If the 2026 offseason is defined by anything with the Philadelphia Eagles, it's that the franchise is thinking about the future.
While the last two years were spent drafting young defensive players, this offseason was all about bringing in younger offensive players to develop, and the defensive players under 25 are starting to take bigger roles. Guys like Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Jordan Davis, and more might be young, but they are the future of the franchise.
That doesn't mean the Eagles don't have veterans who can step in and mentor players who could use guidance. Here are three veterans on Philly's roster who can help a mentee and prepare them to be part of the Eagles' future in 2026 and beyond.
Eagles mentors who can help develop the mentee in 2026
Mentor: Jonathan Greenard, Mentee: Jalyx Hunt (EDGE)
Greenard might have had injury issues in the past year with the Minnesota Vikings, but now he enters an Eagles defense that needs veteran leadership and help in shaping the group filled with young superstars. He comes in as the team's top pass rusher entering the 2026 season and should see plenty of the field as a starter.
Hunt led the Eagles in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (three) last season, but is still developing entering his third NFL season. If Greenard can help Hunt grow as a pass rusher, Philly might be able to get the full potential they have been waiting for Hunt to have and surpass Nolan Smith as the future at edge rusher.
Mentor: Lane Johnson, Mentee: Markel Bell (RT)
Johnson is a future Hall of Famer without question and might even be a first-ballot selection. He was poised for another All-Pro season last year with zero sacks allowed in 262 pass-blocking snaps, but a foot injury derailed 2025 and cost him the last eight games of the year.
Philly needed depth on the offensive line with Matt Pryor and Brett Toth out of the picture, so the Eagles selected the monstrous Markel Bell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Johnson might be coming up at the end of his career, so having Bell learn everything from him in the next year or two would help in the drop-off at right tackle not be so bad in the future.
Read more: Biggest obstacle for Eagles' Jalen Hurts entering 2026 is staring him in the face
Mentor: Marcus Epps, Mentee: Cole Wisniewski (Safety)
Epps played well last season for the Eagles when he replaced the injured Andrew Mukuba. Now he's back for another year, where he appears to be in line to replace Reed Blankenship as the full-time starter after he left for the Houston Texans in free agency.
Many draft experts believe the Eagles' seventh-round selection of Wisniewski is a Blankenship clone, as both are playmakers in the secondary. Give Epps one year to show Wisniewski the ropes, and the Day 3 selection might have a shot at repeating similar history to Blankenship and eventually become the starter.
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