Many analysts and pundits came away from draft weekend singing the praises of the Philadelphia Eagles. They already considered the Eagles one of the best teams in the NFL, yet they somehow added an unbelievable amount of talent through the draft. The top five picks of the Eagles 2023 draft class consisted of Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown, and Kelee Ringo. While these players are all talented, what can we expect from them in their rookie years? The Eagles are full of great players, so winning jobs and earning snaps would not be an easy task for anyone, especially for rookies who often need time to adjust to life in the NFL. So, here’s where the expectations should land for the top five Eagles rookies.
Top 5 Eagles Rookies
Jalen Carter
There was some shock from many people tied in with the draft community relating to Jalen Carter’s slide during the draft. While Carter had serious character concerns tied to some past incidents in college, most scouts agreed that Carter was not only the best player in the draft but a lock as a top-five pick. Carter is an extremely explosive and twitchy defensive tackle. While he is not refined as a pass-rusher, he quite frankly did not need to be in college. His combination of speed, power, and an explosive first step made any game Carter played a highlight reel. The sky truly is the limit for Carter if he can stay out of trouble and focus on his craft. Expect him to be a dominant force next year, but with all the talent on the Eagles defensive front, his dominance may not always show up in the stat sheet.
Prediction: 4.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, game-wrecking presence
Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith was a polarizing prospect coming out of the draft last year. He had an unbelievable performance at the NFL Combine that showcased his freakish athleticism. But there were some worries about his smaller stature and lack of pass-rush instinct when compared to other edge rushers. Smith is unbelievably explosive and athletic for a man who weighs 240 pounds, but that same weight is considered small when you’re asked to go against mammoths at tackle who weigh 80 pounds more than him. However, the Eagles have a plan with him that could help minimize those weaknesses. Smith has been creating tons of buzz with dominant performances in training camp, not only from the edge but as a stand-up linebacker as well. He will likely shift between the two positions throughout the season and showing versatility in that way will almost ensure he gets ample playing time.
Prediction: 6.0 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 31 combined tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Tyler Steen
The Eagles picked up an experienced player with their draft pick of Tyler Steen in the third round. Steen started his career at Vanderbilt University as a defensive tackle, but two years later he found himself as the starting right tackle at Vanderbilt. He would move to the left side the next year and ended up transferring to Alabama as their left tackle the year after. Steen is a powerful lineman who has good quickness getting out of his stance. However, he has had some struggles during training camp and is firmly placed with the second team as of now. Some around the NFL believed that Steen had the chance to start at right guard for the Eagles for week one. However, second-year lineman Cam Jurgens has been impressing the coaches in that spot and does not seem likely to give it up.
Prediction: Steen sees time as the 6th lineman, coming in for true power-run plays.
Sydney Brown
Brown is another player from the Eagles rookie class that people believed could be in line to start week one. With the massive turnover at safety for the Eagles, they have brought in a ton of competition not making it easy for Brown. Brown is a great athlete whose biggest strength is his ability to fly toward the ball and make a play in the air or on the ground. He has some perceived limitations in coverage, but he is a player that could fit well into the Eagles defense. Veteran safety Terell Edmunds had strong praise for Brown when asked by the media. “He gives 110% every day. He’s going to be a guy that’s going to be in this league for a while,” said Edmunds. Brown may not start early in the season but expect him to be a part of the rotation.
Prediction: 3 passes defended, 17 combined tackles, steady improvement throughout the year.
Kelee Ringo
Another polarizing prospect the Eagles drafted, Kelee Ringo was a fourth-round pick out of the University of Georgia. Ringo is another very athletic player, with great straight-line speed and explosiveness, paired with excellent size and strength. He was expected by many to be a late first-round or early second-round pick but dropped in the draft over concerns about his lack of change-of-direction ability. However, he has impressed immensely early on in the Eagles training camp. Ringo has been moving up the depth chart and now sits as the backup to James Bradberry and Darius Slay. The positive news on Ringo’s performance is a good and welcomed revelation. Not only can he provide depth for the Eagles in the secondary, but he could potentially become the successor for the future of the team. Yet, Ringo will play this year, but probably not much with Slay and Bradberry being healthy.
Prediction: 2 passes defended, 8 combined tackles, shows glimpses of a really good potential player.
Bottom Line
All in all, with the Eagles already having a stacked roster, it will be hard for these rookies to see as much playing time as they are used to. Players like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith have seemingly already carved out roles for themselves to be big parts of the defense. But for Steen, Brown, and Ringo, they will need to either do more to earn consistent snaps or will have to fill in for potentially injured starters through the season. It’s not always easy for rookies to meet expectations, but these rookies have the talent to even exceed these expectations.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
