Final Eagles report card: Grading one of the most talented teams in franchise history

The Eagles' talent carried the team to the Super Bowl, but which position groups deserve good grades and which need improvement?

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, February 12, 2023 in Glendale, AZ.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Josh Tolentino

Published Feb. 26, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

Despite the ending, the 2022 Eagles will go down as having one of the most talented rosters in franchise history.

The team set multiple records and received memorable performances from nearly the entire roster. For one final time, let’s look back and hand out grades to each position group.

Quarterbacks

Active roster: Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew, Ian Book

Unrestricted free agents: Minshew

Hurts has risen to the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. He produced an MVP-caliber season in his second year as the starter. Over 18 games across the regular season and playoffs, Hurts compiled a 66.5% completion rate with 4,280 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He also recorded 903 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns with three fumbles lost. General manager Howie Roseman acknowledged during his end-of-season press conference that the team intends to engage with Hurts on a long-term extension. After he showed tremendous strides in his development and directed the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance, Hurts is due for a large payday. The 26-year-old Minshew has aspirations to be an NFL starter as he was for two seasons with Jacksonville, but he didn’t help his stock much during his two fill-in appearances late in the season, both losses. For the season, Minshew completed 44-of-76 passes for 663 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Grade: A

Running backs

Active roster: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Trey Sermon

Reserve/Future: Kennedy Brooks

Unrestricted free agents: Sanders, Scott

Sanders delivered his best season in a make-or-break contract year. The first-time Pro Bowl selection showed explosiveness en route to recording multiple career-best marks: 1,269 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two fumbles. He labored a bit toward the finish line with Gainwell earning more looks throughout the playoffs. How Sanders’ market unfolds in free agency will be particularly interesting considering there’s a plethora of talented options hitting the market with him, including All-Pro Josh Jacobs and fellow Penn State alumnus and Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley. If Sanders takes a huge discount, the Eagles would surely welcome him back. But based on the franchise’s history with contracts given out to running backs, it’s difficult imagining the team running it back with Sanders as the lead horse. The Eagles will need to ask themselves whether they’re confident Gainwell can take over the starter role, and they’ll need to allocate additional resources at the position — likely a midround draft pick — if Sanders doesn’t re-sign.

Grade: B+

Tight ends

Active roster: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra

Reserve/Injured: Tyree Jackson

Reserve/Future: Dalton Keene

Exclusive rights free agent: Jackson

Goedert is a top-five tight end. If it weren’t for his midseason shoulder injury, he would’ve made a strong push for his first Pro Bowl selection. The offense appears extremely bright with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Goedert under team control for the foreseeable future. Stoll and Calcaterra combined for 16 catches and 204 yards.

Grade: B+

Wide receivers

Active roster: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Zach Pascal, Quez Watkins, Britain Covey, Greg Ward, Devon Allen, Tyrie Cleveland

Unrestricted free agents: Pascal

Brown and Smith reached unprecedented heights during their first season as teammates by setting franchise records for most receiving yards and receptions in a single season, respectively. Brown and Smith also became the first WR duo in franchise history to record 1,000-plus receiving yards each. The Eagles could use an upgrade at WR3. Watkins, in his own words, “took a step back” this season. He was the intended receiver on at least two of Hurts’ six interceptions — a pair of turnovers that arguably could’ve been avoided with better effort and more crisp route-running. Pascal was effective in his role as the team’s enforcer. He was used sparingly in the pass game but proved to be a plus blocker.

Grade: A

Offensive line

Active roster: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Jack Driscoll, Cam Jurgens, Cameron Tom, Sua Opeta, Tyree Robinson, Fred Johnson, Roderick Johnson

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform: Brett Toth

Reserve/Future: Julian Good-Jones, Jarrid Williams

Commissioner Exempt List: Josh Sills

Unrestricted free agents: Kelce, Seumalo, Dillard

It was bittersweet for many to watch Kelce walk off the field while his brother, Travis, celebrated the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LVII. Kelce enters the offseason once again contemplating retirement. The five-time All-Pro turns 36 in November, and has shown no signs of slowing down. Kelce received the highest PFF grade (89.5) on the Eagles. If Kelce returns, there will be a hole to fill on his right side with Seumalo likely to warrant a lucrative deal. Enter Jurgens, who has been cross training between center, his natural position, and right guard ever since the Eagles selected him in the second round of last year’s draft. Jurgens flashed during the summer. Now, he seems poised to take on a larger role on one of the league’s most productive O-lines.

Grade: A

Defensive tackle

Active roster: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh, Marvin Wilson

Reserve/Injured: Marlon Tuipulotu

Reserve/Non-football Injury: Noah Elliss

Unrestricted free agents: Cox, Hargrave, Joseph, Suh

Even after drafting Williams and Davis in consecutive years, the Eagles might prefer to address the trenches again in a couple of months. After all, the team’s well-known approach to building and drafting with a long-term lens is through bulking up the offensive and defensive lines. Cox is one of the most impactful players in franchise history, but at 32 he’s on the back end of his storied career and he was one of the team’s highest-paid players in 2022. If Cox is still seeking top dollar, he might need to look elsewhere. The Eagles will be looking for Davis to take the next step in Year 2. Williams was a pleasant emergence toward the end of the season; he could be in line for a bigger role. If Joseph, 35 in October, still wants to continue playing football, he’ll warrant attention after proving he can still be a productive player and veteran presence.

Grade: B+

Defensive end

Active roster: Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Robert Quinn, Tarron Jackson, Matt Leo

Reserve/Injured: Derek Barnett, Janarius Robinson

Unrestricted free agents: Graham, Barnett, Quinn

If the Eagles had to choose to bring back just one of their longest-tenured vets from the defensive line, Graham might be the ideal option. Not only did Graham successfully recover from his torn Achilles, but also he strung together his most productive season at age 34. He was a clear beneficiary from playing in a reserve role behind lead edge rushers Sweat and Haason Reddick. Graham eclipsed double-digit sacks (11) for the first time in his career and he added 35 tackles and 16 quarterback hits. Sweat, 25, seemingly only improves as his career progresses. Sweat and Graham joined Reddick and Hargrave with the Eagles becoming the first team in NFL history to have four players record double-digit sacks.

Grade: A

SAM linebacker/Edge

Active roster: Haason Reddick, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson

Unrestricted free agents: None

The Eagles and Reddick pairing was a perfect match. The Temple alumnus and Camden native was flat-out dominant in his debut season with his hometown team. It’s a shame Reddick, along with pass rushers from the Eagles and Chiefs, weren’t able to have their talents on full display during the Super Bowl with players dealing with sloppy and slippery field conditions.

Grade: A

Linebacker

Active roster: T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Nakobe Dean, Davion Taylor, Christian Elliss

Reserve/Injured: Shaun Bradley

Unrestricted free agents: Edwards, White

Edwards and White provided the Eagles with stability at a position that lacked consistency for much of the past decade. Yet, the middle level of the defense still seemed to pose one of the team’s few weaknesses. White began the season lights-out but tailed off toward the end while he dealt with a nagging ankle injury. Edwards wore the defensive headset and was a key communicator in the huddle. The Eagles likely won’t have continuity at linebacker with Dean ready to step in. The main decision they’re up against is picking between Edwards, a former undrafted prospect out of Wisconsin in 2019, and White. Both linebackers could also test free agency and wait and see how their individual markets unfold.

Grade: B-

Cornerbacks

Active roster: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Josh Jobe, Josiah Scott, Mario Goodrich

Reserve/Future: Tristin McCollum

Unrestricted free agents: Bradberry

It’d be ideal to run it back with the Slay-Bradberry-Maddox trio, but it’s difficult imagining Bradberry returning, especially considering his stellar All-Pro season. He’ll be remembered for a long time for his holding penalty at the end of the Super Bowl, but Bradberry proved to be one of the league’s top shutdown corners. There’s a good chance he winds up being the highest-paid cornerback in free agency. The Eagles will need to identify another player to pair with Slay as the NFL continues trending toward being a passing league.

Grade: A

Safeties

Active roster: Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere

Unrestricted free agents: Epps, Gardner-Johnson

Exactly what kind of market will Epps demand? He was a solid piece in his first season as the full-time starter. But he also was surrounded by star playmakers in Gardner-Johnson, Bradberry, and Slay. If the Eagles and Epps can find some middle ground, it might be worth bringing him back for continuity and development purposes. Gardner-Johnson has alluded across social media that he deserves to be paid handsomely in free agency. He missed five games with a lacerated kidney but still finished tied for the league lead in interceptions (six). Blankenship, who went undrafted last year out of Middle Tennessee, impressed early on and made the initial 53-man roster. He was fine filling in for Gardner-Johnson and even picked off Aaron Rodgers during his first meaningful snaps, but Blankenship also struggled at certain times. With his first NFL offseason, he’ll be on track to benefit from extended continuity. It’ll be interesting to see how the team’s next defensive coordinator values safety performance in regard to his overall scheme. That could determine whether Gardner-Johnson and/or Epps returns.

Grade: B+

Specialists

Active roster: K Jake Elliott, P Arryn Siposs, P Brett Kern, LS Rick Lovato

Unrestricted free agents: Kern, Lovato

It was a disservice that the Eagles declined to bring in another punter during training camp last summer. Siposs had shown more bust than boom potential during his first season, and while there were some slight improvements in Year 2, he failed to perform under the brightest lights when he shanked a punt that was returned by Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney for a Super Bowl-record 65 yards. Special teams was shaky throughout the season, but Elliott was again solid. He’s the main factor why the grading here stays above the C mark.

Grade: B-