Eagles' 53-man roster projection reveals surprise names after Ravens loss

Eagles' 53-man roster projection reveals surprise names after Ravens loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost their preseason opener to the Baltimore Ravens 24-7, but the result is not what the front office is focused on. The coaching staff is using these three exhibition games to evaluate the roster before cutdown day, and Week 1 gave them a clearer picture at several positions.

According to a post-preseason Week 1 roster projection from Rob Gregson of A to Z Sports, several surprise names have surfaced on the 53-man bubble following the loss to Baltimore, including a fifth-round rookie quarterback and an undrafted wide receiver.

Most Eagles starters and key backups sat out, as is typical for Week 1 of the preseason. The Ravens controlled the game from start to finish: 31 first downs to Philadelphia's 6, 440 total yards to 159, and 41:17 of possession time to 18:43. The Eagles went 0-for-9 on third downs.

The starting job belongs to Jalen Hurts, but the competition at the bottom of the depth chart produced one of the more notable storylines from Week 1. Fifth-round rookie Cole Payton, out of North Dakota State, is projected to make the 53-man roster as the third quarterback ahead of veteran Andy Dalton. Payton's mobility showed up in the second half with a scramble on fourth-and-three and a touchdown pass that finished a late drive, building his case as a developmental option.

Gregson's projection has Dalton on the outside, with Philadelphia potentially moving him via trade for a Day 3 pick rather than keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster.

Darius Cooper earned a spot in the projected six-receiver group after strong performances both in camp and during the preseason opener. Cooper is undrafted, making his inclusion one of the clearer surprises in Gregson's projection.

Hollywood Brown remains in the projection despite quieter performances so far, largely protected by his $5 million guarantee. The full projected six are DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Cooper, Brown, and Elijah Moore. Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey, and Quez Watkins are currently projected out.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. had a sack, multiple quarterback hits, and five tackles, further securing his spot among the linebackers. Ty Robinson also recorded a sack and remains in the projected six-man interior defensive line group. Markel Bell has continued to push for a role as a swing tackle among the offensive line reserves.

One of the more unconventional inclusions in the projection is Uar Bernard, a raw international developmental tackle with almost no prior organized football experience. Gregson projects Bernard to stick on the 53 primarily to keep other teams from claiming him off waivers, given the physical upside he showed in limited action.

Jonathan Greenard is projected to make the roster and is expected to come off the physically unable to perform list, adding depth to the edge group when he returns. Mac McWilliams logged heavy snaps and led the team in tackles, keeping him in contention among the secondary depth. Gregson notes there is still meaningful variance between McWilliams and Kelee Ringo, who brings special-teams value and had an end-zone interception against Baltimore.

Philadelphia has two preseason games left: at the New England Patriots on August 22 and home against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 28. The Eagles must trim from 90 players to 53 before final cutdown day. Joint practices with the Patriots ahead of Week 2 will give the coaching staff additional evaluation time.

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