Six Eagles players to watch in preseason game against the Cleveland Browns

In just 10 days, the Eagles will be tasked with trimming their initial roster down from 90 players to 53.

Saturday’s second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns will provide bubble players with opportunities to claim roster spots. Some of those players have already helped or hurt their stock going into the game with their showings in joint practices with the Browns this week.

Here are six players to watch against the Browns, including a handful of honorable mentions:

After overcoming a shoulder injury earlier in training camp, rookie safety Drew Mukuba is available to make his Eagles preseason debut against the Browns.

Mukuba, the Eagles’ second-rounder out of Texas, returned to practice as a full participant on Aug. 9 and has been involved in team drills since then. He rotated in at safety with the first-team defense on Friday to occasionally spell Sydney Brown, the front-runner for the starting gig alongside Reed Blankenship.

Is it too late for Mukuba to make a push for the starting job? Nick Sirianni and Co. would say that they don’t need to make the final decision until Sept. 4, the Eagles’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Still, Mukuba has a lot of ground to make up in a brief window of time. He’s going up against a dogged competitor, too, in this position battle. Brown had one of his most impressive days of training camp on Thursday, bringing his signature sense of physicality to plays against the run and pass. Meanwhile, Mukuba gave up a touchdown to Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr., but he picked off quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

While Mukuba may have a lot to prove to his coaches as he eyes the starting gig, he is keeping his focus inward heading into Saturday’s game.

» READ MORE: Winners and losers from the Eagles’ two joint practices with the Cleveland Browns

“I’m really looking to prove myself right, to be honest with you,” Mukuba said Tuesday. “To show that I belong here. Show that I can play at this level with these guys that [are] playing at a high level. So just a way to prove myself and believe in myself.”

A new contender entered the starting outside cornerback conversation when the Eagles acquired Jakorian Bennett from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for defensive tackle Thomas Booker on Aug. 5.

Bennett didn’t play in the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals just three days after his trade. He has been practicing with the Eagles for the last week with mixed results. On Wednesday, the first of two joint practices with the Browns, Bennett gave up a touchdown and incurred a flag for defensive pass interference.

The following day, Bennett earned a series with the first-team defense and wasn’t targeted on that drive. He got banged up on the last play of the day with the second-team defense, so his status could be in question for Saturday’s game.

If he is available, though, he has an opportunity to make his case in the outside cornerback competition. Adoree’ Jackson appears to be in the lead for the role, assuming the vast majority of the first-team reps opposite Quinyon Mitchell on Thursday.

With Landon Dickerson recovering from meniscus surgery in his right knee, Brett Toth has taken all of the first-string reps at left guard in joint practices with the Browns. If Dickerson isn’t available to play Week 1, Toth could get the nod to take his place.

As a result, the Eagles may not want to overburden Toth with reps in the second preseason game. At the same time, though, Toth must earn his place as the backup left guard.

Perhaps there’s a middle ground for Toth in the second preseason game. Last week, he took 46 offensive snaps (62%) as the starting left guard against the Bengals.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Browns practice observations: Myles Garrett wrecks offense; Sydney Brown trending up

It’s crunch time for Kelee Ringo. After last week’s rough preseason showing against Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals, the Eagles’ 2023 fourth-rounder out of Georgia could use a rebound performance against the Browns.

He stood out for the wrong reasons during joint practices. On Wednesday, Ringo lost both of his one-on-ones against Browns receiver Diontae Johnson and gave up a long completion to receiver Jerry Jeudy while working with the first-team defense in 11-on-11s.

The next day, Ringo exclusively took snaps with the second-teamers. He wasn’t targeted much, but Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and the first-string offense got most of the work, so Ringo didn’t take as many snaps as Jackson. Ringo ought to feel a sense of urgency if he wants to separate himself from Jackson, who has been the slightly more consistent cornerback in practice.

“Being at the corner position, you’ve got to have a short-term memory,” Ringo said Tuesday. “Just continue to grow, man. Your next opportunity, you make the most of it. That’s the best thing that you can do. You can’t chance anything that happened in the past.”

Darius Cooper, the undrafted free agent receiver out of Tarleton State, punctuated a strong start to training camp with a breakout performance in the preseason opener. He led Eagles receivers with six receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, all but solidifying his case for the initial 53-man roster.

Given the competition at the bottom of the receiver depth chart, Cooper could stand to have another eye-catching performance, both on offense and on special teams. It could separate him from the pack. Both Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith have had their positive moments, especially in the first preseason game. Terrace Marshall recently returned from a layoff due to a knee injury and could be available to play on Saturday.

» READ MORE: Meniscus surgery didn’t stop Landon Dickerson from enjoying a beer with his fellow linemen at Eagles practice

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Cooper continued to earn reps with the first-team offense in joint practices. Despite the rookie’s ascent, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo wasn’t ready to call him a roster lock on Wednesday.

“He’s done some nice things, but we all know, right, it’s a long haul,” Patullo said. “He’s got to continue to kind of do that to just keep progressing. So when we see the progression at the end, we’ll see what we have.”

Behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, the Eagles need edge rushers to step up and show they can contribute in the rotation. Could former Browns defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo carve out a role on the 53?

The Eagles signed the 30-year-old Okoronkwo right before training camp. It took him some time to get up to speed in Vic Fangio’s defense, but he has acquitted himself nicely in practice over the last couple weeks. One of his highlights of joint practices was his pressure of Gabriel that forced the rookie quarterback to flee the pocket.

Okoronkwo played just 19 defensive snaps (29%) in the preseason opener, which tied for the third fewest on the team. He finished the game with two tackles, but he also had one missed tackle. An improved performance from Okoronkwo could go a long way in the competition among the depth edge rushers.