that was in 2022, making him a long shot for the 53-man roster.
Joshua Weru, edge: Uar Bernard gets most of the attention, but Weru is in the same boat in having never played football.
The Kenya native was a professional rugby player and is a product of the NFLs International Player Pathway Program.
Deontae Lawson, LB: A three-year starter and two-time captain at Alabama gets your attention at linebacker.
He went undrafted and did not earn a big signing bonus, but its worth watching given the Eagles have had some success with this type of profile in the undrafted market.
Advertisement J.T.
Gray, DB: Another veteran signing this season, Gray is here to help on special teams, so he should be viewed accordingly.
In eight NFL seasons, he has 153 defensive snaps and 2,148 special teams snaps.
Keyshawn James-Newby, edge: A seventh-round pick, the Montana native might be on the outside looking in given the volume of experienced edge rushers on the roster.
If he can get to the quarterback in the preseason, perhaps he can force a tough decision.
Jonathan Greenard, edge: The Greenard trade was the biggest move of the Eagles offseason.
Hes one of the front-line players on the roster (and the highest-paid player on defense).
Will it show up in his sack production? He dropped to three sacks last season after totaling 24.5 sacks during the previous two years.
Zack Baun, LB: Two years after he emerged as a household name, Baun is a captain and established as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
But for how much longer? He turns 30 in December.
He was a late bloomer and needs to stay blooming in the middle of the defense.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB: The Eagles have their starting linebackers with Baun and Campbell, but every time I watch Trotter play (including this spring with the first-team defense), he looks like he belongs on the field.
If given the opportunity, he could be a starting linebacker in the NFL.
Jalyx Hunt, edge: Looking for a breakout player? Youll hear Hunts name mentioned.
What if he already broke out, though? He led the Eagles in sacks and interceptions the first time in franchise history thats happened and hes just scratching the surface.
Raise your standards; he can hit them.
Chance Campbell, LB: Im paying close attention to him in training camp.
Multiple teammates told me Campbell is the practice squad player who deserves more attention.
Probably one of the best scout team players Ive ever gone against in my life, Saquon Barkley said.
Advertisement TaQuon Graham, DE: Not a name fans might know, but a veteran defensive tackle who played 51 games for the Falcons and started 16.
He was on the practice squad last season and looks to push into the mix along the defensive line this summer.
Zion Wilson, DT: Wilson planned to play for Virginia this season, but the NCAA denied his waiver.
He was an offensive lineman who didnt start playing defensive line until 2024.
Practice squad is a possibility for the undrafted rookie if there are tools to develop.
Jordan Davis, DT: Emerged as a difference-maker last season and was paid accordingly.
With a three-year, $78 million contract extension, Davis needs to be a factor on passing downs.
This isnt what a team would pay just for a space-eating nose tackle.
Id still buy his stock.
Uar Bernard, DT: Anybody thinks its going to happen overnight, youre kidding yourself, defensive line coach Clint Hurtt said of Bernard.
The story is fascinating.
Patience is required.
Byron Young, DT: An underrated player on the defensive line who will continue to have a role as a rotational player.
This was a good waiver claim by Howie Roseman in 2024.
Hes a free agent after this season.
Ty Robinson, DT: The rookie season was not what I expected given he was age 24 with significant college experience.
It didnt seem like a developmental pick, yet he could not push his way up the rotation.
There are still tools to like; lets see what this summer reveals.
Gabe Hall, DT: The idea of what Hall can be has been intriguing since he was an undrafted rookie in 2024 and earned a spot on the 53-man roster last summer.
Its hard to earn playing time on the Eagles defensive front, though.
Not sure if a bigger role is available for him.
Moro Ojomo, DT: Eagles fans know all about him by now.
NFL fans should, too.
By this time next year, Ojomo should play on a contract worth more than $20 million per season.
The question is where that will be.
This could end like the Milton Williams situation.
Advertisement Jalen Carter, DT: A simmering story entering training camp is Carters contract status.
Are the Eagles ready to make Carter one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL? The talent and the upside warrant it.
Carter can be the Defensive Player of the Year, but the Eagles would need to pay accordingly.
A.J.
Epenesa, DL: A sneaky signing on the last day of minicamp, Epenesa could play a Brandon Graham-like role if hes healthy.
Of course, what does that mean for Graham? Shaun Wade, DB: A classic I liked him coming out of college signing.
Remember when Wade was an All-American at Ohio State? It hasnt clicked yet between Baltimore and New England.
He tried to rebuild his career in the UFL.
The Eagles are throwing a dart.