Don't let his slightly smaller stature for NFL standards fool you: At 5-foot-9, the play of Kapena Gushiken still stands tall in the secondary, and he's showing Philadelphia Eagles fans he's built for the long haul in Philly.
The undrafted free agent once again dropped the hammer on a handful of occasions in the team's preseason matchup with New England, while also excelling in coverage and showcasing his usual strong range and awareness. It's now been two preseason games and a consistent number of days in training camp, where the rookie has continued to stand out.
Simply put, he looks like he belongs out there.
Swiss army knife skillset favors Kapena Gushiken to make Eagles' roster
While Gushkien has performed with both consistency and confidence in his first-ever training camp, another huge factor going for him is his versatility. Everybody knows defensive coordinator Vic Fangio loves players who can line up in multiple spots, and that also favors the former Ole Miss standout. Whether it's at safety or in the slot in certain packages, he offers the Eagles yet another flexible athlete for Fangio to utilize on gamedays.
With recent news that veteran FA addition J.T. Gray has been cut, along with the injury suffered by Tariq Casto-Fields, the recent roster moves have continued to place more importance on the standout preseason performances of Gushiken. Along with "Gush", the backup spot (or spots) behind Andrew Mukukba, Marcus Epps, and Michael Carter are also being vied for by fellow undrafted free agent Maximus Pulley, seventh-rounder Cole Wisneiwski, and veteran Andre Sam. And Gushiken holds a distinct advantage over the field given he moves over at corner when called upon by Fangio.
Pulley has looked promising throughout the preseason and could be the closest competition for Gushiken. Wisniewski needs to knock off some rust and also clean up some coverage issues he showed in his preseason debut to prove his mettle. And while Sam has shown he's an NFL talent at safety as well, he may not be on Philadelphia's active roster quite yet.
This race is heated, and as the summer days have marched on, the diminutive safety/corner just keeps making plays. Since he's arrived in Philadelphia, Gushiken has earned the respect of Fangio, even picking up his nickname from the longtime coordinator. Add it all up, and there are plenty of signs pointing in Gushiken's direction these days.
Read more: Eagles' backup interior linemen duo isn't hiding in the shadows anymore at camp
As it stands, "Gush" is making the most spirited push amongst the backups in this Eagles secondary group to stick long-term.
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