Nothing tells fans the NFL is back more than the regular season’s initial power rankings for Week 1.
Philadelphia will enter 2023 with growing expectations, and they’re starting to pick up steam as a Super Bowl favorite.
Buy Eagles TicketsWith the first game-week practice of the regular season set to begin, we’re looking at where the Eagles landed in the power rankings roundup.
Philly Voice--1
Jimmy Kempski has Philadelphia as the top team in the NFC.
1) Eagles (14-3 in 2022): The Eagles have the best quarterback in the NFC by a wide margin, the best wide receiver duo, the best offensive line, and arguably the best pass rush.
They’ll play a harder schedule this season and they’ll have a target on their backs, but this is still pretty clearly the most talented roster in the NFC, and possibly the NFL.
NFL.com--2nd
Eric Edholm has Philadelphia as the No. 2 team.
The Eagles arguably have the deepest roster in the NFL, with few obvious concerns across the board. How loaded are they? Derek Barnett is perhaps their fifth-best pass rusher now. But if there’s a position higher on the importance ladder that looks a bit thin right now, it’s wide receiver. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are All-Pro caliber. But they currently have only Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus behind them on the roster. Thus, losing either Brown or Smith for an extended period would fundamentally change the makeup of this unit. Right now, it’s not a worry. It’s the kind of thing normally not taken into massive consideration until it’s a problem. The Eagles have to hope it never becomes one.
ESPN--2
ESPN has the Eagles at No. 2 on the list.
Post-draft ranking: 3
On the hot seat: ST coach Michael Clay
Special teams was the weakest of Philadelphia’s three units last season. There were a number of notable miscues, none bigger than an errant punt during Super Bowl LVII against the Chiefs that led to a pivotal 65-yard Kadarius Toney return in the fourth quarter. Clay reportedly received a contract extension this offseason, but his group needs to perform to ensure his job security moving forward. — Tim McManus
The Athletic--2
The Athletic has Philadelphia landing at No. 2.
Model rank: 2 (11.2 wins)
Best-case scenario: For the third consecutive season, Jalen Hurts is better than he was the year before, and his fortune of getting to throw to arguably the best trio of pass catchers means the Eagles have the best offense in the NFL. The expected weakness of the NFC proves correct, and the team has an easy return path to the Super Bowl.
USA Today--2
USA Today has Philadelphia at No. 2 overall.
2. Eagles (2): Can QB Jalen Hurts win the MVP he almost snagged in 2022? Can Philadelphia get off to another hot start despite two new coordinators? Could the Iggles be the first back-to-back NFC East champs in 19 years? Do they have the roster to take one step further than last season? Yes … on all counts.
Yahoo Sports --2
Frank Schwab has the Eagles at No. 2 overall.
We’re all waiting to see what the Eagles’ running back plan is, mostly for fantasy football purposes. D’Andre Swift appears to be the early leader over Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell. Swift couldn’t earn the trust of the Lions’ coaches, and he couldn’t stay healthy either, but running behind Philadelphia’s line could lead to a major breakout.
CBS Sports--2
CBS Sports has the Eagles landing at No. 2.
They are now the hunted, which will make getting back to the Super Bowl tough to do. They are still are loaded with talent, but the Super Bowl hangover is usually real.
Sports Illustrated-4
Connor Orr has Philadelphia locked-in at No. 4.
The Eagles clock in at No. 4 on our preseason power rankings, because I can’t shake the feeling that they are due for a bit of a regression. On paper, everything they’ve done has made so much sense, but that was also true of their team after their Super Bowl LII victory against the Patriots. Everything seemed in order, paced perfectly and destined for sustainable success. But … they had to endure their growing pains unique to that iteration of the roster. So, too, will this team.
PFF--2
PFF has Philadelphia at No. 2 overall.
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Biggest impact player from the draft: DI Jalen Carter
Pre-Draft Ranking: 3
The Eagles, widely lauded for their draft, picked three defensive players out of Georgia, adding to the two Bulldogs they selected in last year’s draft. Jalen Carter will join the defensive line, shoring up their defense with another piece of one of the best defenses in college football history. Philadelphia also filled a hole at safety with Sydney Brown, who earned an 89.4 coverage grade in 2022.
Fox Sports-2
Fox Sports has Philadelphia at No. 2.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Philly has done a phenomenal job of replacing their losses from the roster that reached Super Bowl LVII. Now, it’s time for those guys to step up. Can new coordinators Brian Johnson and Sean Desai keep things humming with Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon off to head coaching jobs? Can the Bird Dawgs — Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith — step up and star for a defense that lost five starters? I fully trust that the Eagles’ stars will shine, but the performance of the reinforcements is a crucial story to watch.
Bleacher Report--2
Bleacher Report has the Birds at No. 2 overall.
The 70 sacks and 27 takeaways the team piled up last year on defense are going to be awfully hard to duplicate a second consecutive season. And where injuries were concerned last year, Philly was very fortunate—a fact that general manager Howie Roseman noted:
“I think it was unique. We don’t take it for granted the health of our team last year. That was a unique situation. I think for us to expect the same results as last year would be naïve at a minimum. So, we’ve got to prepare to understand that for the amount of games that we want to play…It is a long season.”
With that said, the Eagles are probably the most balanced team in the NFC, if not the entire league. There aren’t a lot of holes on this roster.
Sportsnaut--2
Sportsnaut has the Eagles at No. 2.
The reigning NFC champions bring the core back together for the 2023 season, but the Philadelphia Eagles are the first team since the 1994 San Francisco 49ers to lose both coordinators after reaching the Super Bowl. It hangs a significant question mark over this team, not to mention some of the defensive questions at linebacker and safety. With that said, a top-5 offense and top-10 defense would still make the Eagles a Super Bowl threat.
PFT--3
Mike Florio has Philadelphia at No. 3.
3. Eagles: They have an incredible roster. The challenge will be forgetting about last season’s near-miss and repeating the climb with a target on their back.
