Eagles CB Competition Is Expanding When It Should Be Contracting

It's now Adoree' Jackson vs. Kelee Ringo vs. Jakorian Bennett in the battle to play opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson (8) tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) after his catch during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - Entering Saturday’s preseason game against Cleveland, the Eagles have two preseason games and three scheduled training camp practices on the docket before the initial cutdown to 53 on Aug. 26.

It’s conceivable Philadelphia adds another practice between the preseason finale at the New York Jets on Aug. 22, but that’s only relevant to the back end of the roster.

Philadelphia’s ballyhooed CB2 competition is expanding in mid-August when it should be contracting, and while the regular-season opener is 19 days away, once you get into prep mode, you don’t want to be debating what your best option is opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

The candidates were third-year player Kelee Ringo and veteran free-agent pickup Adoree’ Jackson. Added to the mix via trade with Las Vegas on Aug. 5 was Jakorian Bennett, whose been thrown in the deep end of the pool with first-team reps in practice.

During the joint practices with the Browns this week, Ringo appeared to take a step back Thursday after a difficult practice a day earlier. Bennett was the beneficiary of that, but has hardly shown up from the Raiders looking like some kind of savior.

Meanwhile, Jackson has stayed stagnant, which actually bodes well for the nine-year pro, at least for early in the season.

At this stage in a pure meritocracy mindset, defaulting to Jackson’s experience, savvy and situational awareness may be the play until things start to click for Ringo or Bennett gets up to speed with Vic Fangio’s defense.

The other option is embracing the idea of “start-up costs.” That belief was once expressed by Philadelphia by former DC Jim Schwartz, ironically back with Cleveland on Saturday.

That philosophy is about sticking with a younger player and enduring the growing pains with the end game of being at a higher level later in the season.

More so, it should be noted that rookie fifth-round pick Mac McWilliams has been getting outside CB reps again after moving inside to be the backup to Cooper DeJean in the slot. Also, the ball skills of Eli Ricks are always present, even if the consistency from play to play is not.

All of the candidates bring something. With Ringo, it's the length and athleticism. Bennett has 4.3 speed and Jackson has the aforementioned experience. Fangio has raved about McWilliams's natural instinct,s and Ricks tracks the football better than the rest.

Whatever Fangio ultimately decides, the idea of the Eagles being at the same level as they were last season with a triumvirate of Darius Slay, Mitchell, and Isaiah Rodgers at outside cornerback is a pie-in-the-sky projection.

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