The Philadelphia Eagles didn't really replace safety Reed Blankenship with anyone when he departed in free agency, but there might be a chance that one they just selected might be the one.
Philly is set to roll with Marcus Epps or Michael Carter II at one of the starting safety positions, while Andrew Mukuba will start at the other, but a new challenger might have entered the picture with 2026 seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski being selected. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke about selecting Wisniewski and how he plays similarly to Blankenship.
"Really instinctive," Roseman said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "Got great ball skills. He's a physical player. Obviously, there's some reminder of a guy we won the Super Bowl with. Those are tough shoes to fill. But when you watch him, you saw some of the things you liked on Reed (Blankenship). That'll be an unbelievable outcome."
Eagles found the Reed Blankenship clone in Cole Wisniewski
Last season with Texas Tech, Wisniewski racked up 78 tackles, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one sack, and one fumble recovery. He made 14 starts for the Red Raiders on their stacked defense in 2025.
It will be an uphill battle for Wisniewski to start for the Eagles, but he has a good chance of fighting for a roster spot. He will have to beat out Andre' Sam and J.T. Gray for the final spots at safety.
Gray is a special teams ace, so if Wisniewski wants to make the 53-man roster, that will be the golden ticket. He's fast and can be a consistent tackler, so there shouldn't be any concerns about Wisniewski being able to do that.
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If the Eagles can develop Wisniewski into a potential starting safety, that would be massive for the franchise as they try to get younger on the roster.