Eagles OTA Watch List: 10 players actually worth paying attention to

Eagles OTAs are here, which means we have officially entered the part of the offseason where everyone pretends they are not overreacting to guys running around in shorts.

Still, this week matters. Not because anyone is winning a job in May, but because the Eagles have a lot of moving parts. A new offensive coordinator. A reshuffled wide receiver room. A safety group with questions. A few injured players trying to prove they are back. A couple of rookies who may be asked to play right away.

So here are the 10 most intriguing Eagles players to watch during OTAs this week.

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Quarterback Jalen Hurts

This whole thing starts with Jalen Hurts.

Sean Mannion is now running the offense, and the Eagles are clearly hoping that a new voice can clean up the mess from last season. Hurts does not need to win MVP in May. He just needs to look comfortable.

Is he under center more? Is the timing cleaner? Does the offense look less constipated? Does the Mannion relationship actually show up on the field?

Those are the real questions.

The Eagles did not make this change because everything was fine. They made it because the offense needed a reset. Hurts is the center of that reset.

Wide receiver Makai Lemon

Makai Lemon might be the most important rookie on the field this week.

The Eagles moved up to get him. They clearly liked him more than the league did. Now he walks into a receiver room that may be changing fast if A.J. Brown is eventually moved.

That puts Lemon in a fascinating spot. He could be eased in behind veterans, or he could start taking real first-team reps right away. Either outcome tells us something.

The Eagles need juice at receiver. Lemon was not drafted to be a cute developmental piece. He was drafted because they think he can play now.

Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks

Dontayvion Wicks is easy to overlook because Lemon is the shiny first-round pick and Hollywood Brown has the bigger name.

But Wicks might end up being a real piece in this offense.

He already has some familiarity with Mannion from Green Bay, and the Eagles did not trade for him just to let him disappear into the WR4 abyss. He has size. He has ability. He has enough mystery left in his game to make this interesting.

If Brown is gone, the receiver room opens up in a hurry. Wicks has a real chance to make himself part of the answer.

Wide receiver Johnny Wilson

Johnny Wilson is one of the better bubble stories on the roster.

He is 6-foot-6. He can block. The Eagles liked him enough before last year’s knee and ankle injuries wrecked his season. But the room got crowded while he was gone.

That is the problem.

Wilson is not just competing against himself anymore. He is competing against Lemon, Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, Darius Cooper, and whatever else Howie decides to do before camp.

If Wilson is healthy and moving well, he is back in the conversation. If he is limited, this could get ugly fast.

Tight end Eli Stowers

Eli Stowers is the fun tight end to watch.

Dallas Goedert is still here, so Stowers does not need to be TE1 right away. But second-round tight ends in Philly come with a little history. Zach Ertz. Dallas Goedert. Now Stowers gets his turn.

The issue is blocking. If he cannot block, he may have to wait. If he flashes enough as a receiver, Mannion will have to find ways to use him.

That is what makes him interesting. Stowers may not play every down early, but he could give the Eagles a different kind of passing option.

Tight end Johnny Mundt

Johnny Mundt is not the flashy name. He has never even had 20 catches in a season.

That is kind of the point.

Mundt is here to block. He also has experience in the kind of offense Mannion is expected to bring to Philadelphia. That gives him a path to a role that fans probably will not love, but coaches absolutely will.

If the Eagles want more under-center looks, more structure, and more physicality, Mundt suddenly matters.

Grant Calcaterra should probably be nervous.

Offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens

Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens count together because the concern is the same.

Are they healthy?

Both dealt with injuries last season. Both reportedly went for stem cell treatment this offseason. The Eagles can talk about depth all they want, but this offensive line only becomes what it is supposed to be if Dickerson and Jurgens look like themselves.

Nobody needs them pancaking people in May. They just need to be moving well, taking reps, and not looking like the line is already being held together with tape before Memorial Day is over.

Safety/corner Michael Carter II

Michael Carter II is one of the more interesting defensive players on the roster because the Eagles may be changing what he is.

He has mostly been a nickel corner in the NFL. Now he could get a real look at safety.

That matters more because the Eagles safety room is weird right now. Cooper DeJean is expected to play safety in base defense, then slide into the slot. Marcus Epps is favored to play deep when that happens. Andrew Mukuba is still working back from a fractured ankle.

There are reps available. Carter has a chance to steal some.

Cornerback Riq Woolen

Riq Woolen feels like one of those classic Howie swings.

Big body. Big athleticism. One-year deal. Real upside. Some risk baked in.

Woolen is 6-foot-4, which already makes him look different from most corners. In a spring practice setting built around passing work, he should stand out if the juice is still there.

The Eagles already have Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. If Woolen hits, this cornerback room could be disgusting.

Defensive tackle Uar Bernard

Uar Bernard has never played football.

That alone makes him worth watching.

He is not some normal seventh-round rookie. He is an international pathway player with rare athletic traits, and the Eagles can stash him with the roster exemption while they try to turn raw clay into an actual defensive lineman.

Nobody should expect him to walk into OTAs and look polished. That would be insane. But if the movement skills are real, you will see it.

And if he flashes even a little, Byron Young and a few other back-end roster guys may start feeling the heat.

So many question marks for the Eagles, will any be answered during OTAs?

The Eagles are not figuring out the 53-man roster this week.

But they are starting to sort through the important stuff.

How different does the offense look under Mannion? How quickly does Lemon fit? Is Wilson healthy? Can Stowers push for a role? Is Mundt going to be more important than anyone wants to admit? Are Dickerson and Jurgens moving right? Is Carter really a safety now? Does Woolen look like a steal? Is Bernard just an athlete, or is there something real there?

That is what OTAs are for.

Not answers. Just clues.