Eagles football, at last, is back! After one of the most tumultuous offseasons since the Doug-Wentz era, I among the rest of this fanbase have anticipated what this new Eagles team would look like. Tonight we got our first taste of what this team can be. With 80+ players shuffling in and out, it can be hard to keep track of everyone, so I have compiled this list of players who played well tonight and who to keep an eye out for in these upcoming weeks. I wanted to include everyone because, for my expectations, a lot of players outplayed their paychecks. But to keep this short and sweet, I’ve narrowed it down to these players.
Quez Watkins, Wide Receiver
This one should be obvious. When the NFL Instagram page posts your highlights, you know you’ve made it. Quez Watkins has been the talk of the town all offseason, being singled out by star CB as the most impressive receiver in camp thus far, and he showed why. Watkins’ 79-yard touchdown in the first quarter showed Eagles fans his greatest strength up close and personal: speed. Even beyond the highlight, Watkins almost had a 98 yard TD earlier in the first quarter after burning his man, but Jalen Hurts’s ball sailed slightly over him. The young 6th round pick has proven thus far to be a gem, and could potentially win a starting role in this Nick Sirianni offense.
Alex Singleton, TJ Edwards and Shaun Bradley, Linebackers
I wanted to group all three of these guys because they all play similar positions and did a lot of great. All three were great in pursuit and made plays all over the field. When Singleton was on the field, he seemed to be involved in every single tackle, especially when receivers went over the middle. Edwards, who has been criticized for lackluster coverage, was able to effectively see Steelers RBs and pick them up to make plays in the backfield. Bradley (who I may add significantly bulked up) was able to consistently get to the ball carrier with the third-team defense on the field. Despite this LB core seeming thin on paper, if these guys can keep up the performances they had tonight they can make impacts during the season.
Milton Williams, Defensive End
ROOKIE ALERT! I was always high on Williams, and boy do I like being right. Lining up at end tonight was definitely interesting, but he proved it was the right call. It seemed as if the line had no answers for him, as they had to send a double team on him on a T.Y. McGill sack, and he beat both of them. While Aaron Donald comparisons might still be a little extreme, his performance proved that Howie indeed did his due diligence on this guy. If it wasn’t clear enough, the Eagles began to lose traction on the line, especially in the run game when they subbed him out.
Jake Elliott, Kicker
Elliott has a boot, but consistency has been an issue for him. Coming out and nailing 3 45+ yard field goals on 3 attempts to start this preseason is a good omen. Perhaps the presence of new special teams coordinator Michael Clay and punter Aaryn Siposs has been a positive for the 26-year-old kicker.
Matt Pryor, Offensive Tackle
I am no Matt Pryor fan, but in his limited reps he did a lot of good. There were many reps where he shut down speed and power rushers alike with his quick burst off the line. Heck, I thought he had committed a false start a few times. The offense flat-out looked its best when Pryor was playing. QB Joe Flaco had impressive passing splits, and even on broken plays like when Kerryon Johnson fell down, there were wide-open holes created by Pryor.
Kenny Gainwell, Running Back
ANOTHER ROOKIE! The 5th rounder from Memphis affirmed tonight that teams were foolish to pass on him. In absence of Miles Sanders, Gainwell took some significant carries and proved he was willing to take hits and be aggressive in pass blocking. We got a small taste as to how he may be utilized, and you have got to love it. It will certainly be a challenge to cut down this RB room with nobody really looking to be the odd man out as of now.
Tyree Jackson, Tight End
One of the more intriguing prospects that has flashed in camp is the 6’7”, former QB and MAC MVP in college Tyree Jackson. The unicorn looked very smooth from the tight end spot. Jackson was getting open on almost every rep and making athletic catches to boot. Specifically, in the two-minute warning, he and Joe Flacco teamed up for 2 catches to set up a 50-yard field goal for Elliott. Logan Thomas converted from quarterback to tight end for Washington and the results last year were dazzling, and from the early looks of it, the Eagles might’ve found their guy to fit that role. He and Richard Rodgers will for sure compete for the TE3 spot (assuming a Zach Ertz trade is postponed), but the Eagles will no doubt ponder the idea of keeping Jackson on the active roster.
Zech McPhearson, Cornerback
McPhearson (ROOKIE!!) has also been gaining some hype in camp, and while some rookie mistakes were made tonight, he also showed some very promising upside. Erase that PI call in the endzone and there isn’t much more you can ask from a young corner. He was great in the run game, which is quite unusual for a corner especially of his age and size, but he showed he was unafraid to get dirty.
Tarron Jackson, Defensive End
Last but not least, I’d like to mention the 6th round ROOKIE from Coastal Carolina Tarron Jackson had a solid night. On a third team d-line that was getting eaten alive, Tarron Jackson stood out. He showed off his plethora of pass rush moves and was able to pressure the quarterback on multiple occasions, and looked to be the only one making plays to stop the run in the 4th quarter. His high energy throughout the game really stood out, and he has the early look of a late-round steal if tonight symbolizes his overall game.
Even in a loss, it’s hard not to be enthusiastic about some of the young talent we saw tonight, and I for one am remaining cautiously optimistic moving forward.
Looking for additional coverage of the first preseason game? Check out these articles:
* * *
Jish Sokolsky is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Jish, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
