The Eagles entered NFL draft weekend with ten selections, but after a few blockbuster trades, Howie Roseman finished with A.J. Brown and a talented five-man draft class.
Philadelphia banked on a deep group of players going undrafted. Days later, the team announced the signings of 12 undrafted rookie free agents ahead of their May rookie minicamp.
Eagles have signed twelve undrafted free agents.@novacare #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/Emdu2pzLiM
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 6, 2022
OTAs and the first week of training camp offered several roster opportunities to under-the-radar players on the bubble.
With Philadelphia looking to get the best talent on the field, here’s a breakdown of the undrafted free agents and their chances to break out on Friday night.
CB Josh Blackwell
The former Duke cornerback didn’t record an interception during his college career, but he is a tough, press-man cornerback with excellent speed and short-area quickness, and he’ll need to make a strong impression.
FS Reed Blankenship
One of the prizes of this group out of Middle Tennessee State, Blankenship logged 110 tackles to go with a career-best 10.0 TFLs, nine pass breakups, and three fumble recoveries during his final season.
Look for Blankenship to be a player to watch at free safety going forward, and a good showing could push him ahead of K’Von Wallace, Jaquiski Tartt, and others.
Kennedy Brooks, RB, Oklahoma
The 5-foot-11, 209-pound Brooks became the fourth player in school history to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and he could be the Eagles’ power back to watch.
Brooks will need a good performance after Philadelphia signed DeAndre Torrey.
Britain Covey, WR, Utah
A high school quarterback who transitioned to a receiver at Utah, Covey is a 25-year-old return specialist who set the school record for career punt return yards (1,092) and ranks in the top three in program history in career punt returns (92), receptions (184), and all-purpose yards (4,241).
If he can translate that speed to the NFL early on, Covey could be a favorite for the 53-man roster.
William Dunkle, OL, San Diego State
A massive offensive lineman, Dunkles started 30 games for San Diego State and didn’t allow a single sack throughout his career, earning Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Mountain West honors in 2021.
Ali Fayad, LB, Western Michigan
The 22-year-old Fayad was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 after recording 13 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 40 total tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as one of the top pass rushers (14th among players who played 50 percent of pass rush snaps) in all of college football this past season. Fayad finished his WMU career with 33.5 career sacks, the third most in school history, and he’ll be a player to watch.
Fayad needs to show he can be an active pass rusher at the SAM linebacker position.
Mario Goodrich, CB, Clemson
The Eagles didn’t draft a cornerback in April.
Still, they landed one of college football’s top cover guys, signing former Clemson star Mario Goodrich to a massive, $217,000 guaranteed undrafted free agent deal.
During his career at Clemson, Goodrich logged 84 tackles (0.5 for loss), 15 pass breakups, five interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery while playing 1,116 snaps over 47 games (16 starts).
During his final season with the Tigers, Goodrich earned third-team All-America honors from PFF and first-team All-ACC status, along with the MVP of the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl.
Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
A solid player for the Crimson Tide, Jobed logged 129 tackles, 18 pass breakups, and three picks in his Tide career.
He has been solid in coverage early on for Philadelphia, and Friday night is a prime opportunity.
Josh Sills, OL, Oklahoma State
Sills started all 13 games at left guard in 2021, and he was a versatile player who can flourish at multiple positions, garnering First-Team All-Big 12 honors.
Sills needs to prove that he can take the Sua Opeta, Jack Driscoll approach to making a roster because of his versatility.
Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
A two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, Strong ranks third in program history in passing yards (9,368) and passing touchdowns (74).
He’ll be the player to watch on Friday night and has to show a big-time NFL arm and ability to navigate the pocket.
Jarrid Williams, OL, Miami
The 25-year-old, who spent time at Houston and Miami, graded out as the fourth-best tackle in the ACC in 2021, per Pro Football Focus.
