Eagles 53-man roster prediction. Can 'Bowling Ball with Knives' make it?

There's one thing to keep in mind when figuring out the Eagles' 53-man roster with NFL roster cutdown day looming on Aug. 30:

As great a story as Willie Lampkin has been at center and guard, with his 5-foot-11, 290-pound frame, you also have to take into account if, or how, he can help the Eagles should something happen to center Cam Jurgens or right guard Tyler Steen.

So far, Lampkin has shown that. That's why Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis calls him, "a bowling ball with knives."

Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets

The same is true with Carson Steele, the hurdling fullback who finished off his 20-yard TD catch and run with a hurdle over a Patriots defender in the Eagles' 24-21 loss to the Patriots on Aug. 22.

You also have to project into the future with two players who could also get roster spots in International Players Pathway program alums Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio refers to them as "foreign exchange students" because of their newness to football.

All of which makes putting together the Eagles' 53-man roster a challenging exercise consisting of stars, proven backups, unheralded camp standouts and potential future contributors. Here's our projection:

In: Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton

Out: Tanner McKee

Comment: The best part about McKee's performance against the Patriots, when he completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns, is that he made himself attractive in a trade before cutdown day. Could the Eagles trade Dalton instead? Sure. But McKee is a decade younger and this is the last year of his rookie contract, meaning that the Eagles don't want to let him go after the season for nothing.

In: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Carson Steele

Out: Dameon Pierce, Ja'Quinden Jackson

Comment: Barkley and Bigsby form a solid duo as they showed in the practices with the Patriots. Shipley has played well in both preseason games. Steele gets a spot here as a fullback in short-yardage (read: Tush Push) situations. This is assuming he can contribute on special teams.

In: Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Cameron Latu, Eli Stowers

Out: Grant Calcaterra, E.J. Jenkins, Stone Smartt

Comment: The Eagles are keeping Stowers, their second-round pick, but it's looking more and more like a redshirt year for him. Mundt stays because he's the best blocking tight end, and Latu stays because he's good on special teams.

WINNERS, LOSERS VS PATRIOTS: 11 winners, losers in Eagles preseason loss, including double hurdler

In: DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore, Hollywood Brown, Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon

Out: Johnny Wilson (on IR), Quez Watkins, Britain Covey, Samori Toure, Brandon Hayes, Erik Ezukanma, Danny Gray

Comment: Smith and Lemon are expected to be full participants in practice this week after both suffered hamstring injuries on Aug. 3. Lemon, the first-round pick, has a lot of catching up to do. Brown showed signs of life against the Pats after a disappointing start to camp. Cooper is the so-called "dirty work" WR.

In: (starters, from left) Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson. Reserves: Markel Bell, Fred Johnson, Drew Kendall, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin

Out: Cameron Williams, Michael Jordan, John Ojukwu, Jake Majors, Myles Hinton

Comment: The second unit (Fred Johnson, Bell, Kendall, Lampkin and Majors) shined in the preseason game against the Patriots. Both Kendall and Lampkin likely locked up roster spots with their performance. Morris, the Eagles' sixth-round pick, gets the spot over Majors because a tie goes to the draft pick. Both Williams and Hinton, sixth-round picks in 2025, have struggled.

In: Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, AJ Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie, Joshua Weru

Out: Jose Ramirez, Keyshawn James-Newby, Tarron Jackson

Comment: Greenard (pectoral strain) might not be ready by Week 1, but the Eagles likely won't keep him on the PUP list because that would mean missing four games. That means the Eagles will need depth for the first part of the season as Greenard works his way into shape. Weru had a sack against the Patriots. The Eagles will find a spot for him.

In: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson, Uar Bernard

Out: Zion Wilson, Gabe Hall, David Blay

Comment: The top three in Carter, Davis and Ojomo are stars. Robinson, the fourth-round pick last season, is no longer on "life support" as Fangio called Robinson's start to camp. Robinson had 2 sacks against the Patriots. Bernard, an IPP player, had his first career tackle against the Patriots. He stays so that another team doesn't claim him.

TANNER MCKEE'S NIGHT: Eagles vs. Patriots preseason highlights: Is Tanner McKee in backup QB lead?

In: Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter, Smael Mondon

Out: Chance Campbell, Deontae Lawson, Brandon George

Comment: Believe it or not, Fangio called linebacker the team's deepest position. It's really hard to cut Campbell and Lawson, who have played well so far. But Trotter has proven that he can start for many teams, and Mondon, the Eagles' fifth-round pick in 2025, has also played well. Plus, he's a valuable special teamer.

In: Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo

Out: Jonathan Jones, Mac McWilliams, Jakorian Bennett, Shaun Wade, Ambry Thomas, Isaiah Bolden

Comment: The Eagles' top three are among the top trio of CBs in the NFL, and they have to stay healthy because it's a big dropoff to Ringo. But he stays for special teams where he's a Pro Bowl gunner. The Eagles have to count on at least one of Jones, McWilliams and Bennett making it to the practice squad. It's possible.

In: Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter, Andre Sam

Out: J.T. Gray, Cole Wisniewski, Kapena Gushiken, Maximus Pulley

Comment: DeJean will play safety in base packages, leaving Epps or Carter as the starter next to Mukuba the rest of the time. Wisniewski, the Eagles' seventh-round pick, has missed too much time with a hamstring injury and should get to the practice squad. Sam stays because he's the best of the rest and he has special teams value.

In: Jake Elliott-kicker, Braden Mann-punter

Out: Rocco Underwood-long snapper

Comment: Underwood, an undrafted free agent, is headed for the practice-squad elevation route.

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: Eagles 53-man roster prediction. Can 'Bowling Ball with Knives' make it?

Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.