Projecting The Eagles Week 1 Starters After the NFL Draft: Makai Lemon In Line For Big Rookie Season

The Philadelphia Eagles certainly came out of the NFL Draft as Super Bowl contenders again.

Finding a wide receiver in Makai Lemon was the first major move, especially since the Eagles traded up in the first round to get him. The biggest move happened on Day 2, when Philadelphia parted ways with two third-round picks to acquire Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings.

A No.1 pass rusher and a WR2 on the first two days of the draft? That's an impressive haul for the Eagles, as adding offensive talent and getting a premium pass rusher were at the top of their wish list. The Eagles didn't find that starter at right guard and waited until later in the draft to find that long-term successor for Lane Johnson in Markel Bell -- yet that was how the board played out.

This draft was a successful one for the Eagles based on their moves from the first two days. The starting lineups an offense and defense look significantly better, enough to compete for a Super Bowl title.

Offense

This is the most expensive offense in the NFL, even with A.J. Brown still technically on the roster. Brown isn't part of this starting offense for 2026 because the Eagles are set to trade him after June 1 (when they can divide up the dead cap hit).

Even without Brown as the WR1, this is a very deep group. Smith is the WR1 in this new offense and there will be a battle for WR2 between Lemon and Wicks. The WR2 can be interchangeable, yet Lemon would be a better fit in the slot as a reliable weapon for Jalen Hurts underneath. Hollywood Brown will be the deep-ball wideout as the WR4.

Tight end certainly received a boost with Stowers, as he'll learn under Goedert as the TE2. Johnny Mundt will be the TE3 as the blocking specialist, but Goedert and Stowers are the targets in the passing game -- and both will be featured a lot.

The offensive line didn't change, but this unit is still one of the best in the league when healthy. That's the catch. The offensive line looks good on paper, as the Eagles are banking on Dickerson and Johnson to stay on the field for 17 games.

Defense

This defense is certainly a top-5 unit with Greenard locked in as the top pass rusher. What about the rest of the pass rush? Hunt and Nolan Smith should rotate at the other edge spot, but Hunt outplayed Smith last season -- especially once Jaelan Phillips arrived. Arnold Ebiketie will be the fourth pass rusher, making this unit very deep.

Defensive tackle has the big three with Carter, Davis, and Ojomo. This is the deepest position group on the defense, even deeper than cornerback. Baun and Campbell are locked in as the starting off-ball linebackers, with Baun having command of the defense with the green dot.

Cornerback shuffles with Woolen playing the boundary and DeJean playing the majority of his snaps in the slot. The battle for playing time behind the starters should be interesting with Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo, and Jakorian Bennett.

Safety is still a position in flux and the Eagles can add there. Mukuba has one of the spots and Epps is the starter opposite him -- for now. The Eagles may look to add talent in free agency to compete with Epps.

Special teams

Not much change on special teams, especially since the Eagles re-signed Mann in free agency. No kicker competition was brought in for Elliott.

Shipley and Covey are the favorites for the returner jobs, but that will be settled in training camp. Would the Eagles use a roster spot on Covey again? Would they go six wide receivers?

The only long snapper on the roster is Underwood, who signed as an undrafted free agent.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Projecting The Eagles Week 1 Starters After the NFL Draft: Makai Lemon In Line For Big Rookie Season.

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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 7:30 AM.