15 Eagles to watch in preseason finale vs. Jets
15 Eagles to watch in preseason finale vs. Jets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles will wrap up their preseason on Friday night when they play the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
This is the final part of the evaluation process before the Eagles must trim their roster from 90 players to 53 by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.
With that in mind, here are 15 players to watch on Friday night:
QB Kyle McCord
After Tanner McKee suffered a finger injury this week, McCord got all of the second-team snaps ahead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It seems obvious that McCord has passed DTR on the depth chart but this game is a chance for McCord to put a stamp on it.
RB Montrell Johnson
The UDFA from Florida missed time in training camp with a hamstring injury. While he was able to play against the Browns, the offensive line didn't give him much room to run. Johnson has some ability and has a chance at a roster spot. Hopefully, he'll have more of a chance to get something going on Friday night.
WR Darius Cooper
The UDFA from Tarleton State has been great all summer and has a really good chance at making the 53-man roster. Heck, he might already have a roster spot locked up but this is another chance for him to show why he deserves to be on the team.
WR John Metchie III
The Eagles acquired Metchie in a trade with the Texans earlier in the week. He has practiced just twice with the Birds and will play in this game. There's no doubt the former second-round pick has some talent so it'll be exciting to see him take the field for a game.
WR Ainias Smith
The second-year receiver has caught touchdowns in each of the first two preseason games so he can pull off a hat trick on Friday night. Smith is pushing for a roster spot but isn't a lock. His ability as a punt returner could give him an edge.
TE Kylen Granson
There's a chance the Eagles could keep just two tight ends - Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra - but if they want to go with three, Granson is an option. He made a lot of catches in training camp and offers a different body type than E.J. Jenkins, who is also in the mix.
OL Darian Kinnard
The veteran could end up being a big key to the Eagles' depth on the offensive line this season. While we've seen some shaky play from Matt Pryor and Kendall Lamm, perhaps Kinnard can establish himself as a top backup at multiple spots.
OT Myles Hinton
The rookie from Michigan has had his ups and downs this preseason but has also shown plenty of promise. Hinton should make the roster because of his developmental traits but a nice game to finish off the preseason would go a long way.
DT Byron Young
After dealing with a groin injury earlier in camp, Young returned and had a strong performance against the Browns in the second preseason game. Young has entered the mix to potentially earn a roster spot and a spot in the rotation.
DT Gabe Hall
It could come down to Young vs. Hall for one spot. Hall developed last year on the practice squad as a UDFA from Baylor and really flashed this summer. Hall (6-6, 295) has a unique build for a DT but was disruptive in camp.
OLB Patrick Johnson
The former seventh-round pick just seems to show up in every preseason game. He was already good against the Bengals and Browns this summer and with another strong performance against the Jets could make the Eagles' roster again in 2025. He's always on the bubble but he always makes a strong push.
OLB Ogbo Okoronkwo
That last edge rusher spot could come down to Johnson vs. Okoronwko. The 30-year-old really flashed at times this summer and was actually more productive than Azeez Ojulari, who was the top free agent acquisition. His teammates have been impressed by Okoronwko and he has one more chance to prove himself.
CB Jakorian Bennett
Against the Browns, Bennett had a great pass breakup on a long-developing play. It just wasn't enough to wrestle away a starting job. In practice this week, first-team reps still went to Adoree' Jackson, who will probably be the Week 1 starter. But if Bennett can make a last-second push, it needs to happen for him in this game.
CB Mac McWilliams
The rookie from UCF also entered the CB2 battle later in camp. It's clear that Vic Fangio likes McWilliams so even if the rookie can't earn a starting spot in Week 1, keep an eye on him the rest of the season. He has been playing both outside corner and nickel corner with the Eagles.
S Andre Sam
The second-year UDFA from LSU is a very good special teamer and is firmly on the bubble ahead of this preseason finale. He's either going to be one of the last players in or out at final cuts.