The Philadelphia Eagles will spend the majority of training camp figuring out their defensive depth chart.
The Eagles defense will be under more scrutiny than most units to begin 2024 because of how everything fell apart in the second half of 2023.
Nick Sirianni and his staff addressed the roster needs in the secondary by drafting Quinyon Mitchell and bringing back C.J. Gardiner-Johnson in free agency.
However, there is not much depth behind the projected starters in the secondary.
The same could be said about linebacker, where the starting unit is one gigantic question mark at the moment given Nakobe Dean’s injury history and Devin White’s drop off over the last few seasons.
Darius Slay and James Bradberry’s simultaneous drop off in production in 2023 forced the Eagles to use their first-round pick on Quinyon Mitchell.
The rookie out of Toledo is expected to provide some stability to a unit that was torched throughout last season.
Mitchell’s performance alone will not be good enough for the Eagles to improve their defensive efforts.
There is hope that Slay and Bradberry can both return to All-Pro levels, but if they do not, the Eagles will be in a difficult position.
Avonte Maddox could slide from his nickel role to the starting spot, but after him, there is unproven depth with Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers.
The Eagles will most likely let Slay and Bradberry prove their worth before making a move, but their every move will be scrutinized because of how 2023 ended.
