Eagles practice observations: Trending up and down at the completion of camp; cornerback greatness

The Eagles held the 17th and final open practice of their 2026 training camp on Wednesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 17 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16):

Guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Lane Johnson were back in action and without injury designations after Tuesday night’s open practice at the Linc. Dickerson was given a rest day, while Johnson left the scrimmage early, never to return. Cornerback Jonathan Jones also returned after an extended absence due to a shoulder injury. He was limited in what was a light practice without pads.

The following players were still sidelined: tight end Eli Stowers (hamstring), tackle Markel Bell (thumb/leg), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), and safety Cole Wisniewski (concussion). Center/ guard Willie Lampkin appeared to tweak something late in practice and left team drills. He missed Monday’s workout after suffering a stinger in the second preseason game on Saturday.

Now is as good a time as any to recognize the Eagles’ triumvirate of cornerbacks. They could have the best unit in the NFL, although only time will tell if Riq Woolen can be consistent enough to be mentioned alongside Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. He’s had a good camp, with more than five interceptions at last count. There have been down days like the first joint practice in New England. Vic Fangio said before practice that Woolen can get “a little sloppy,” but overall he’s had a solid summer.

More could be said of Mitchell and DeJean. The occasional struggles of Jalen Hurts and the first-unit offense, as Sean Mannion installs his new scheme, can be partly attributed to all three corners. Woolen broke up Hurts’ first pass in seven-on-sevens to receiver DeVonta Smith. In team drills, Mitchell had sticky coverage on receiver Hollywood Brown and notched a pass breakup. A little later, DeJean didn’t bite on a Smith double move and forced Hurts to throw the ball out of reach.

Hurts and the offense had some moments after a messy practice in front of fans at the Linc. He hit Smith on a post route in the back of the end zone vs. zone coverage in seven-on-sevens. Later, in 11-on-11s, Hurts did well to get the ball to an open Makai Lemon after his primary read. He had what appeared to be a touchdown himself off a draw. And in a later set, he dumped to tight end Cameron Latu, who had room after the catch.

Mannion likes his offense to get out of the huddle and get the play off quickly at times. The change of pace can throw off a defense, although it denies Hurts the chance to read the coverage presnap. Mannion had a play dialed up on Wednesday that got Smith matched up against linebacker Zack Baun after a play-action fake. Hurts just flicked his receiver the ball for a decent gain after the catch.

There were also unsuccessful moments, of course. Hurts appeared to have Lemon on a dig route over the middle — even if he wasn’t part of his initial read — and left the pocket and threw the ball away. Screens to running backs haven’t been a huge part of the offense in camp, but there have been intermittent sprinkles. Saquon Barkley got the ball in the flat in team drills and received a boundary block from Smith. But left tackle Jordan Mailata couldn’t square up safety Andrew Mukuba, who made the stop.

Tight ends haven’t been as featured in the pass offense either, but that could come with time or be dependent upon the opponent. Hurts has history with Dallas Goedert. They have had their connections over the last month. Johnny Mundt is the clear “Y” blocking tight end, but when Hurts has gone to him through the air, there have been apparent miscommunications. There was another on a hitch route Wednesday when the ball flew behind Mundt.

The tight end position is a little uncertain after the top two guys. One guy who hasn’t gotten much mention here, but has performed better the last few weeks is Stone Smartt. He has four years of NFL experience and has showed it of late. He had five catches vs. the Patriots on Saturday and a couple on Wednesday, including a snag just ahead of defender Michael Carter II.

Keyshawn James-Newby missed most of camp with an ankle injury. But the rookie edge is back and he flashed for the first time when he rushed around tackle Myles Hinton for a pressure.

It seems likely that Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee will play in Friday’s preseason finale, if Nick Sirianni’s claim that the backup quarterback competition not being over is true. McKee was first up during seven-on-sevens. It was a mixed bag. He hit Brown underneath and then Lemon, who still caught the pass after it hit one of the simulated pass rushers. McKee then just oddly tossed a pass into the dirt. But he hooked up with running back Tank Bigsby for a touchdown.

Both quarterbacks had their moments in team drills. Dalton lofted a touchdown pass to receiver Quez Watkins, while McKee hooked up with receiver Elijah Moore for positive yardage. Latu lost a defender with a double move, but McKee’s strike sailed through his hands. Watkins picked up more than a first down when he had blockers on a downfield screen.

With camp officially over, and Wednesday’s practice short on competitive periods, here’s one beat reporter’s list for players trending up:

Jalyx Hunt. The outside linebacker has been one of the best defensive players and drew raves from Patriots people after last week’s joint practices. On Wednesday, Hunt beat Mundt — as he should — and met Barkley in the backfield for a would-be tackle for loss.

Drew Kendall / Lampkin. I’m splitting this entry between the two second-year interior O-linemen. They were relative unknowns coming into camp, but have seemingly solidified the center and guard backup spots. There are concerns about experience, size and durability with both. But new O-line coach Chris Kuper has them looking ready. Kendall and Lampkin had key blocks on two Dameon Pearce rushes on Wednesday.

Moro Ojomo. The defensive tackle just keeps raising the bar. Ojomo is in a contract year and will likely price out the Eagles — who just extended Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis — next offseason.

Tyler Steen. The right guard is another player entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. Steen has a better chance of staying in Philly than Ojomo, but his return could cost some if he continues to grow in confidence.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The inside linebacker is entering his third season and is still a backup. But if either Baun or Jihaad Campbell goes down, Trotter should be able to step in without missing a beat. He’s been that good in camp.

Honorable mention: Michael Carter II pushed in the safety chase and should be the dime defensive back. Outside linebacker Joshua Weru, despite his inexperience, has flashed enough potential to make the 53-man roster. Marcus Epps never let Carter supplant him at safety. A.J. Epenesa has done enough to earn the third edge spot — for now. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks locked down the No. 2 spot opposite Smith.

Was down, now up: Ty Robinson was relegated to developmental period duty at the start of camp, but the light bulb went off and the defensive tackle started racking up sacks. Will Shipley didn’t exactly struggle in the early going, but he came on strong and was excellent in the joint practices. Cornerback Kelee Ringo might not have been on the outside looking in, but he needed to show he was more than just a good special teams gunner. He’s got liabilities but should be a roster lock.

Hollywood Brown. He’s probably on the 53-man roster, and may end up getting more playing time if Lemon needs developing. But Brown hasn’t popped like the speedster was expected to. He may need some time to adjust to a new scheme.

Andy Dalton. The veteran quarterback didn’t ask to be traded here. That doesn’t excuse his spotty play in an offense he had experience with. But it’s hard to see why the Eagles felt it necessary to push McKee and cut into his repetitions in a new scheme. Maybe Dalton can turn it on at the end to win the job.

Dickerson. No one can deny the left guard’s toughness and what he’s already accomplished. He still has gas in the tank. But of the five starting O-linemen, he may not be an ideal fit in the new wide-zone blocking scheme. As for whether he can make it through the season, that is to be determined. An example of Dickerson’s sluggishness in the new scheme came on Wednesday when he was late to the second level and Campbell plugged Barkley.

Jonathan Greenard. The Eagles’ big offseason trade has missed all of camp with a pectoral muscle injury. Fangio indicated he might not be ready for the opener. Greenard should be the top edge when healthy, but his start in Philly has been underwhelming.

Lemon / Stowers. Rookies should be given the benefit of doubt. Lemon and Stowers could end up delivering on their draft stock. But when you’re a first- and second-rounder, expectations are higher and you should be ready to contribute early. Lemon was out for three weeks with a hamstring injury. He’s back, but there’s going to be an obvious learning curve. Stowers was improving, but a recent hamstring injury has set him back. He’s not yet an NFL blocker and has hardly practiced with Hurts. How much can he realistically do early in the season?

Honorable mention: Jakorian Bennett has been out since injuring his knee in the preseason opener. The corner didn’t look like a roster lock before the setback. Grant Calcaterra is a decent receiver, but blocking isn’t a strength. A recent back injury could end his roster hopes. Fred Johnson has stepped in and helped the Eagles win games the previous two seasons. But like Dickerson, the tackle may not be best-suited to the new scheme. The Eagles may be waiting for another team to cut a more NFL-ready long snapper rather than stick with a rookie in Rocco Underwood.

Was up, now down: Darius Cooper shined early in camp and especially when Smith and Lemon were sidelined. But he’s been inconsistent of late. Case in point: He eased up on a route on Wednesday and allowed safety Andre Sam to tip the ball to Carter for an interception. Jonathan Jones seemed like the obvious first guy off the bench at outside cornerback. But a shoulder injury has clouded his future. Jones’ experience could keep him inside the bubble.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame at halftime of the Oct. 26 game vs. the Cowboys at the Linc. … The Eagles will have a closed walkthrough on Thursday ahead of hosting the Bengals in Friday’s final preseason game. … Practices are now closed except for the warm-up and individual drills periods for the rest of the season. This will be my last batch of observations until workouts next spring. Thanks for reading.

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The Eagles’ first-stringers get little to no action in exhibition games, annual joint practices with other teams become one of the few opportunities for starters to get preseason reps of consequence. This year, the Eagles traveled to New England for two days of live workouts with the Patriots. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Boston Sports Journal’s Greg A. Bedard recap what they saw, and explain why, even after the joint practices, the Eagles still haven’t shown much of an identity. Listen here.

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