PHILADELPHIA − The Eagles used their first five picks on offensive players in the NFL draft as GM Howie Roseman followed through on his desire to get younger on offense in order to pay his top players on defense as they come up for second contracts.
Yet the Eagles are still returning all 11 starters from offense last season − at least until A.J. Brown gets traded.
But the Eagles are also expecting production out of first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon out of Southern Cal, second-round tight end Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt and perhaps third-round offensive tackle Markel Bell out of Miami.
The Eagles also drafted North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in the fifth round and Georgia guard Micah Morris in the sixth round.
“Obviously, we gotta get these guys on the grass and see how it all comes together,” Roseman said. “I tell our players all the time, there’s no allocation draft in the National Football League … From that perspective, we brought all those guys in because we thought they could do some things for our team.”
Here, then, is what the Eagles’ offensive depth chart looks like after the NFL draft:
Philadelphia Eagles offensive line
- Who’s here (projected starters in bold, draft picks in italics): Jordan Mailata (left tackle), Landon Dickerson (left guard), Cam Jurgens (center), Tyler Steen (right guard), Lane Johnson (right tackle), Fred Johnson, Drew Kendall, Cameron Williams, Markel Bell, Myles Hinton, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors, Hollin Pierce, John Ojukwu
- Positional breakdown: The Eagles are expecting a return to health for three of their star linemen in Dickerson, Jurgens and Lane Johnson. That’s because the depth behind them is unproven at best. Bell, the Eagles’ third-round pick, and Morris, the sixth-rounder, have potential, but both are raw. Williams, Kendall and Hinton were drafted in the sixth round in 2025. Only swing tackle Fred Johnson has significant experience. So just like last season, if a starter goes down for a significant amount of time, it’s a big dropoff to the backups.
- What’s next: Bell, who’s 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, has tremendous upside as a 21-year-old coming out of Miami. Spending this season learning behind Mailata and Lane Johnson certainly beats going back to Miami. Can Bell be ready by 2027 if Lane Johnson, who turns 36 years old on May 8, decides to retire after the season? The clock is already ticking.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks
- Who’s here (projected starter in bold): Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton
- Positional breakdown: Once again, Hurts will be dealing with a new play-caller as Sean Mannion takes over for Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator. Expect Hurts to play more under center this season. The Eagles also expect Hurts to become a bigger threat as a runner compared to last season. The Eagles drafted Payton in the fifth round, and it’s still possible that they could trade McKee, thus moving Dalton up to backup, with Payton as No. 3. Dalton, 38, has thrown for just under 40,000 yards. He’s older than his coaches in Mannion, QB coach Parks Frazier and passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard.
- What’s next? A different season for Hurts. Hurts is dealing with a new coordinator for the seventh time in his seven seasons with the Eagles. It’s going to be an adjustment because Mannion brings a scheme that’s not a derivative of head coach Nick Sirianni.
Philadelphia Eagles running backs
- Who’s here (projected starter in bold): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele (fullback)
- Positional breakdown: Barkley went from 2,005 yards in 2024 to 1,140 yards last season. Somewhere in the middle would be ideal. Bigsby showed as the season went along that he can be a solid No. 2. Pierce had 939 yards as a rookie with the Texans in 2022, but hasn’t come close to that since. He could challenge Shipley for the No. 3 spot.
- What’s next: A more dominating run game reminiscent of 2024. Whether last season’s dropoff was a result of wear from the Super Bowl season, injuries to the offensive line, or both, that can’t happen again. That includes Hurts, who had his fewest yards rushing (421) since becoming a full-time starter in 2021. His previous low was 605 yards rushing.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers
- Who’s here (projected starters in bold): A.J Brown*, DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey, Darius Cooper, Danny Gray, Quez Watkins
- Positional breakdown: There’s an asterisk next to A.J. Brown’s name because, as Roseman said, “A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.” He most likely won’t be after June 1. That means Smith should become the Eagles’ true WR1. Lemon could work into the No. 2 spot with Wicks as WR3. But the Eagles do have more depth than they did in the past with Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Moore coming in. Then again, the Eagles never needed much depth in the past with A.J. Brown producing 1,000-yard seasons in all four of his seasons with the Eagles, and Smith adding three such seasons in his five seasons in Philly. The Eagles will need the depth this season without A.J. Brown.
- What’s next: Lemon projects as a high-volume receiver who operated mostly from the slot at Southern Cal. Think of him like the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown as a possession receiver who can catch and run over the middle. If that turns out to be the case this season, the Eagles won’t miss A.J. Brown too much.
Philadelphia Eagles tight ends
- Who’s here (projected starters in bold): Dallas Goedert, Eli Stowers, Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra, Cameron Latu, Stone Smartt, EJ Jenkins, Jaheim Bell
- Positional breakdown: Goedert is back for another year. This time, his replacement is in place with Stowers, who could be used in “12 personnel” from time to time. As a former QB, don’t be surprised if Stowers gets a gadget play here and there (Philly special, anyone?). Mundt is the blocking tight end that the Eagles didn’t really have last season, especially in short-yardage situations. Calcaterra could have a tough time making the roster.
- What’s next? Stowers could become instrumental this season if injuries strike, either at tight end and wide receiver. But really, Stowers has a lot to learn. He has only been a full-time tight end for his final two seasons in college.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How Eagles offense depth chart, roster shapes up after NFL draft