Everyone in Philly will be focused on the wide receiver battle for the Philadelphia Eagles, with so many players competing for starting time.
Between DeVonta Smith, rookie Makai Lemon, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, and Darius Cooper, there are so many possibilities for who will come out on time and make the 53-man roster. Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox is actually looking at another position battle for the Eagles: edge rusher.
"Plenty of eyes will be on the Eagles' receiver competition, assuming Philly does trade A.J. Brown. However, the competition at edge-rusher might be even more critical. The Eagles struggled to consistently generate pressure off the edge in 2025, and while they added Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline, they also lost him in free agency. This offseason, Philadelphia signed Arnold Ebiketie, traded for Jonathan Greenard, and drafted Keyshawn James-Newby. Greenard should walk into a starting job, but the others will compete with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt for prominent roles in the rotation."
Eagles fans might have to watch the edge rusher position battle in training camp
Greenard feels like the only lock to be a starter from the edge rusher room. The other starting job will most likely be between Smith and Hunt, which should make for an intriguing battle.
Hunt is the more athletic edge rusher of the two after leading the team in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (three) this past season. Smith has more experience and has been consistent with getting pressure on the quarterback.
What happens behind those guys, though, is where the real mystery begins. Ebiketie has shown a lot of potential, so he makes for a good backup rotational guy, but between Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and rookie James-Newby, that adds another element to the position battle. Tryon-Shoyinka is a former first-round pick and has played well up until last year, but James-Newby might be a guy they want to develop for the next few years.
Read more: A.J. Brown trade is a legacy-defining moment for Eagles' Howie Roseman
It isn't going to be easy to pick among the bunch, as there is a lot of talent in the edge rusher room, but it's more about untapped potential that hasn't been shown off yet. If guys like Hunt and Smith reach their full potential in 2026, that will make the position battle a lot more interesting and one that will last through the season.
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