Philadelphia Eagles fans are apparently the only people in the league outside of the organization that is excited about the young players on the roster.
ESPN ranked all 32 NFL teams based on their talent under the age of 25. The Eagles did not finish as high as some might have thought, as they were ranked 14th. Still an improvement from their 29th ranking a year ago. NFL analyst Aaron Schatz explained his ranking and what the Eagles have to look forward to in 2025.
"Mitchell is now 24 and Cooper DeJean is only 22. Mitchell had 46 tackles and 12 passes defensed. DeJean had 51 tackles, 6 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. Second-team All-Pro Carter, linebacker Nakobe Dean and edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr. are all 24.
The Eagles' defense will again depend on a series of younger players in 2025 after a slew of players departed in free agency. Jalyx Hunt, 24, was the big sleeper in my 2024 SackSEER edge rusher projections and now takes over for Josh Sweat. Defensive lineman Moro Ojomo, who takes over for the departed Milton Williams, will turn 24 on Aug. 15. Cornerback Kelee Ringo is 23 years old and might take over for Darius Slay.
The defense will also be counting on two highly drafted rookies: first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell (21) and second-round safety Andrew Mukuba (22).
The Eagles would rank even higher if they had any significant young talent on the offensive side of the ball, but we're just talking about depth receivers (Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson are 24) and a third-string running back (23-year-old Will Shipley)."
Should the Eagles be ranked higher than what ESPN gave them?
There is some truth to the fact that the offense does not have as much young talent outside of the three Schatz. Watch out for Shipley to have a bigger role in the offense, especially in the passing game.
The defense alone should be enough to move the Eagles up in the rankings. Carter, Mitchell, and DeJean are considered to be among the top 100 players in the NFL entering the 2025 season. Nolan Smith are Hunt are poised to have breakout seasons off the edge for the Eagles.
Dean was a stud last year before his Wild Card injury and has a chance to step up again and play well. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been a standout at offseason workouts and training camp in Dean's place and could also be a candidate for a breakout season.
Don't sleep on the rookies Campbell and Mukuba, as last year proved that the Eagles can find instant contributors on defense right away. Campbell has been attracting praise at training camp and looks to be a force.
Read more: It's becoming clear what Eagles' biggest issue is at training camp
The potential is there for the Eagles, and 2025 will show all of them on display, with many of them still having a year or two before they hit 25. That's scary to think about.