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Eagles training camp: Sleepers to watch at each offensive position
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- Eagles training camp: Sleepers to watch at each offensive position
The Philadelphia Eagles have enough established offensive talent to enter training camp with high expectations, but the bottom of the roster will be just as important once practices begin.
Jalen Hurts , Saquon Barkley , DeVonta Smith , Dallas Goedert , Jordan Mailata , and Lane Johnson headline the offense. At the same time, Sean Mannion enters his first season as offensive coordinator with a reworked receiver room and several new pieces to evaluate. Behind the stars, the Eagles have several sleepers who could push for roster spots, practice-squad roles, or more meaningful depth-chart movement than expected.
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Here are the Eagles' offensive sleepers to watch at each position entering training camp.
Jun 9, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Coe Payton (10) runs drills during minicamp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Quarterback: Cole Payton
Payton is the quarterback sleeper because the Eagles used a fifth-round pick on a developmental passer with production, toughness, and dual-threat traits.
North Dakota State has produced notable quarterback prospects in recent years, from Carson Wentz to Trey Lance , and Payton gives Philadelphia another Bison passer to develop. A 2025 Walter Payton Award finalist who finished third in voting, Payton led North Dakota State to a 12-1 record, including going 8-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference during his first season as the starter.
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Payton also set NDSU single-season records for passing efficiency after missing the final eight games of the 2024 season with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He bounced back in 2025 by throwing for 3,188 yards, accounting for 29 total touchdowns, including 16 passing and 13 rushing, and throwing only four interceptions.
His path in Philadelphia will not be easy. Hurts is locked in as the starter, Andy Dalton gives the Eagles veteran insurance, and Tanner McKee has experience in the system. Payton's most realistic path may begin on the practice squad, but his athletic profile and college production make him worth watching if he flashes during preseason action.
Running back: Elijah Mitchell
Mitchell is the running back sleeper because he brings proven NFL production to a crowded backfield.
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The 28-year-old enters his sixth NFL season after joining the Eagles following a post-draft rookie minicamp tryout. Mitchell was originally selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Louisiana, where he was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2020.
Mitchell spent four seasons with the 49ers and rushed for 1,523 yards on 327 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt while scoring nine touchdowns. His best season came as a rookie, when he ran for 963 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season before adding 169 rushing yards and another score in the postseason.
The Eagles have Barkley as the clear lead back, while Tank Bigsby , Will Shipley , Dameon Pierce , and Carson Steele are also competing for roles. Mitchell's experience gives him a chance, but he will need to show burst, health, pass-protection value, and special teams ability to make the final roster conversation more difficult.
Wide receiver: Erik Ezukanma
Ezukanma is the wide receiver sleeper because he brings size, versatility, and recent production from the United Football League.
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The 6-foot-2 receiver spent all four years of his college career at Texas Tech before beginning his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins . Ezukanma spent three seasons with Miami before being waived ahead of the 2025 season. After a brief stint on the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad, he signed with the UFL's D.C. Defenders for the 2026 season.
Ezukanma used that opportunity to show a broader skill set. In 12 games with the Defenders, he produced 264 receiving yards and one touchdown, rushed for 71 yards while averaging 8.4 yards per carry, and totaled 621 yards on kick returns.
That versatility could matter in Philadelphia. The Eagles have DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown , Dontayvion Wicks , Elijah Moore , Johnny Wilson , and several other receivers competing for spots. Ezukanma's best path may be showing that he can contribute as a bigger receiver, gadget option, and return candidate.
Tight end: Stone Smartt
Smartt is one of the tight end sleepers because of his athletic background and NFL experience.
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The Eagles signed Smartt to a one-year deal after he spent time with the Chargers and Jets . He went undrafted in 2022 out of Old Dominion and signed with Los Angeles , where he spent his first three NFL seasons before playing for New York last season.
Smartt has appeared in 53 career games with seven starts, catching 38 passes for 432 yards and one touchdown. His best receiving season came with the Chargers in 2024, when he set career highs with 16 catches and 208 yards.
His background also makes him intriguing. Smartt played quarterback in college, earning first-team JUCO All-America honors at Riverside City in 2018 and winning NJCAA Athletic Bureau Offensive Player of the Year before transferring to Old Dominion. After two seasons at quarterback for the Monarchs, he moved to tight end in 2021 and caught 17 passes for 167 yards in his lone college season at the position.
Smartt's athleticism is real, including a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. His camp will be about showing he has continued developing as a route runner, blocker, and special teams option.
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Tight end: Dae'Quan Wright
Wright is the other tight end sleeper because he brings receiving upside and yards-after-catch ability to a crowded position group.
Wright began his college career at Virginia Tech before spending his final two seasons at Ole Miss. He had the best season of his career in 2025, finishing with career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Wright caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns, and he led all FBS tight ends with 10.1 yards after the catch per reception.
That production gives the Eagles a developmental tight end with real receiving traits. Goedert remains the starter, and Philadelphia has several tight ends fighting for depth roles, including Grant Calcaterra , Johnny Mundt , E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu , Smartt, and Eli Stowers . Wright's path will depend on whether he can show enough blocking growth and special teams value to match his pass-catching ability.
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If Wright consistently creates after the catch in camp, he could become a practice squad priority or push for a deeper look during preseason games.
Offensive line: Jake Majors
Majors is an offensive line sleeper because of his experience, versatility, and history as one of the most durable players in Texas football history.
Majors went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being waived. He then joined Philadelphia's practice squad last September and spent the rest of the season with the Eagles. He is not a rookie in 2026, but he remains a young interior lineman trying to climb the depth chart.
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His college résumé is built on reliability. Majors set a Texas record with 56 career starts, giving him a strong background in communication, protection calls, and interior offensive line play.
The Eagles have Cam Jurgens as the starting center, Landon Dickerson established at guard, and Tyler Steen in the starting mix. Majors' route to a roster spot likely depends on whether he can show value at both center and guard. If he can be a reliable backup snapper and interior reserve, he has a chance to stick in a crowded room.
Offensive line: Jaeden Roberts
Roberts is another offensive line sleeper because he brings SEC experience and a powerful guard profile to camp.
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Roberts spent five years at Alabama and started 25 games at right guard for the Crimson Tide, who won two SEC championships during his time in Tuscaloosa. That kind of background matters for an Eagles team that values physical offensive linemen and long-term development in the trenches.
His challenge will be adjusting quickly to NFL speed and technique. Philadelphia has a deep offensive line room with proven starters, young reserves, and developmental tackles and guards competing for limited spots. Roberts has to show he can move defenders in the run game, anchor in pass protection, and avoid mental mistakes.
The initial roster path may be difficult, but Roberts is the type of player who could make himself valuable as a practice squad guard with upside. If he flashes once the pads come on, he could become one of the more interesting young linemen in camp.
Bottom line
The Eagles' offense will be judged by Hurts, Barkley, Smith, Goedert, and Mannion's ability to shape the post-A.J. Brown passing game, but camp will also determine which sleepers are worth keeping around.
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Payton gives Philadelphia a developmental quarterback with dual-threat traits. Mitchell brings proven NFL rushing production to the backfield battle. Ezukanma offers size, return ability, and offensive versatility. Smartt and Wright give the tight end room athletic options with different paths to roster value. Majors and Roberts are interior offensive linemen trying to prove they belong in the long-term depth picture.
Not all seven players will make the initial 53-man roster, but each has a clear reason to watch when training camp opens.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles training camp: Sleepers to watch at each offensive position
