PHILADELPHIA -- Day 3 at the NovaCare Complex was a hot one as the Philadelphia Eagles remained in their acclimation phase of camp (the pads come on next week). While the sun was hot, the humidity wasn't as high as it was most of this week.
The Eagles did have their longest practice of camp so far, going 90 minutes with plenty of plays to mention and depth chart stories to share. With Day 3 of training camp at a close, here are some observations from the open practice session at the NovaCare Complex.
Tyler Steen injury
Steen got the start at right guard in the first two team sessions, but disappeared when the third-team session took place. Darian Kinnard was lined up with the first team at right guard and Mekhi Becton -- who filled in for Landon Dickerson at left guard for the first two practices -- moved over to right tackle (Becton was the backup right tackle for Lane Johnson in this practice).
The Eagles said Steen walked off under his own power and has an undisclosed injury, so this is something to monitor. Steen is in competition with Becton for the starting right guard job, but the Eagles want to preserve Johnson on hot days in camp. They got an extended look at Kinnard at guard with Steen out.
Guardian caps
Something worth monitoring was whether the players were preparing to wear guardian caps into the season -- or trying them out in camp to prepare for potentially wear them for the season (the NFL allowed the option use of wearing the guardian caps in game for 2024).
Players can wear a shell over the guardian cap if they choose to wear one. The skill-position players who wore the guardian caps I saw were A.J. Brown, Parris Campbell, Britain Covey, DeVonta Smith, Austin Watkins, Albert Okwuegbunam and Joseph Ngata.
Big day for the wide receivers
A few of the wide receivers had drops in the ladder drill today. Britain Covey and DeVonta Smith were two of the culprits, but made up for those mistakes in a big way when the team portion of practice arrived.
Covey had an over-the-shoulder basket catch over Quinyon Mitchell in 7-on-7 drills. Credit goes to Kenny Pickett, who located the pass where only Covey could get it. The catch was made in stride by Covey, who would like an opportunity for more reps at wide receiver this year.
Smith outdid Covey for the catch of the day in the third stage of 11-on-11s. On a deep ball by Hurts, Smith just jumped over Kelee Ringo and had a fantastic catch and landed with the ball in his hands. The body control by Smith was excellent in corralling the catch. Ringo had tremendous coverage, but Smith is really good at his job at wide receiver.
The Eagles should like the coverage their corners are giving their wideouts. Those are pass breakups in a game.
Depth chart notes
- Landon Dickerson was back at left guard after missing the first two practices. Tyler Steen started at right guard.
- Parris Campbell was the WR3 to start 11-on-11s.
- Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean were the starting linebackers.
- Quinyon Mitchell was the slot cornerback. Kelee Ringo was the cornerback starting opposite Darius Slay.
- Britain Covey, John Ross and Johnny Wilson started on the second team at wide receiver. Covey and Ross also had reps with the first team.
- Isaiah Rodgers, Kelee Ringo, and Avonte Maddox also started with the second team at cornerback, but mixed in with the first team. Maddox was in the slot as he's fighting for the starting slot cornerback role.
1-on-1 battles
Had a good look at the 1-on-1 battles with the wide receivers and cornerbacks today, one of the more entertaining parts of practice.
- Parris Campbell beat Darius Slay on a deep route down the right sideline. Jalen Hurts hit Campbell in stride on an excellent deep ball. Hurts's deep ball was very accurate on this day.
- DeVonta Smith followed that up with a high-point catch over Isaiah Rodgers. Another excellent placed ball from Hurts.
- Quinyon Mitchell beat A.J. Brown on an out route. Mitchell had blanket coverage on Brown, who slipped on the turf when Hurts threw the ball. Mitchell's coverage had a lot to do with Brown's miscue. Their battles were fun to watch in these drills, as Brown got the better of Mitchell on the same out route.
Some player observations from the practice
- Jalen Hurts looks fast again, like the version of Hurts from two years ago when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl. Hurts has an extra gear when he takes off and goes to the second level. The Eagles are running a lot of designed RPO's in Kellen Moore's offense for Hurts, who seems on key when finding a lane to run if the first option isn't there. We didn't see that last year.
- Jalen Carter is in the backfield nearly every play. Cam Jurgens does his best to pull Carter out of the play, but Carter is so quick off the ball he is able to get past Jurgens to force Hurts into a quicker decision than anticipated. There were a few plays when the Hurts had to roll out just to avoid Carter. He will be a force on that defensive line this year.
- Saquon Barkley looks like the elusive 2022 version that carried the New York Giants offense. He cut really well when given the opportunity and still makes defenders miss badly in open space. The vision Barkley has with the football in his hands is on par with his rookie season with the Giants and when he was terrorizing defenses at Penn State. Barkley should be a major first-down threat when he catches passes out of the backfield, getting an opportunity for a massive gain if Moore's offense sets him up for 1-on-1 opportunities in open space.
- Was impressed with how Quinyon Mitchell has adapted to this defense just three practices in. Mitchell is challenging A.J. Brown on 1-on-1 reps and has made an impact in the slot. Mitchell will get his opportunities at outside corner in camp, but he'll be on the field somewhere with how well he's handling slot cornerback. This is an opportunity for Mitchell with Cooper DeJean out, and Kelee Ringo/Isaiah Rodgers to seize an outside cornerback slot.
- Can see what Vic Fangio likes in Jalyx Hunt. The rookie third-round pick can drop in coverage and has the speed off the edge to play the hybrid edge role Fangio seeks. Hunt even deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage from Tanner McKee at the conclusion of practice. This year is supposed to be a development year for Hunt, but he's been showcasing why the Eagles liked him in the third round.