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The Eagles will hold their first organized team activity (OTA) next week, when players will try to make a strong first impression.
From May 26 to June 10, the Eagles will have six OTAs and two minicamp practices, and during that time, the Eagles’ coaching staff will begin evaluating Philadelphia’s 2026 roster.
With a deep 90-man roster, Philadelphia will have to make tough final cuts after training camp. The battles for the final few spots will begin shortly and continue throughout training camp, when things will heat up even more.
Here are 10 players who could be fighting for roster spots starting this spring:
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton
Payton, who was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, needs to show that he can pick up the NFL game after arriving from North Dakota State as a raw project.
The Eagles are entering OTAs with four quarterbacks on the roster. Two of the backups, Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, are among the best in the NFL. Payton won’t be guaranteed a roster spot, but if he makes steady improvements and displays potential the Eagles could opt to trade McKee or release or trade Dalton before the season and make Payton the third quarterback.
But if Payton struggles to make the transition, the Eagles could try to sneak him through waivers to the practice squad.
Last year, the Eagles waived sixth-round quarterback Kyle McCord and kept him on the practice squad. However, after the season, they chose not to bring him back. The Eagles hope for a better outcome with Payton, aiming for him to become their long-term backup quarterback.
Third-year wide receiver Johnny Wilson
Wilson, a 2024 sixth-round pick of the Eagles, struggled as a pass catcher during his rookie season and the first week of training camp last summer. But after the first month of the Eagles’ 2025 training camp, Wilson started using his massive frame (6-6, 228 pounds) to make difficult catches, and he showed more consistency as a route runner. Right after he turned a corner, he suffered a season-ending knee and foot injury.
Now entering his third year in the NFL, Wilson needs to pick up where he left off last summer, or he won’t make the cut in a talented wide receiver room. He’s competing to be the fifth or sixth receiver after entering last year as the favorite to be the No. 4 wide receiver.
Second-year wide receiver Darius Cooper
An undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State, Cooper made many plays during last year’s training camp, forcing the Eagles to keep him on the 53-man roster for the entire year. He made a small contribution during the season as a blocker on offense and played on special teams.
Cooper now faces more competition to make the roster this year. He will have to battle Wilson, veteran free-agent addition Elijah Moore, and other wideouts for the fifth or sixth spot.
Fifth-year tight end Grant Calcaterra
Calcattera, a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2022, is a solid pass-catcher, but his struggles as a blocker make him a liability at times. Eagles’ second-round pick, Eli Stowers, will fill the role of a dynamic pass-catching tight end, and he will take the majority of Calcattera’s snaps this year. Unless Calcattera makes major strides as a blocker, he won’t make the roster.
Second-year center Willie Lampkin
Lampkin is an undersized outlier (5-11, 290 pounds) for the center position, but Philadelphia doesn’t care about that. The Eagles liked him enough to claim him off waivers before the 2025 season despite his injury, knowing he would spend his entire rookie season on injured reserve.
An undrafted free agent from North Carolina, Lampkin has great strength for his size, plays with outstanding leverage and is quick off the ball. He sits at the bottom of Philadelphia’s offensive line, but with a good performance this spring and summer, he could become the team’s top backup center.
Second-year offensive tackles Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams
Third-round offensive tackle Markel Bell has become the Eagles’ top developmental tackle. He will surpass Hinton and Williams, two sixth-round picks in 2025, on the depth chart and could knock one of them off the roster. Hinton and Williams will likely battle for one roster spot.
Third-year cornerback Kelee Ringo
Ringo has not developed into the starter the Eagles had hoped he’d become after selecting him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Although he provides value on special teams, Philadelphia could give him a fresh start by releasing or trading him before the 2026 season. The Eagles could keep veteran Jonathan Jones and second-year cornerbacks Mac McWilliams and Brandon Johnson on the roster instead of Ringo.
Fourth-year cornerback Jakorian Bennett
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Bennett played poorly whenever he was given the opportunity last season. The Eagles were intrigued by his skill set when they traded for him last summer, but he never emerged as a starter. Now, he’s unlikely to make the 2026 roster.
Sixth-year pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Tryon-Shoyinka could make the Eagles as a fifth pass rusher, but Philadelphia is not invested in him. The Eagles gave him a one-year, $1.4 million contract this offseason, with only $662,500 guaranteed. No team was going to pay him serious money after he finished with zero sacks last year. The former first-round pick could be beaten out this summer by the Eagles’ seventh-round pick, Keyshawn James-Newby.
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