25 intriguing Eagles to watch at 2026 OTAs and minicamp

Here are 25 Eagles we'll be watching this week as Eagles kick off their Organized Team Activities.

By Dave Zangaro • Published May 26, 2026

It’s finally time to see the 2026 Philadelphia Eagles on the football field as OTAs kick off this week.

While OTAs are voluntary practices without pads — pads won’t come out until training camp — it’s our first chance to see this version of the Eagles. It’ll also be our first chance to see all the veterans the Eagles added this offseason.

We will of course be watching Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and all the rest of the returning star players on the roster. But there are plenty of other players beyond them who are worth keeping an eye on too.

Here are 25 intriguing players to watch at OTAs this year:

OT Markel Bell: The third-round pick from Miami is enormous. He’s 6-foot-9, 346 pounds and has an 87-inch wingspan. I’m hoping we’ll get a chance to see what side of the line Bell is on after he played exclusively at left tackle with the Hurricanes. Bell said he did get reps at right tackle during practice at Miami. Obviously, there’s a chance Bell could become Lane Johnson’s long-term replacement on the right side.

DT Uar Bernard: The seventh-round pick has never played football before but is an athletic specimen. The Nigerian is a product of the NFL’s Player Pathway Program and is realistically a couple years away from contributing, but there are few players as intriguing as Bernard.

RB Tank Bigsby: The Eagles traded for Bigsby early last season so we didn’t get to see him in training camp, but Bigsby eventually earned a role. He had just 58 carries but had 344 yards (5.9) and a couple touchdowns but played well enough that some fans were clamoring to see more of him in 2025.

WR Hollywood Brown: Marquise "Hollywood” Brown has had a steady career after being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Oklahoma. Brown has had some injuries in his career but even last year caught 49 passes for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Eagles are hoping Brown will bring the speed element to their offense and that should show up in a practice in May.

DB Michael Carter II: The Eagles traded for Carter during last season and then re-worked his contract this offseason to keep him around. While Carter has mostly played nickel cornerback in his NFL career, he’s expected to get a long look at safety this summer and perhaps even push Marcus Epps for a starting gig. It’ll be worth seeing if he can make a smooth transition to a new position. 

OG Landon Dickerson/C Cam Jurgens: One of the biggest concerns about the 2026 season is the health of the offensive line. Both Dickerson and Jurgens dealt with injuries in 2025 and both took a trip to Colombia for stem cell treatments this offseason. Just seeing them running around in shorts in May will be a good sight.

OLB Arnold Ebiketie: The Eagles ended up making a bigger addition on the edge but Ebiketie could be a good rotational player. Ebiketie is a former second-round pick who just finished off his four-year rookie deal with the Falcons. He had just 2 sacks in 2025 but had 6 in both 2023 and 2024 and figures in as the Eagles’ third edge rusher.

OLB Jonathan Greenard: Greenard is the Eagles’ biggest acquisition this offseason. He came to the Eagles via a draft day trade and figures to be their top edge rusher in the 2026 season. Greenard, 29, had just 3 sacks in 12 games last year but had over 24 in the previous two years. He’s a very good pass rusher but is also stout against the run. He could end up having a big season in 2026.

OT Myles Hinton/Cameron Williams: We’re lumping these two together. Both Hinton and Williams were sixth-round offensive tackles last year and might be competing with each other for a roster spot this summer. They’re both large prospects who showed some promise as rookies but mostly behind the scenes. Let’s see if they look like improves players this spring and if it appears one is ahead of the other.

QB Jalen Hurts: Duh. We are always going to watch the starting quarterback but there’s some added intrigue this year with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. An ESPN report earlier this month surfaced that Hurts and Mannion are already forging a strong relationship, which should be very important for the Eagles in 2026. Mannion is bringing a new scheme to Philly and in order for it to work, he’s going to need buy-in from QB1.

CB Jonathan Jones: The Eagles added the veteran cornerback on a one-year deal. Jones was with the Commanders in 2025 after spending nine years with the Patriots. Jones will turn 33 in September and there aren’t many 33-year-old cornerbacks in the NFL. We’ll keep an eye on Jones this spring and summer to see if he’s still able to compete at a high level. He’s not going to be a starter in Philly but is here to provide some veteran depth.

OL Drew Kendall: Kendall was drafted in the fifth round out of Boston College last year and didn’t get to play very much as a rookie. But the Eagles seem bullish on Kendall, who might be their top interior offensive line backup in 2026. That job was held last year by Brett Toth, who left in free agency for San Francisco.

OL Willie Lampkin: The Eagles claimed Lampkin off waivers after final cuts last season and he spent all season on Injured Reserve. Lampkin (5-11, 290) went undrafted out of North Carolina but is a fascinating prospect because of his lack of height. His stature didn’t prevent him from playing on the line in college and it’ll be exciting to watch him this spring and summer with the Eagles.

WR Makai Lemon: Howie Roseman moved up three spots from 23 to 20 to select Lemon out of USC. The Biletnikoff Award winner had a tremendous 2025 season and the Eagles expected him to go in the top 15 picks. When he didn’t, they made sure to get him. Lemon slots in as the Eagles’ WR2 behind DeVonta Smith in 2026 and the Eagles will be relying on Lemon during his rookie season. Lemon isn’t the biggest guy but he’s super competitive and appears to be NFL ready.

WR Elijah Moore: The Eagles took a flier on Moore this offseason when they signed him to a one-year deal. Moore, 26, was a second-round pick back in 2021 and his career hasn’t gone to plan. His best season came in 2023 with the Browns when he had 59 catches for 640 yards. Moore has to fight for a roster spot but maybe he can show the talent that once had him drafted by the Jets at No. 34 overall.

S Drew Mukuba: It’s a big year for Mukuba as he enters his second NFL season. The second-round pick from Texas eventually ended up earning a starting job as a rookie before fracturing his ankle in November. Hopefully, he’ll be on the field for spring practices because he is the only returning starting safety after Reed Blankenship left in free agency.

TE Johnny Mundt: Did I put a blocking TE3 on this list? Of course! Mundt is a 31-year-old tight end entering Year 10 of his career and has never had 20 catches in a season. But he’s known for his blocking ability and has spent his entire career in the style of offense we expect Sean Mannion to run in Philly. So Mundt is here to be a blocker but he might also be able to help install the new scheme.

QB Cole Payton: The rookie quarterback from North Dakota State has been compared to Taysom Hill because of his dual-threat ability. Payton is a rookie entering his first full-team practices so he probably won’t be asked to take on an additional role just yet but there’s intrigue about whether or not the Eagles could eventually use him on the field as a non-QB.

RB Dameon Pierce: The 2022 fourth-round pick got off to a hot start in his NFL career. As a rookie in Houston, Pierce (5-10, 215) rushed for 939 yards but has had just 745 in the three years since. Pierce is behind Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley in the pecking order and will have to fight for a roster spot.

RB Carson Steele: Steele has played in just 17 NFL games and all of them came in 2024 with the Chiefs. He’s listed as a running back but has some fullback in his background, which is the intrigue here. Not only is that his best chance to make the roster but it might also give us a clue about the position in this new offense that’s coming to Philly.

TE Eli Stowers: The Eagles drafted Stowers in the second round out of Vanderbilt. While he’s not known for his blocking ability, Stowers could have an early role as a pass catcher. The Eagles have a history of drafting very good tight ends in the second round, taking Zach Ertz in 2013 and Dallas Goedert in 2018. They’re hoping they did it again with Stowers.

OLB Joshua Weru: While there has been a lot of focus on DT Uar Bernard, the Eagles’ seventh-round draft pick from the IPP, don’t forget about Weru. The edge rusher is from Kenya and was part of the same IPP program and appears to have upside. Weru (6-4, 244) is a former rugby player who is extremely athletic.

WR Dontayvion Wicks: Because the Eagles drafted Makai Lemon in the first round, some folks have probably forgotten about Wicks. But the Eagles traded for Wicks and then signed him to a new deal this offseason. Wicks (6-1, 206) spent the first three years of his career in Green Bay, where he crossed paths with Sean Mannion. The Eagles think Wicks has plenty of untapped potential and he figures to be the No. 3 receiver in this offense.

WR Johnny Wilson: Last summer, it looked like Wilson was well on his way to earning a roster spot before suffering a serious training camp injury in August. He needed season-ending knee and ankle surgery but should hopefully be back on the field this spring. Wilson (6-6, 228) played in 16 games as a rookie sixth-round pick in 2024, mostly as a blocker. He’s in the mix for a roster spot again in 2026.

CB Riq Woolen: The Eagles signed Woolen to a one-year, $12 million deal to solidify their cornerback trio, which might be the best in the entire NFL. Woolen is a huge corner at 6-foot-4 but has great athleticism. There are reasons he was available on a one-year deal but the potential is there for this to be a great move.

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