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Eagles rookie report card: Young players underwhelm in loss to 49ers

Week 2 grades for Philly’s 2021 NFL Draft class.

San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The Eagles fell to 1-1 with a disappointing loss to the 49ers. In a game where it felt like the team needed a spark from somewhere, the rookies weren’t able to help.

Devonta Smith: C-

Everyone had high expectations for DeVonta Smith coming into this game, but Smith came up short. A lot of Smith’s targets came against tight coverage or in the form of less than perfect throws. However, there were plenty of times where Smith had his hands on the ball and failed to make a play.

The Niners got much more physical with Smith, and he will need to respond better in the future if he is to grow into the number one receiver the Eagles need him to be.

Poll

Grade DeVonta Smith

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    A
    (12 votes)
  • 13%
    B
    (149 votes)
  • 48%
    C
    (553 votes)
  • 29%
    D
    (333 votes)
  • 7%
    F
    (85 votes)
1132 votes total Vote Now

Landon Dickerson: C-

After months of being slowly brought back from injury, Landon Dickerson dressed for the Eagles today. With an unfortunate injury to Brandon Brooks, Landon Dickerson was thrust into action at right guard and responded with mixed results. Dickerson had bright moments as both a pass and run blocker, but also got overmatched at times. This is to be expected given the timeline of his return and the nature of him being put into the game against a high quality defense.

If Brandon Brooks is out for an extended period of time, hopefully Dickerson can settle into the guard position and play with more consistency.

Poll

Grade Landon Dickerson

This poll is closed

  • 2%
    A
    (23 votes)
  • 32%
    B
    (312 votes)
  • 43%
    C
    (421 votes)
  • 14%
    D
    (143 votes)
  • 6%
    F
    (58 votes)
957 votes total Vote Now

Milton Williams: C

Milton Williams is clearly a big part of this defense already. The rookie defensive lineman saw snaps in three man fronts and four man fronts. He played nose tackle, five tech and three tech. Williams looked solid against the run, but has yet to really settle in as a consistent pass rusher. If Brandon Graham is out for long with an ankle injury, Williams role will grow, as will dependence on him to perform.

Poll

Grade MIlton Williams

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    A
    (15 votes)
  • 32%
    B
    (250 votes)
  • 50%
    C
    (388 votes)
  • 9%
    D
    (74 votes)
  • 4%
    F
    (38 votes)
765 votes total Vote Now

Zech McPhearson: C

Once again, Zech McPhearson only saw meaningful time on special teams. As a punt gunner, he almost assisted in pinning the 49ers deep but he rolled into the endzone.

With the play of the Eagles top three cornerbacks, it is unlikely the rookie defensive back sees defensive snaps in the near future.

Poll

Grade Zech McPhearson

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    A
    (10 votes)
  • 10%
    B
    (72 votes)
  • 44%
    C
    (304 votes)
  • 30%
    D
    (213 votes)
  • 13%
    F
    (91 votes)
690 votes total Vote Now

Kenneth Gainwell: B

On a bad day, Kenneth Gainwell was a bright spot on the Eagles offense. The Eagles used deployed him in a variety of ways, both as a runner and a receiver.

Gainwell looked really solid running in between the tackles and looked even better catching the football. At one point, Gainwell lined up as a receiver where he ran a drag route on third down and caught a pass to convert for a first. Gainwell has already shown himself a valuable weapon on offense and it will be exciting to see his role grow as the season moves along.

Poll

Grade Kenneth Gainwell

This poll is closed

  • 25%
    A
    (205 votes)
  • 59%
    B
    (479 votes)
  • 11%
    C
    (95 votes)
  • 1%
    D
    (12 votes)
  • 2%
    F
    (18 votes)
809 votes total Vote Now

Marlon Tuipulotu: N/A

Did not dress for the game. Given Brandon Graham’s injury, Tuipulotu might be active in coming games.

Tarron Jackson: C

With Brandon Graham hurt, Tarron Jackson got some snaps late in the game. He did not make a huge impact, but he also didn’t look terrible. It will be seen how Brandon Graham’s injury shakes out and how the team decides to address it, but Jackson could be an important piece going forward. At least in the short term.

JaCoby Stevens: N/A

JaCoby Stevens is on the practice squad. However, it is clear the Eagles need some more juice at linebacker and Stevens might warrant a look.

Patrick Johnson: C+

Patrick Johnson seemingly saw the field a bit more against San Fransisco than he did against Atlanta. The rookie defender looked solid coming up to play the run and was comfortable dropping back into coverage.

Johnson might be on the cusp of overtaking Genard Avery at outside linebacker in in five man fronts, but may also be called on to play more off ball if the Eagles decide to move away from Eric Wilson or TJ Edwards.

Poll

Grade Patrick Johnson

This poll is closed

  • 2%
    A
    (10 votes)
  • 47%
    B
    (213 votes)
  • 40%
    C
    (179 votes)
  • 5%
    D
    (23 votes)
  • 4%
    F
    (22 votes)
447 votes total Vote Now

Jack Stoll: D

Jack Stoll had somewhat of a highlight when he recovered a Jalen Hurts strip-sack fumble deep in the Eagles territory. However, his only other notable moment was a whiffed block on a fourth and short that led to the play failing. Jack Stoll is going to be relied on to be a dependable blocker in those heavy packages. Failing to do that really hurts his chances of a long term role on this team.

Poll

Grade Jack Stoll

This poll is closed

  • 2%
    A
    (10 votes)
  • 5%
    B
    (24 votes)
  • 35%
    C
    (157 votes)
  • 40%
    D
    (182 votes)
  • 15%
    F
    (71 votes)
444 votes total Vote Now

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