5 Players Who Must Show Up In Eagles’ Preseason Opener At Ravens

PHILADELPHIA - As the Eagles open the 2026 preseason in the Charm City against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, several players face high-stakes opportunities to either solidify roles or secure roster spots.

With the key starters expected to sit or see limited action, the focus shifts to depth pieces and those fighting for bigger opportunities.

Here are the five Eagles players who must produce against the Ravens.

QB Tanner McKee

The 2023 sixth-round pick is locked in a genuine backup quarterback battle with veteran Andy Dalton. McKee held the QB2 job last season but was pedestrian in a Week 18 start and has seen Dalton, a trade pickup in the offseason, take a significant share of second-team reps this spring and summer.

While McKee has shown some flashes of sharper play in recent practices, he’s been hesitant for much of the summer and Dalton has been the better player.

A strong preseason showing where McKee looks in command of Sean Mannion’s offense would go a long way in either reclaiming the primary backup role in Philadelphia for the Stanford product or boost his trade value in the final year of his rookie deal.

OL John Ojukwu

Ojukwu, a versatile former Titans offensive tackle, signed a reserve/futures deal with the Eagles in January and is generally an afterthought to most. However, Ojukwu has provided guard/tackle versatility this summer and has gotten extensive second-team reps, suggesting the coaching staff is evaluating the Boise State product’s ability to play four of the five OL spots in a pinch.

Ojukwu has limited NFL starting experience (nine career starts across three seasons with Tennessee) but he’s one of the most accomplished of the potential Eagles’ interior depth options (veteran Michael Jordan is far more experienced but came in late and is guard-centric). Ojukwu is also arguably the most game-ready on the interior behind the ascending Drew Kendall.

A clean game in pass protection, physical run blocking, and the ability to handle multiple positions against Ravens’ backups could elevate Ojukwu from roster longshot to viable depth piece.

WR Hollywood Brown

The conventional wisdom is that $5 million in guarantees will keep Brown safe, and that’s probably true. The speedy receiver is being outplayed by second-year player Darius Cooper and free-agent pickup Elijah Moore, however.

Brown also hasn’t shown much chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts, and a propensity to round off routes has resulted in a pair of recent practice interceptions for the QB.

To date, the Eagles have still defaulted to Brown as one of the top four and he’s been getting plenty of first-team reps with DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon out with hamstring injuries.

However, it’s time for Brown to start stacking some good days if he wants to hold onto a significant role and justify the Eagles’ investment.

DT Ty Robinson

Second-year defensive tackles often show improvement with a year in an NFL strength-and-conditioning program. Robinson has finally started to show some signs in practice, but he must generate pressures, hold up against the run, and show the confidence that was often missing as a rookie.

Extended preseason playing time will give Robinson the stage to prove he belongs in a DT rotation loaded with the likes of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo and Byron Young. Complicating matters even further is that the Eagles will also likely have to save a spot on the roster for multiyear international prospect Uar Bernard.

CB Mac McWilliams

The 2025 fifth-round cornerback has quietly impressed recently in camp, earning some first-team looks when Quinyon Mitchell suffered a minor glute injury at camp this week, and making plays in coverage. On Thursday, the 5-foot-10, 191-pound UCF product undercut Brown in red-zone work to pick off Hurts.

When healthy, the Eagles’ CB situation is deep, but a shoulder injury to veteran Jonathan Jones has kept the door ajar for Williams, who is making Howie Roseman’s job difficult.

Any meaningful plays against the Ravens receivers would strengthen McWilliams’ case for a 53-man roster spot.

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