Eagles midseason awards and second-half X factors: Our writers make their picks

The Eagles (7-2) have passed the official midway point of the 17-game NFL season, and with their playoff chances at 98.9% according to ESPN analytics, and the rest of the NFC East in shambles, an 18th game (at a minimum) feels like a given.

With that in mind, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg and Olivia Reiner handed out some halfway hardware, while also looking ahead at the players who will be most critical in powering another January postseason run.

McLane: DeVonta Smith. It’s tough not to pick the quarterback on a 7-2 team, but Jalen Hurts has been too uneven to earn my nod. I’ve seen others put him in the NFL MVP conversation, but I think that’s a reach. There’s always a valid argument for Lane Johnson, but he’s been in and out with various injuries and his run blocking hasn’t been great. I’m inclined to pick someone on defense since that has been the Eagles’ more consistent unit. Quinyon Mitchell would be the likely choice there. He has become one of the top cornerbacks in the league. But he did get picked on late in the loss to the Denver Broncos. So I’m going with Smith. I can’t recall a single moment he’s failed to deliver when called upon. He’s made the biggest plays in the biggest moments and has compensated for the mysterious neglecting of A.J. Brown.

» READ MORE: What we know and don't know about the Eagles heading into Week 11 vs. the Lions

Neiburg: Smith. Smith is on pace for a career high in yards (1,241) and has been the most reliable skill position player on the Eagles this season. He has made highlight-reel plays on 50-50 balls like he did Monday night, and he has worked himself open for key first downs on plays on which Hurts has been forced from the pocket — most notably during a Week 7 win in Minnesota. On top of that, Smith catches almost everything. He’s sixth among all NFL receivers who have more than 30 targets with a catch rate of 77.4% (48 catches on 62 targets).

Reiner: Jalen Hurts. Who’s the player throwing Smith the ball? Hurts hasn’t been flawless this season, and he certainly wasn’t most recently against the Green Bay Packers, but this isn’t the perfection award. This is about the most valuable player to this team, and Hurts fits the bill. If the season ended today, Hurts would have single-season career highs in completion percentage (68.9%), quarterback rating (112.0), and interception rate (0.4%, the best in the league). But the traits that can’t be quantified make Hurts most important to this team, especially his even-keeled nature and his desire to grow in his role. He’s done what it takes to win so far this season.

McLane: Jihaad Campbell. The jury will be in deliberation for some time before the Eagles’ 2025 draft class can be thoughtfully evaluated. Beyond Campbell and safety Drew Mukuba — the first two picks — there hasn’t been much from the group. Of course, that can happen on teams with talented rosters. Campbell has shown enough promise to warrant his selection here. He’s been up and down as a run defender but has made significant plays in coverage. His late-game interception at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was pivotal. It’s easy to see why Nakobe Dean’s return from injury has cut into his playing time at off-ball linebacker. He still has a lot to learn, especially if he’s going to remain in a hybrid role on the outside. But he clearly has the tools.

Neiburg: Drew Mukuba. I’m going to zag here. Campbell is the more obvious answer. He’s the first-round pick who started in Week 1 and has played well, but Mukuba earned the starting safety job and an expanded role pretty quickly. The Eagles might not have beaten Kansas City in Week 2 without him. He factored in on his first NFL sack, made a critical tackle on a drive when the Eagles turned the Chiefs over on downs, and then his knack for being around the ball showed with an interception on a bobbled ball. He’s had some downs — Mukuba didn’t play particularly well in Week 6 or Week 7 — but he has held up nicely at a difficult position.

» READ MORE: The Eagles aren't perfect, but they've been great. Enjoy them.

Reiner: Campbell. After sitting out for the spring while he recovered from shoulder surgery, Campbell was ready for training camp ahead of schedule and subsequently won the starting inside linebacker job. Even when Dean returned from the physically unable to perform list and jumped back into the defense in Week 7, Campbell still carved out a role on the field, splitting time in the middle of the field and on the edge. He hasn’t been perfect, but he has taken on a big workload at a challenging position in Vic Fangio’s defense. He’s tied for fifth in the league among defensive rookies in tackles (38) with just a 5.9% missed tackle rate, according to Pro Football Focus. Even in coverage, Campbell has allowed a 81% catch rate, which is fifth lowest among defensive rookies with at least 200 coverage snaps.

Neiburg: Moro Ojomo. How would the Eagles make up for the loss of Milton Williams, who earned a nine-figure deal in free agency? It’s not crazy to say Ojomo is making more of an impact than Williams did last season. The 2023 seventh-round pick has been a menace. He tallied six pressures Monday night in Green Bay, marking the fourth consecutive game with at least three pressures and his sixth such game in the Eagles’ nine contests. Ojomo was trending in the right direction last season, but this? We knew about the high football IQ — now the Packers do, too — but the on-field impact has been much larger than expected.

» READ MORE: Where the Eagles land in recent NFL power rankings

Reiner: Tank Bigsby, in a very limited window. The Eagles acquired Bigsby from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks, which seemed like a steep price at first, especially because he was only contributing as a kick returner for his first four games with the team. That experiment was underwhelming, as he posted just 20.7 yards per return (the league average is 25.8). Now that he’s been taking offensive snaps in his last two games, though, he looks like a legitimate backup to Saquon Barkley. He averaged 11.6 yards per carry in the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants. Bigsby is under contract for next season, too, so it is beginning to seem that the Eagles’ sacrifice of draft picks was worth it. He still has a lot to prove as the season continues.

McLane: Brett Toth. I could go on the opposite side of the ledger here because Brown’s regression has been a surprise. But the Eagles have had pleasant surprises that have helped them win seven of nine. Ojomo’s production doesn’t come as a shock. He flashed last season and was identified by Howie Roseman as the most likely defensive tackle to step into Williams’ vacant shoes. But he has exceeded expectations in my opinion. Dean hasn’t missed a beat since returning from injury. I’m not sure many saw that coming. But I’m going with the unheralded Toth. He’s never going to wow on the O-line. But he’s been asked to fill in at both left guard and center and has, for the most part, gotten the job done — especially in the latter role for the injured Cam Jurgens.

Reiner: Saquon Barkley. Recent history under Nick Sirianni (see: 2021 and 2024) shows that an increased emphasis on the running game following the bye week can lift the offense as a whole. But it’s been a tough year for Barkley, who is averaging 3.9 yards per carry (down from 5.8 in 2024). The league average is 4.4 yards per rush. Can the Eagles reverse their rushing fortunes in the second half of the season? Getting Barkley going on the ground could help open up opportunities in the passing game, too. We’ve seen glimpses of what the running game can do (both the threat of it and the execution of it) in Weeks 7 and 8 against the Vikings and Giants. If the Eagles can build on those performances, they’ll be in a better place offensively.

» READ MORE: Why Jaelan Phillips is critical to Eagles' Super Bowl push

McLane: Jalen Carter. We’ve started to see glimpses of the 2024 Carter in recent weeks. His pressures against the Vikings directly led to two interceptions. He notched his first sack of the season the following week vs. the Giants. And he had five pressures and two batted passes in Green Bay. Carter hasn’t quite reached game-wrecker levels, but opposing O-lines continue to slide protection to his side for good reason. If the Eagles are to make another postseason run, they need him to be the linchpin up front. He poses the greatest threat to quarterbacks, and if he can draw consistent double teams, it will make the pass rush that much more effective. A strong finish can only give him more leverage when Roseman approaches his agent to talk about a contract extension this offseason.

Neiburg: Jaelan Phillips. Yeah, I’m picking the new guy. Phillips’ arrival combined with the return of Nolan Smith has bolstered the Eagles’ pass rush from the edges. Phillips is a big talent, and when he’s healthy he has the ability to change the entire dynamic for the Eagles up front. Think about the talent on the defensive line with Phillips in the fold. Start from the inside with Carter, Ojomo, and Jordan Davis. Now add in Phillips, Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and the other rotation players in the mix. Fangio has a lot of talent at his disposal, and we saw how that ended last season.