With the start of training camp, football is ramping up everywhere in the country. Training camp and preseason will especially mean a lot to the Eagles this year. Not only for the players competing to get on the roster, but the team in general will remember and be motivated by their loss last year in the championship and want to earn a better outcome. But to do that, they’ll need to solidify their roster through the preseason and one of the hardest position groups to cut down will be the cornerbacks. There is a ton of talent at Eagles training camp at the position this year and it will be imperative the Eagles have tons of depth at corner for late in the year especially. They have some hard decisions to make with this group, but they won’t complain about having too much talent.
More Position Previews
Eagles Cornerbacks
Listed Starters: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox
The Eagles boasted one of the best outside cornerback duos in the league last year and expect them to be awesome again this year. Darius Slay has been a star corner since he first entered the league with the Detroit Lions. While he is 32 years old this season, Slay hasn’t let that affect his play, as pundits and networks like CBS Sports believe he’s still a top 10 corner in the NFL. James Bradberry has not always had the most notoriety throughout his career, but he’s always been an excellent player. Last year with the Eagles, he had the best season of his career in many analysts’ eyes. PFF ranked James Bradberry the third best corner in the league in 2022. Barring any injury, expect Bradberry and Slay to be the starters on the outside for the entirety of the year.
In the slot corner position, the job still belongs to Avonte Maddox. Maddox’s speed, quickness, and explosiveness is what makes him a premier talent and cover corner at the slot position. However, Maddox has had a problem with injuries throughout his career. Last year he only played 9 games dealing with a hamstring injury, and suffered a toe injury that led him to get offseason surgery. Maddox was cleared for participation training camp, but the Eagles have understandably taken it slow with him in practice. When Maddox plays, he undoubtedly helps the Eagles defense tremendously, but how confident can the Eagles be in having him the full year? However, with a good stroke of luck and health for Maddox this year, the Eagles defense could be one of the better units in the league.
Listed Backups: Greedy Williams, Kelee Ringo, Zech McPhearson
Greedy Williams signed with the Eagles this offseason from the Cleveland Browns. Williams was a second-round pick back in the 2019 NFL Draft. In his short career, he has not found much success thus far and has dealt with injuries along the way. However, Williams has elite speed and size for a cornerback, and many believed he had incredibly high upside during the draft process. While there is no evidence that Williams can play at a consistently high level in the league, maybe a change of scenery and being able to learn from Darius Slay and James Bradberry could bring the talent to the forefront. Not only could he be a piece this year, but if he impresses the coaching staff, do not be surprised if he becomes the successor to one of Slay or Bradberry in the future.
Kelee Ringo is another new addition via this past year’s NFL Draft. Ringo was somewhat of a polarizing prospect, as he has elite physical traits in speed, size, and strength, but suffers some from stiffness and a lack of change of direction. However, there is some hope for him to contribute this year as a defensive piece. Maybe playing some corner and some safety, covering bigger wide receivers, or covering tight ends as well. Zech McPhearson is the backup to Avonte Maddox and has seen some real playing time over the years. McPhearson is a quick and fast corner who has had some struggles with his route recognition and can lose in man-to-man coverage to receivers in the slot. He has enough talent to fill in where he can, as well as provide some value on special teams.
Fighting for Roster Spots and Practice Squad: Mario Goodrich, Josh Jobe, Josiah Scott, Mekhi Garner, Eli Ricks
Mario Goodrich and Josh Jobe are listed as the third string outside corners currently. They are both young players who are undrafted free agents from 2022. Goodrich is a physical corner who was a team captain at Clemson university but lacks top-level athleticism. Jobe is a former Alabama corner who has the physique of a high-level corner. While he is physical, he tends to struggle with his hips and matching the receivers’ routes with his feet. Mekhi Garner and Eli Ricks are two undrafted rookies from this year’s draft that round out the outside corners. Garner is another big, physical corner but lacked good change of direction and top-end speed in college. Ricks was a former five-star recruit who bounced around school in college and saw limited play time. He has the size and length to be a good player, but he is vastly inexperienced.
The one to keep an eye on from this group though, is the third-string slot corner, Josiah Scott. Scott is entering his fourth year in the NFL and had not seen much playing time until this past year with the Eagles. Not only has he been an asset to the special team’s unit, but he also grabbed his first two interceptions of his career last year. Scott is a very smart and instinctive player that can recognize routes and play multiple coverages. He also has good quickness and mirroring ability and should be an interesting player to see if he can step up his overall game this year.
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 Depth Chart Preview Conclusion: Cornerbacks
Overall, the cornerback group for the Eagles is very strong, with lots of talent to choose from. They also seem to have every type of flavor of corner, big and strong, fast and quick, and smart and instinctive. The starting jobs should be an essential lock with Slay, Bradberry and Maddox, but the Eagles know they’ll need quality depth in case of injury. Greedy Williams and Kelee Ringo should be exciting prospects to keep track of throughout the year and come in and play when needed. Josiah Scott could push Zech McPhearson for the backup slot role, with the decision about many of the other corners coming down to the special teams value they bring. All in all, the Eagles should not have a problem with the cornerback position all year with just about any team they face.
Main Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
