Even in this day and age, training camp is tough, especially for rookies.
With the Eagles just wrapping up their 2024 training camp after 16 total practices, it’s time to take a summer look back at the draft class.
The Eagles haven't gotten much in the way of rookie contributions in recent years, but that could change this season, with at least a few of their draft picks having very strong summers.
Let's take a look:
Rounds 1-22: Quinion Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The plan for Mitchell this summer was pretty straightforward. He began his first NFL training camp with the second team as both an outside and nickel corner, but the Eagles gradually worked him into the starter role. His first practice with the first team came on Day 3 as an extra defensive back in a dime package, and his workload with the starters increased from there.
On Day 4, Mitchell was the first nickel cornerback to take the field. He replaced Avonte Maddox, who began camp as the incumbent starter. Ultimately, Maddox had to play safety, which made the transition even smoother. For most of training camp, Mitchell played nickel cornerback on the first-team defense, but also did a few extra practices on the outside on the second team. Nickel corner is a new position for Mitchell, but the Eagles saw some signs in the spring that he might be able to handle it, and they were right. Towards the end of camp, Mitchell became the Eagles' top outside corner opposite Darius Slay in the base package and moved inside on nickel downs. That appears to be his role for Week 1, and it will put a lot of strain on him. And it also means Mitchell won't be off the field.
What impressed me most about Mitchell this summer was his competitive spirit. He relished the opportunity to go up against AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, taunting them in the process. He didn't win every time against two of the best receivers in the NFL, but he fought and never flinched. And on the final day of camp, when Nick Sirianni set up some one-on-one situations, he asked the whole team who wanted Brown. The first one to raise his hand was Mitchell. That pretty much says it all.
Round 2-40: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
The Eagles are excited about Dejan's future, but the versatile defensive back out of Iowa suffered a hamstring injury during the offseason that caused him to miss most of training camp. Dejan was placed on the non-football injured list over the summer and missed the first 11 days of practice. He returned as a limited participant on Day 12 (the joint New England practice) and has slowly improved since then.
In the last few practices of the summer, Dejan played mostly as nickel corner on the second-team defense and didn't look too rusty. In fact, he had some nice hits on Britten Covey and Will Shipley at the catch point (though both were holding onto the ball). After an injury that ended his 2023 season at Iowa early, Dejan is looking forward to playing in his third and final preseason game on Saturday at Lincoln. He really misses the physical side of football and wants to actually get some hits on someone in full pads before his rookie season starts.
So what role can we expect Dejan to play? Early in the season, Dejan will be a defensive backup and a big contributor on special teams. However, as the season progresses, his role on defense could expand. His first opportunity on the field will likely be in a dime package. Early in the season, I expect this role to go to Maddox. However, if Isaiah Rodgers or Kelly Ringo have shaky situations on the outside, Dejan could take over as the nickel cornerback. If the Eagles are doing well, it may be less likely that Dejan will be on the field. However, it seems possible that Mitchell will be the best option on the outside and Dejan could be the nickel.
Round 3-94: Jarix Hunt, OLB, Houston Christian
Hunt's relative inexperience meant that expectations were obviously modest going into rookie training camp, but he easily exceeded them. Hunt showed off his athleticism and playmaking ability all summer and didn't look as raw as many expected him to be. He was a force as a pass rusher off the edge but also looked smooth when asked to drop into coverage. His safety background seems to work in his favor in that department.
Hunt also has a big role on special teams. He loves to run the field on special teams and knows he'll need to excel in that area as a rookie because he might not get a lot of playing time on defense. Hunt will at least be behind Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and Nolan Smith. But he's shown enough this summer to earn at least some playing time.
Hunt did miss the final practice of training camp with an oblique injury, but said it was no big deal. Hunt was the subject of my “Surviving Camp” series this summer. Read on to learn more about his story and his journey through training camp.
Round 4-127: Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
Entering his rookie season, Shipley is clearly ranked below Saquon Barkley and Kenny Gainwell in the pecking order, but he has looked good enough to earn playing time this season.
Shipley has been at his best as a receiver out of the backfield. He has smooth hands and catches the ball like a natural receiver. Of course, Barkley and Gainwell can catch the ball too, so it might not be easy to fill that role. I was actually impressed with Shipley's rushing through holes. I agree that it's not his best strength, but when there is a hole, he rushes through it with force. And I'd like to give Shipley credit for developing as a pass blocker over the summer. At the beginning of camp, the linebackers were totally tormenting him, but he showed some great blitz pickups in the first preseason game and has gotten even better in practice.
We also got to see Shipley in action as a kick returner. The Eagles have used two returners in the past, but with this new play it makes sense to use a running back. The blocking looks more like a run play, so Shipley has a chance to shine on kick returns.
Round 5-152: Aeneas Smith, WR, Texas A&M
It was a really tough start to training camp for Smith. To be honest, his struggles continued through most of the summer and it took a long time to get out of it. For most of training camp, Smith looked as if he didn't belong there. Like the NFL game was too big, too fast for him. He dropped too many passes, missed punts, and wasn't explosive even when he had the ball in his hands. Of course, Smith was recovering from a stress fracture before entering spring camp, but his play at the beginning of the summer looked like he was more than just rusty.
Coach Sirianni gave Smith some chances to gain confidence, but it backfired on Day 11 when he put him one-on-one with safety Andre Sam with the whole team watching. Smith struggled to get separation and dropped passes during a drill to get the offense going.
The good news? The final two days of training camp were Smith's best days of the summer. Perhaps it started with him catching the game-winning two-point conversion on a love route in a preseason game against the Patriots. In the final practice of the summer, Smith had his best overall performance. He had to reach all the way out and grab a pass from Tanner McKee in the middle of the field with his fingertips. It was an impressive catch that the rookie never would have been able to make earlier in the summer. Because he was a fifth-round pick and showed up strong at the end, Smith still has a chance to make the 53-man roster, but his role may be minimal.
Round 5-155: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
All we heard about Trotter coming out of college was about his instincts, which were definitely on display all summer: Trotter is more than just a football player, and in recent weeks, he's taken the first steps toward stepping out of his father's shadow in a city where the Axeman made a Pro Bowl appearance.
Trotter Jr. may not be the biggest or the quickest player, but he always seems to be in the right spot. He has a high football IQ, which was evident in practice and the first few preseason games.
For most of the summer, the top two linebackers starting every day were Devin White and Zach Baun. Nakobe Dean is the obvious next guy with a chance to start, but Trotter is in the expanded rotation. He worked out well with the first team this summer. He's not expected to be a starter in his first year, but he has a path to play on defense. If the guys above him struggle, Trotter has shown enough that he should get an opportunity. If not, he'll still be on the roster and contribute on special teams.
Round 5-172: Trevor Keegan, OG, Michigan
Keegan was injured on the penultimate day of training camp, missing the final day with a hip injury, and also injured his shoulder earlier in camp. But aside from those injuries, Keegan played as expected. From Day One, Keegan played left guard for the second team, and he held that role throughout the summer, except for a few practices with the first team after Landon Dickerson was injured on Day 5.
It's worth noting that Keegan played left guard in college, but that was his only position this summer. There was talk over the spring about Keegan being a potential all-around backup, but we haven't seen that in recent weeks. The good news is that Keegan looks like a solid player at left guard and plays with a bit of a mean side, which is what you want in an offensive lineman.
Keegan should make the roster as a backup in Year 1, but without a lot of position flexibility, he won't always be able to perform on game day.
Round 6-185: Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
At the start of camp, there was a lot of interest in the 6-foot-6, 228-pound receiver, and Wilson certainly caught their attention. Parris Campbell started the summer as the Eagles' WR3, but injured his groin on Day 8 and missed five practices. During that time, Wilson began to get more opportunities to practice with the first team alongside AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. It wasn't like Wilson had one great play after another, but he looked good. He caught the ball coming to him and showed good athleticism for a player his size.
Another key element of Wilson's game is that he could play inside or outside. This could be key for the WR3 in this offense because Kellen Moore wants his receivers to line up anywhere. A big advantage of that in camp was putting Smith in the slot. And with Smith in the slot in an 11-man formation, the third receiver has to line up on the outside. With Wilson lining up inside, he gave the offense a bigger target and a different body shape than most defenses are used to at the position.
Wilson suffered a concussion during a joint practice with the Patriots and missed the remainder of training camp due to the NFL's concussion protocol. It's fair to point out that Wilson was a little back to reality before the injury, but he had a solid training camp as a sixth-round pick and performed well enough to earn a spot on the roster. If the Eagles don't add another receiver, he could find himself with a role on offense in Year 1.
Round 6-190: Dylan McMahon, C, North Carolina State University
The last time the Eagles drafted a center in the sixth round, it worked out pretty well. While we're not yet calling McMahon the next Jason Kelce, he quietly had a strong first training camp as the third-team center. McMahon practiced with the second team, but that role was filled by Matt Hennessey at the start of camp and Brett Toth at the end. During team drills, McMahon performed as expected and really impressed in the OL-DL one-on-ones, where he had to face tough challenges against bigger defensive tackles.
Based on McMahon's play, I expected him to take over as the backup center at some point this summer, but that didn't happen, so I'm curious to see what the roster construction will be and if McMahon will be the backup center when the season starts. A sixth-round pick doesn't guarantee a roster spot, but McMahon seems to have earned it with his play.
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