Eagles training camp is a very interesting time of year for Philly fans, as the city prepares for another season. There’s a lot that we think we know heading into the team’s first action of the year, and there’s a lot still to find out. The roster looks strong, and the defending NFC Champions seem poised for another good season, but there is more to look at than just the stars. Especially in Philadelphia, it seems that every year the fan base, media, and organization fall in love with some lesser-known names that ball out in training camp.
Sometimes those guys end up never making little to no impact in the regular season (shoutout Paul Turner, the GOAT of Eagles training camp darlings), and sometimes they end up playing a big role in the team’s success in the coming year. From young players ready to take a jump in production, to some new names that might have their share of the headlines for the next couple of weeks, here are 5 potential camp darlings for the Eagles in 2023.
Shaun Bradley
Bradley has carved out a nice role with the Eagles since the team selected him in the 6th round back in 2020. Over 3 years in the NFL, the local kid has been a solid special teams player, drawing compliments from the coaching staff on that front. This year, though, is a turning point in his young career. The Eagles are once again thin at linebacker, which gives Bradley an opportunity to go into camp trying to earn more defensive snaps. Or we could find out that he is a career special teams player, and not a starting or rotational linebacker in the NFL. Whatever the result, there is an opportunity for Bradley, and that sets the stage for a guy who could become a headline in camp.
Sydney Brown
The Eagles selected Brown in the 3rd round of this year’s draft, and the Illinois product plays another position of need for the birds – safety. Now, Howie Roseman could make a move any day and turn this into a moot point by acquiring a veteran safety, but as things stand now, Brown has a chance to compete for a starting spot in camp. With CJ Gardner-Johnson’s departure from the team this offseason, Brown could see his first NFL training camp turn him into a fan favorite if we start reading tweets from beat reporters about good performances.
Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith may be the least talked about 2023 1st round pick in the entirety of the NFL. Jalen Carter has been the headliner grabber so far from this draft class (both good and bad), and the flurry of news about the 9th overall pick has overshadowed his Georgia teammate to this point. Smith is a talent in his own right though, and with Brandon Graham another year older and Derek Barnett coming off a major injury, Smith living up to his 1st round pedigree would be huge for the Eagles. The guy is an athlete, and if we start getting those “look how much of a monster this kid is” reports, Smith could become this fan base’s favorite rookie quickly.
Olamide Zaccheaus
Arguably the coolest name on this Eagles’ training camp roster, Zaccheaus spent his first 4 seasons in the league with the Falcons. He has put up a respectable 8 touchdowns in his career, and with Quez Watkins coming off a rough season and Zach Paschal leaving for Arizona, the 3rd WR spot is definitely up in the air. Atlanta has not exactly been a good team recently, and yet Zaccheaus has 3 TDs in each of his last 2 seasons. This fan base has started to sour on Watkins, and if Zaccheaus shows out in camp, he could become the people’s choice for the new complement to AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Cam Jurgens
Jurgens was basically handpicked by Jason Kelce to be his heir at the center position, but Kelce, who apparently has access to the fountain of youth, has shown no signs of needing a replacement. That sets up Jurgens to potentially replace Isaac Seumalo at guard this season and join one of the best starting offensive lines in football. This city loves Jason Kelce, and Jason Kelce seems to love Cam Jurgens. By the transitive property of fandom, then, we should all love Jurgens, right? Well, if he starts making some noise in camp, I think this fan base will latch on to Jurgens as one of the next generation of great Eagles linemen.
