Where does the Philadelphia Eagles running back and wideout corps rank?
SB Nation recently put together a power ranking, listing all 32 backfield’s and wide receiver units. Where do the Philadelphia Eagles rank?
The Philadelphia Eagles are currently wrapping up their second week of OTAs as the month of May is beginning to wind down. Soon enough, the guys in midnight green will be taking on the next phase of the offseason, which involves the mandatory portion of the summer. Although we’re not quite ready for training camp and the preseason just yet, it’s never too early to dive into debates regarding the state of each team.
At this point, we pretty much have a good idea of what each teams roster will look like. Although it’s tough to guess the entire 53-man list, it’s not impossible to imagine who the 22 starters will be. For the Philadelphia Eagles, we have a pretty good idea. Even though they use a lot of rotations on both sides of the ball at certain positions, at least we can guess which players will be in the mix. The running back position is one of those areas where the Eagles utilize a heavy rotation. Last year, it turned out to be their worst offensive position. This year, they upgraded.
Just how much did the Eagles upgrade though? Well, after trading with the Chicago Bears for veteran running back, Jordan Howard, the Eagles at least got a reliable power back for short yardage situations. But they didn’t stop adding there. Along with Howard, the Eagles added Penn State running back Miles Sanders through the draft by using a second round pick. So with those two headlining the squad, along with the depth, where does the Eagles’ backfield rank?
The Backfield’s rank
SB Nation recently put together a power ranking regarding specific offensive units as a whole. They highlighted the top five units, along with the bottom five as well. Those in the middle, well, they were barely discussed. Here’s a quick spoiler — the Eagles did not get a shiny paragraph written about them at all, so that should tell you they aren’t the best, but also not the worst.
19. Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders & More
So the Eagles didn’t crack the top-ten. But at least they cracked the top-20. Look, we get it. The Philadelphia Eagles’ backfield hasn’t been the highlight of the offense since the LeSean McCoy era, which ended prematurely. Although they were ranked second in total rushing during the Super Bowl season, the trio of LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement still wasn’t the shiniest backfield. So if Howard, Sanders and beyond can emulate that success without all of the glitz and glamour of these ‘top backfields’ nobody in Philly is going to complain.
What about the wideouts?
The Eagles’ backfield is going to be okay in 2019. But their wide receiver corps could potentially be one of the best in the league — no question. Last year there wasn’t a speedy deep threat — so they added one of the league’s best in DeSean Jackson. Mack Hollins never took that second jump at being Alshon Jeffery 2.0 — so they went out and drafted JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Not to mention, they still have Jeffery along with Nelson Agholor in the slot.
7. Jeffery, Agholor, Jackson, Arcega-Whiteside
There are many out there who believe the Eagles potentially have the best wide receiver corps in the league. No seriously, NFL.com was just debating this yesterday. According to SB Nation, though, they fall just outside of the top five. Considering that most of the other units in front of them have actually all played together before, this one is hard to argue. On paper, the Eagles look excellent, but it’s still unclear if this is all going to work or not. Plus, injuries will be a major factor.