The Eagles are betting this 2nd-round pick will emerge as a star

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The Philadelphia Eagles are less than a month away from the start of training camp. We’ll be counting down the 25 most important Eagles for the 2026 season.


25. Marcus Epps


24. Jake Elliott


23. Eli Stowers


22. Dontayvion Wicks


21. Moro Ojomo


20. Nolan Smith


19. Dallas Goedert


18. Jihaad Campbell


17. Zack Baun


16. Jalyx Hunt


15. Jordan Mailata


14. Jordan Davis


13. Riq Woolen


12. Drew Mukuba


If there’s a question mark on the Eagles’ vaunted defense, it’s at safety. But Drew Mukuba has a chance to turn that perceived weakness into another strength in 2026.


Mukuba is both the present and the future at the position for the Eagles. The 2025 second-round pick has a chance to establish himself as a reliable, playmaking starter this season and a star for years to come, making him one of the most important Eagles in 2026.


Mukuba will be counted on to make up for the loss of Reed Blankenship. The multi-year starter and Super Bowl champion left this offseason, signing a new deal with the Houston Texans. The Eagles could have brought Blankenship back; his three-year contract worth $8 million per year was a reasonable number. But the Eagles didn’t, signaling their confidence in Mukuba.


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Mukuba, the No. 64 overall pick out of Texas, earned a starting job next to Blankenship as a rookie last year. In 11 appearances (10 starts), Mukuba had 46 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and two tackles for loss.


It wasn’t a perfect year; he had some rough moments before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in November. But Mukuba showed enough to impress defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.


“Started off the season up and down, had some shaky plays,” Fangio said. “But I felt like the last five or six games prior to him getting hurt, he was coming on. Hopefully he’ll be able to pick up from there.”


Mukuba was rehabbing for much of the offseason. But he was back on the field for OTAs and mandatory minicamp this spring and should be full-go for training camp.


Mukuba probably won’t come off the field much this season. The second-year pro is expected to start next to Cooper DeJean in base defense. In sub packages, DeJean will move to the slot, and Marcus Epps will settle in next to Mukuba at safety.


A lot will be on Mukuba’s shoulders this year. We’ll see if he’s ready to meet the moment.

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