OTAs are officially underway for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2026, and there are plenty of position battles that are going to take time to figure out.
There are a few starting and backup jobs that are up for grabs for players to take, with OTAs being the first time they have a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The Eagles have six position battles to watch throughout OTAs and training camp.
Which ones are the most important for Eagles fans to monitor?
Top position battles going into 2026 Philadelphia Eagles OTAs
Safety - Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, J.T. Gray, Cole Wisniewski, Andre' Sam, Kapena Gushiken
Eagles fans know that Andrew Mukuba will start at one of the safety positions, but the other safety job is wide open. Epps goes into OTAs as the favorite to win the job, but Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio mentioned other names that could be in the competition. This won't be decided until the last second before the regular season starts, but based on last season, Epps appears to be the guy who should have the job at the moment after playing well in Mukuba's place over the last month of the 2025 campaign.
QB2/QB3 - Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton
Last year, there was little doubt that McKee was going to be the backup quarterback, and while that might be the case again, things have slightly changed. The order should be McKee, Dalton, and Payton, but the potential of Payton and his athletic ability might actually help him move up on the depth chart. Dalton and Payton will battle for the QB3 job, which might be the more intriguing one to monitor.
EDGE - Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt
The safe assumption is that Jonathan Greenard will be one of the starting edge rushers, but the second starter will be between Smith and Hunt, which will be fascinating to watch. Smith has off-field legal issues that could impact the battle, given Hunt's 2025 performance, in which he led the team in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (three). Hunt has a strong chance of earning the starting job based on the fact that he is more of an athlete off the edge than Smith is, so this is not a given that Smith starts Week 1.
WR2 and WR3 - Makai Lemon, Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks
A.J. Brown is out the door, leaving DeVonta Smith to move up as the number one receiver, with questions about who will be behind him. Lemon and Wicks seem to be the most logical choices, as Wicks's height will put him on the outside, and Lemon can line up in the slot. Hollywood will get playing time as the Eagles' speedster, but how much he will play is the real question and shouldn't be completely counted out as a WR2 or WR3.
RB2 - Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce
Pierce adds an interesting aspect to the backup running back battle, as he has shown success in the past, nearly rushing for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season just a few years ago. Bigsby feels like the favorite based on his 5.9 yards per carry as an Eagle last year. Shipley was drafted by the team, so the Eagles want to make it work with him, and his return skills might help him keep a roster spot, but it could be an uphill battle for RB2.
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CB4 - Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams, Jonathan Jones, Jakorian Bennett
The only thing that's helping Ringo keep his job is that he's as good a special-teams gunner as there is in the NFL, but his coverage skills are as below-average as it gets. McWilliams was selected last year and is looking to develop into the lineup as the CB2 or nickel at some point. Jones has starting experience, and Bennett played some for the Eagles, but never excelled last season. This one might be too close to call by the end of training camp.
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