Eagles depth chart following the 2019 NFL Draft: Offense edition

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired a total of five new players from the 2019 NFL Draft. The team also signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents. Now let’s take a look at what the team’s 2019 projected depth chart looks like with respect to these offseason additions. We’ll start with the offense today before moving on to defense and special teams. (For fun, look at how the roster looks compared to last year at this time.)

QUARTERBACK

1 - Carson Wentz

2 - Nate Sudfeld

3 - Clayton Thorson

4 - Cody Kessler

Wentz is poised to have a great season if he can just stay healthy. Here’s hoping he will because the Eagles will only go as far as No. 11 takes them. Sudfeld has big shoes to fill as Nick Foles’ replacement. He’s shown some positive flashes in limited action but is still largely unproven. Thorson seems like the favorite for the No. 3 job since the Eagles used a fifth-round pick to bring him in as a developmental passer. Kessler will theoretically push Sudfeld and Thorson for the No. 2 and No. 3 posts.

RUNNING BACK

1 - Jordan Howard

2 - Miles Sanders

3 - Corey Clement

4 - Wendell Smallwood

5 - Josh Adams

6 - Boston Scott

7 - Donnel Pumphrey

It’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles split backfield touches this season. Sanders has potential to overtake Howard at some point but the veteran won’t go down without a fight as he enters an important contract year. Clement needs to bounce back after looking like a shell of his 2017 self in 2018. Smallwood is probably going to be on the roster until the end of time. Adams, Scott, and Pumphrey will all try to unseat Smallwood for the fourth running back job. Scott’s return ability could give him the best chance of emerging from that group. Another thing to consider here: do the Eagles re-sign Darren Sproles at some point?

WIDE RECEIVER

1 - Alshon Jeffery

2 - DeSean Jackson

3 - Nelson Agholor

4 - Mack Hollins

5 - JJ Arcega-Whiteside

6 - Shelton Gibson

7 - Braxton Miller

8 - Charles Johnson

9 - Dorren Miller

10 - Greg Ward

11 - Marken Michel

12 - Carlton Agudosi

13 - DeAndre Thompkins

Jeffery, Jackson, and Agholor combine to form the league’s most expensive starting receiver corps in terms of 2019 cap space. Jeffery and Agholor should resume their previous roles while Jackson brings a new element of speed to the offense. Hollins returns after essentially disappearing off the face of the planet in 2018. It’s unclear if he’ll ever be much of an offensive contributor but his special teams chops should earn him a roster spot. JJAW could see the field ahead of Hollins, especially when the Eagles are in the red zone. Gibson seemingly made some progress last summer but it wasn’t good enough to ever get playing time. Braxton Miller will push for a role as Agholor’s backup in the slot. Johnson, Dorren Miller, Ward, Michel, Agudosi, and Thompkins are likely battling for a sixth spot at best. Thompkins has return ability going for him.

TIGHT END

1 - Zach Ertz

2 - Dallas Goedert

3 - Richard Rodgers

4 - Joshua Perkins

5 - Will Tye

Ertz and Goedert should combine to form the league’s best tight end duo. Hopefully Doug Pederson is being honest when he says the team plans to utilize more 12 personnel in 2019. Rodgers is a solid third tight end who also serves as the team’s emergency long snapper. Perkins and Tye are camp bodies.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

1 - Jason Peters

2 - Lane Johnson

3 - Halapoulivaati Vaitai

4 - Andre Dillard

5 - Jordan Mailata

6 - Ryan Bates

7 - Tyreek Burwell

Peters and Johnson will continue to start at left and right tackle, respectively. Peters is 37 so there’s reason to be concerned about how he’ll hold up. On the flip side, he’s going to be two years removed from his ACL tear. Dillard’s potential is obviously exciting but the coaching staff probably trusts Vaitai more to be the swing tackle right now. That could change during the season. Mailata is in position to develop for another year, which is appropriate for a guy who only played his first football game EVER last August. The Eagles are listing Bates at tackle and he lined up at RT in rookie minicamp but he can also play at guard/center. Burwell is a camp body.

OFFENSIVE GUARD

1 - Brandon Brooks

2 - Isaac Seumalo

3 - Stefen Wisniewski

4 - Matt Pryor

5 - Nate Herbig

6 - Sua Opeta

It’s unclear when Brooks will be ready to play in 2019. He seems to be making good progress in his Achilles recovery. If Brooks can’t start by Week 1, the Eagles will have the winner of the Wis/Pryor battle fill in. Seumalo will start at left guard after receiving a contract extension this offseason. Herbig, Opeta, and the aforementioned Bates will try to push for a spot on the roster or practice squad.

CENTER

1 - Jason Kelce

2 - Anthony Fabiano

3 - Keegan Render

Kelce returns to Philly after pondering retirement. There’s reason to believe he can turn in another All Pro season if age doesn’t catch up to the 31-year-old. Wis is Kelce’s true backup and Seumalo can play center as well. Fabiano and Render aren’t likely to make the roster but one could stick on the practice squad.