Eagles Training Camp: A Potential Surprise Player At Each Position

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles will hit the practice field on Wednesday morning for the first time after a pretty uneventful offseason, with the only obvious drama being the occasional C.J. Gardner-Johnson spin, and the angst over Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts’ placement on various lists.

Training camp also shapes up as far more static than usual, even with the perceived competitions.

However, no matter how obvious things may look, there’s always a curveball or two that can upset conventional thinking.

Here’s one Eagles player at each position who may have the stuff to change the narrative:

QUARTERBACK: Dorian Thompson-Robinson

With Hurts and Tanner McKee set atop the depth chart and rookie Kyle McCord putting together a strong spring, trade pickup Dorian Thompson-Robinson has become an afterthought.

In all likelihood, that’s not changing, but DTR is the backup with five NFL starts under his belt who can also count on significant preseason snaps. A strong summer could earn the UCLA product a QB3 job elsewhere or a ticket back to relevancy at the NovaCare Complex with one injury.

RUNNING BACK: Montrell Johnson

The undrafted Florida rookie is on the fast track to the practice squad, but a push for the 53 isn’t out of the question either with presumed backup A.J. Dillon still a question mark from a health standpoint after missing all of the 2024 season in Green Bay with stinger issues.

More so, Dillon’s punishing running style isn’t exactly the pragmatic way to play with a stinger history.

WIDE RECEIVER: Ainias Smith

Strong springs by free-agent signing Terrace Marshall and practice squad returnee Danny Gray have put Smith on the backburner.

Smith, a 2024 fifth-round pick, had an uneven rookie season after a stress fracture to his shin was uncovered at the scouting combine. This time, a healthier Smith has lost weight and claims to be more explosive, getting extensive first-team reps in the spring.

If Smith’s confidence returns and he turns into the playmaker he was in college at Texas A&M, GM Howie Roseman will be happy to double down on the second-year player.

TIGHT END: Nick Muse

What’s interesting about Muse is his ability to be a true Y-back, playing in-line effectively and flexing out well, at least from a hands standpoint. The late PS signing last season also opened eyes with his chemistry with McCord back in the spring, something that should at least earn Muse some second-team reps in camp and an opportunity to shine.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Trevor Keegan

The influx of veteran free agents Matt Pryor and Kendall Lamm, along with three Day 3 draft picks - Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, and Cameron Williams, have many turning the page on Keegan, who essentially redshirted his rookie season.

The former captain at Michigan has quietly put his head down and kept working. If Jeff Stoutland liked what he saw from Keegan last season behind the scenes, he very well could be in a position to make some noise most don’t expect.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Byron Young

The Eagles thought enough of Young, the 70th pick in the 2023 draft, to claim him off waivers and keep him on the 53 for six games until a hamstring injury shut him down.

It was a not-so-subtle redshirt, and while most default to fourth-round rookie Ty Robinson or Thomas Booker as the fourth man in the DT rotation, Young should be added to the equation, especially after the Eagles started cross-training him at nose tackle in the spring.

Edge Defender: Patrick Johnson

The 2021 seventh-round pick is back after a 12-game stint up the Turnpike with the New York Giants last season. The Eagles don’t have a lot on paper at the edge so Johnson’s special teams ability and versatility to play as an overhang player or off the ball could make him too valuable to cut.

LINEBACKER: Lane Dixon

Injuries to Nakobe Dean and Jihaad Campbell could kick back their start dates, and if the Eagles need a backup LB and special teams player early in the season, Dixon looked better equipped than fellow Toledo product Dallas Gant during spring work.

CORNERBACK: Parry Nickerson

The only 30-plus defender on the Eagles, both Vic Fangio and Nick Sirianni like Nickerson’s abilities inside. Maybe it dawns on the coaching staff just how young the Philadelphia defense is, and Nickerson is the surprise sixth corner.

SAFETY: Maxen Hook

Quinyon Mitchell’s former roommate at Toledo is in the conversation for the Eagles’ best undrafted signing this spring, and a strong summer should have Hook lapping Andre Sam’ and Lewis Cine and pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster.

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