Your Eagles guide to free agency, Part II: Get ready for some new faces on defense

The new-look Eagles offense may be the buzziest topic of the offseason, but change is coming for the defense, too.

» READ MORE: Your Eagles guide to free agency, Part I: What changes and new faces are coming on offense?

Of the Eagles’ 19 pending unrestricted free agents, nine are on defense, and four — Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship, and Adoree’ Jackson — were starters for most of the 2025 season. So, more than one-third of the defensive starters could depart Philadelphia come the start of the new league year on March 11, requiring Howie Roseman to fill their roles either externally or internally.

Some positions have more clear-cut internal replacements than others. Some pending free agents are likely higher priorities for retention than others. Because the Eagles are set to have approximately $13 million in cap space at the start of the new league year, even those priority players could prove difficult to keep, depending on their open-market demand.

Ultimately, the Eagles could part with the majority of those midrange to big-ticket free agents if they want to extend players like Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter this offseason (and others in the coming years such as Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, and Jalyx Hunt).

Here’s a look at where the Eagles stand with their pending defensive free agents and which potential additions might pique their interest:

The biggest defensive domino of the Eagles’ offseason (and the one that will likely fall first) is Phillips. The 26-year-old pass rusher is one of the better players in this year’s pending-free-agent class given his youth, his on-field impact, and the premium position he plays.

Of the Eagles’ pending free agents, he ought to be the biggest priority to retain. He seamlessly transitioned to a new defense at the trade deadline, and while he didn’t post gaudy sack numbers (two in eight games), he made the players around him better. His injury history could provide cause for concern for any organization, but he made it through the entire 2025 season healthy while playing over 70% of the defensive snaps both with the Miami Dolphins and the Eagles.

Phillips could have other suitors, though, which may drive up his asking price and push him out of the Eagles’ range. The Athletic projected his next contract at four years, $98 million ($24.5 million per year), while Spotrac is more conservative at three years, $52 million ($17.3 million per year). The reality could lie somewhere between those figures.

Whether Phillips returns or not, the Eagles must add edge rushers, both through free agency and the draft. Hunt and Nolan Smith are the only two players at the position who were on the active roster in 2025 and are under contract next year. Brandon Graham, Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo are pending free agents.

Besides Phillips, some of the other free-agent edge rushers worth considering include:

Bradley Chubb: On Feb. 16, the Dolphins released Chubb, who turns 30 in June, so he is available now if the Eagles are interested. The veteran edge rusher has ample experience playing for Vic Fangio, first with the Denver Broncos from 2019-21 (including a Pro Bowl season in 2020) and in 2023 with the Dolphins. He rebounded in 2025 from an ACL injury sustained the year prior, collecting 8½ sacks in 17 games.

Khalil Mack: Another former Fangio pupil (with the Chicago Bears). Mack just turned 35, so it seems unlikely that the Eagles would go after him if they also decide to bring back the soon-to-be-38-year-old Graham for another year. But if they move on from Graham and Mack is looking to add a title to his long list of career accolades, the Eagles could make sense as a landing spot. Despite suffering an elbow injury in 2025 that kept him sidelined for five games, Mack finished the year with 5½ sacks and 32 tackles.

Maxx Crosby: OK, he isn’t a free agent and his contract is staggering. But according to Sports Illustrated, Crosby could be a candidate for a trade, and the Eagles are among the teams “keeping tabs on his availability.” This would be the splash that Roseman explicitly said was unlikely this offseason. Still, Crosby has had offseason surgery the last two years, which could impact the return for him in a trade. One can dream of what the five-time Pro Bowler would look like in Fangio’s defense, even if it would take some serious maneuvering to pull off.

Other names to watch: Arnold Ebiketie, Boye Mafe, Kingsley Enagbare

The Eagles are set with DeJean and Mitchell returning as starters, but the secondary has a hole at the second outside cornerback spot. Jackson, 30, is poised to become a free agent after holding down that starting role for the majority of the 2025 season.

As the season progressed, Jackson’s play improved. He could be a candidate to return to the Eagles in 2026 if they believe he can continue to play at a high level. They could also open up the competition internally to Kelee Ringo, who vied for the job last training camp, or Mac McWilliams, who trained at outside cornerback and at nickel in practice last season.

Or, they could go the external route, either through the draft or free agency. Seeing as the Eagles have a number of long-term needs on offense (especially at tight end and on the offensive line) that could require premium draft capital, will free agency be the best route to acquire an outside cornerback?

Riq Woolen: The 26-year-old Woolen was one of the members of the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning “Dark Side” defense. He excelled at locking down his opponent, allowing the fewest yards per snap among outside cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps going into Week 18, according to Next Gen Stats. Woolen is one of the better man coverage cornerbacks in the league, and while the Eagles play mostly zone, they deployed one of the higher rates of man coverage in the NFL in 2025 (24.5%; No. 12, according to Sharp Football Analysis).

Eric Stokes: Stokes covers two squares on the Roseman Prospective Target Bingo Card: draft pedigree and Georgia ties. The 27-year-old cornerback was the Green Bay Packers’ first-round pick (No. 29)in the 2021 draft. His early career with the Packers was marred by injury, but he stayed healthy in a starting role with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. Stokes’ 77.2 passer rating against ranked 14th in the NFL among cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Asante Samuel Jr.: If the Eagles can’t afford Woolen or Stokes, Samuel could be an option to consider. Samuel, 26, underwent spinal fusion surgery last offseason and returned to action with the Pittsburgh Steelers in November. He started three games (six total appearances) in 2025, bringing his total career starts to 50. So long as the Eagles aren’t spooked by his injury history, he could compete for the starting gig on a low-cost deal with the team his father played for from 2008-11.

Other names to watch: Josh Jobe, James Pierre, Benjamin St-Juste

Is this the end of the "Exciting Whites“? Blankenship, 27, is set to become a free agent after four seasons (three as a starter) in Philadelphia.

He has a special story with the Eagles, signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022 and playing his way into a prominent role on defense. But he could earn a payday elsewhere — Spotrac projects his next contract at two years, $14.4 million ($7.2 million per year), while The Athletic estimates his potential deal at four years, $42 million ($10½ million per year).

If Blankenship walks, the Eagles will be in the market for a safety who can start alongside Drew Mukuba, who is coming off a season-ending fibula fracture. However, given Blankenship’s body of work over the last few seasons and the lack of depth in the room, he could be one of the Eagles’ priorities ahead of free agency.

The Eagles lack internal replacement candidates, so they may have no choice but to spend money at the position. Sydney Brown could compete for the job again, but he struggled to hold it down at midseason while Mukuba was sidelined.

Marcus Epps: The 30-year-old safety usurped the starting job from Brown for four of the Eagles’ final five games of the regular season and fared well in limited action. He could return on a relatively inexpensive, short-term deal while the Eagles simultaneously add youth to the position through the draft.

Kam Curl: It seems unlikely that the Eagles would break the bank for a safety, so the addition of Curl would be a long shot given that he’s one of the best in this free-agent class. Still, he’s worth checking in on, as he will be just 27 years old in 2026 and has 86 career starts, including 33 over the past two years with the Rams. He is a versatile, intelligent player who could provide an upgrade to the Eagles’ back end.

Kevin Byard: Could a reunion be on the horizon? Even at 32, Byard won’t come cheap, given his standout 2025 season with the Bears (including a league-high seven interceptions). But the Eagles evidently liked him enough to acquire him from the Tennessee Titans during the disastrous 2023 season. He would be better positioned for success under Fangio.

Other names to watch: Jaquan Brisker, Coby Bryant

No one from the Eagles defense in 2025 exceeded expectations more than Dean. The 25-year-old inside linebacker began the season on the physically unable to perform list due to the patellar tendon tear he sustained in the 2024 wild-card round. Going into the season, he faced questions about whether he would return to the level of play he achieved prior to his injury.

He never appeared limited upon his return to action. While most homegrown players of Dean’s caliber would warrant an attempt at an extension, the Eagles could move on from him this offseason. Jihaad Campbell, the 31st overall pick out of Alabama in 2025, is on standby to succeed Dean as the starter alongside Zack Baun.

After Campbell and Baun, the Eagles have solid depth at the position under contract in 2026, including Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon. Even Chance Campbell, a 2022 sixth-rounder out of Ole Miss, built a strong reputation throughout his full season on the practice squad. It seems unlikely that the Eagles will make any major additions to the room in free agency.