Jalen Hurts among half dozen Eagles named top ten players at their positions

It may be quiet around town and in areas where Philadelphia Eagles fans live outside the City of Brotherly Love, but we've been keeping our ears to the pavement. Here's what we have learned. That adrenaline rush we felt during free agency and again during the NFL Draft hasn't subsided. The buzz is still steady. The coming regular season can't get here fast enough.

Sure, when we sit for a while, the mind starts to wander. We ask ourselves questions we didn't seem to ponder while excited. What if Vic Fangio isn't the answer? What if Philly fails and we waste another prime year of all of these young budding stars on offense?

You're right. There are depth concerns. Those exist on every team though. We're excited. This is a talented team that can potentially make a deep playoff run. The offense can hang with anyone if it's clicking.

PFF ranks Jalen Hurts as the NFL's ninth-best quarterback.

With Shane Steichen's departure early in 2023 to accept the Indianapolis Colts' head-coaching offer, Philly had a void to fill at offensive coordinator. They filled said void with the promotion of Brian Johnson. Let's just say that didn't work.

Now, the reasons for why it didn't work have been debated. Maybe Johnson simply wasn't prepared adequatley. Maybe he was handicapped by having to run Nick Sirianni's offense. Whatever the reason, Johnson is out, and Kellen Moore is in. People are excited.

Questions have been asked about what type of influence he'll have with Jalen Hurts. Can he help QB1 return to MVP-level form? We have twice mentioned Hurts as a possible winner.

He finished as the runner-up to Patrick Mahomes in 2022. He had the best odds to win the award after Philly's overtime win versus the Buffalo Bills. Then, the collapse happened, but PFF ranked Hurts ninth during a February ranking of all 32 quarterbacks crafted by Trevor Sikkema. Here's some of what he said on the subject:

"It was a roller coaster of a year for Hurts, who set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns and big-time throws, but also career highs in interceptions and lost fumbles. It was his third consecutive season of at least 10 rushing touchdowns, while he also led the position in rushing first downs.

It also just didn’t look like Hurts was fully healthy for a lot of the 2023 campaign. He wasn’t the same rushing threat overall, with lower missed tackles forced, yards per attempt and explosive run (20 yards or more) figures. It wasn’t as efficient or explosive a season as his 2022, but Hurts remains a constant threat from the position."

Five other Eagles are named by PFF as top-ten players at their position.

While we didn't totally approve of where QB1 landed when we first saw the ranking, a top-ten ranking is nothing to sneeze at. PFF's top-ten mention of Philly's franchise signal-caller is one of a half-dozen top-ten mentions of Eagles starters who play on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are the other five. Check out PFF's ranking of the best players at every position ahead of the 2024 NFL season to access and read the full stories.

Saquon Barkley, running back

Saquon Barkley landed sixth among Thomas Valentine's top 32 running backs. He's ranked behind Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, and Bijan Robinson. Working behind Philly's O-line should ensure a monstrous season.

Breece Hall, Aaron Jones, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Josh Jacobs round out the rest of the top ten.

A.J. Brown, wide receiver

A.J. Brown lands fifth on Sam Monson's ranking of the top 32 wide receivers. He has earned consecutive Pro Bowl nods after his first two seasons in Philly.

Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb rank first through fourth. Davante Adams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, Cooper Kupp, and Deebo Samuel round out the rest of the top ten.

DeVonta Smith lands at 16 if you are interested.

Dallas Goedert, tight end

Let's hope Dallas Goedert sees more targets in 2024. Injuries disallowed him the opportunity to play the full slate of games in each of his past five seasons after playing all 16 games as a rookie. He has never eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in a single season. Having A.J., DeVonta, and Saquon as teammates probably means he'll miss the mark again.

PFF's John Kosko ranks him sixth among all tight ends behind George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, and Sam LaPorta. He blocks and catches with equal proficiency.

Jordan Mailata & Lane Johnson, offensive tackles

Philly's bookends to the offensive line both land in PFF's top five. Jordan Mailata earns the fifth spot according to Zoltán Buday. Lane Johnson is right behind him at six.

There isn't a single Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders tackle on the list. That's interesting. We hope Philly can go hunting.