Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Eagles have commenced Phase Three of their offseason program, which allows for 10 days of organized team practice activities (OTAs). These sessions do not permit live contact but include drills such as 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11. On Wednesday, the first OTA session open to the media took place, featuring several noteworthy developments.

Wide receivers were a focal point during the practice. Veteran A.J. Brown led every drill in DeVonta Smith's absence. This provided more opportunities for younger players like rookie Johnny Wilson and young veterans Jacob Harris and Shaquan Davis to showcase their skills. "I was somewhat taken aback by how smooth the young receivers looked getting in and out of cuts," noted Fran Duffy.

Isaiah Rodgers had his first appearance with the Eagles' first-team defense opposite Darius Slay at cornerback. Although he allowed a catch against Brown, he quickly adjusted and managed a pass breakup against tight end Dallas Goedert later in practice. "This cornerback competition is another one that will be worth the price of admission this summer," commented Duffy.

The team's top draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean also participated in drills against veteran players. Mitchell demonstrated effective coverage against Harris, earning praise from teammates for his defensive plays. DeJean showed versatility by working both inside as a nickel cornerback and outside on defense while also fielding punts alongside Britain Covey and fellow rookie Ainias Smith.

Linebackers Devin White and Zack Baun received first-team reps, but attention was drawn to rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Brandon Smith from the third team due to their competitive spirit during practice sessions. "Smith punched the ball out and forced a turnover along the near sideline on one play," reported Duffy.

Quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, and Tanner McKee each displayed promising performances during OTAs. Pickett connected with tight end Albert Okwuegbunam on a seam route while McKee executed precise passes to Harris and E.J. Jenkins.

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