2022 Philadelphia Eagles Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More

This article is part of our Team Previews series.

Philadelphia Eagles

After coach Nick Sirianni led the team to an unexpected playoff berth last year, the stars are aligned for the Eagles to make a splash in the NFC East in 2022. In particular, the roster experienced upgrades at key positions, which should help quarterback Jalen Hurts in his second full season as a starter.

2022 Offseason Moves – Philadelphia Eagles

Key Acquisitions

• A.J. Brown – WR (from Titans)

Shows up in Philly with two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume.

• Zach Pascal – WR (from Colts)

Reunites with Nick Sirianni from the coach's previous stay in Indy.

• Jordan Davis – DT (Rd. 1, No. 13 – Georgia)

A game-changing 6-6, 341-pounder that was taken in the first round.

• James Bradberry – CB (from Giants)

A cap casualty of the Giants in May, he fortifies corner for a division foe.

• Kyzir White – LB (from Chargers)

Broke out with career-high marks in most defensive categories in 2021.

• Haason Reddick – LB (from Panthers)

Coming off back-to-back campaigns with 11 or more sacks.

Key Departures

• Alex Singleton – LB (to Broncos)

Led the team in tackles in both of the past two seasons.

• Rodney McLeod – S (to Colts)

Logged 200 tackles, five interceptions over the last three years.

Philadelphia Eagles 2022 Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Nick Sirianni (Year 2)

Offensive Coordinator: Shane Steichen (Year 2) – West Coast offense

Defensive Coordinator: Jonathan Gannon (Year 2) – 4-3 scheme

Stats to Know for the Philadelphia Eagles

2022 Vegas Projected Wins: 9.5 (T-9th)

2021 Record: 9-8

2021 Points Scored: 444 (12th)

2021 Points Allowed: 385 (18th)

2021 Point Differential: +59 (13th)

2021 Run-Play Rate: 49.9 percent (1st)

2021 Offensive Snaps: 1,075 (T-14th)

2021 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 4

Full 2021 Team Stats

2022 Philadelphia Eagles Depth Chart

QB: Jalen Hurts / Gardner Minshew / Reid Sinnett / Carson Strong

RB: Miles Sanders / Kenneth Gainwell / Boston Scott / Jason Huntley

WR1: A.J. Brown / Jalen Reagor

WR2: DeVonta Smith

WR3: Quez Watkins / Zach Pascal / Greg Ward

TE: Dallas Goedert / Jack Stoll / Tyree Jackson / Grant Calcaterra / J.J. Arcega-Whiteside / Richard Rodgers

O-Line: LT Jordan Mailata / LG Landon Dickerson / C Jason Kelce / RG Isaac Seumalo / RT Lane Johnson (RotoWire Rank: No. 1)

Kicker: Jake Elliott

Full 2022 Depth Chart

2022 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule

Philadelphia Eagles Storylines for 2022

What Can Brown Do for You?

The Eagles made one of the bigger splashes of the offseason, dealing one of their two 2022 first-round picks and an additional third-round selection to the Titans for wide receiver A.J. Brown, whose arrival upgrades the outlook for everyone on offense, except possibly his own. He'd be a No. 1 option on almost any club, but the three-year pro out of Ole Miss may be taking a step down in quality of quarterback play, and possibly in the number of overall opportunities as well, given the heretofore run-heavy nature of Philadelphia's offense.

That said, Jalen Hurts lobbied for the trade and thus far hasn't had a talent of this magnitude to throw to in his two-year career, so maybe Brown makes all the difference for the young signal-caller, resulting in a more balanced attack on offense.

At the very least, Brown should draw defenses away from the other offensive weapons, most notably DeVonta Smith, who has the potential to put up WR1 numbers on his own in his second season. Quez Watkins might soak up targets as a forgotten man behind the two, and perhaps this move is the catalyst for the Dallas Goedert breakout we've all been waiting for. Of course, for all this to happen, Brown will need to stay healthy, as he's missed six games over the past two campaigns, including four in 2021.

The Pressure Is on Hurts

Let's face it. Jalen Hurts hasn't been a prototypical pass-first quarterback through two seasons and has relied on running to accumulate fantasy value. For example, he ranked 28th among qualified QBs in completion percentage (61.3) and tossed just 16 touchdowns in 15 appearances in 2021. At the same time, Hurts led all quarterbacks in rushing yards (784) and TDs (10) last season. He will be popular in fantasy and sports betting, especially with PA bettors given Hurts' ability to notch stats for player props. Expect him to be a popular market at PA sportsbooks this season.

While he likely will continue to bank on his feet moving forward, he now has all the playmakers a signal-caller could ever hope for, including running back Miles Sanders, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. As a result, the focus will be on Hurts' arm to get a sense of how he can fare.

Having more than a full campaign of starts under his belt should aid Hurts, as should the game planning of Nick Sirianni, whose creativity pushed the Eagles to meaningful football back in January. The maturation of Smith, a 2021 first-rounder, and the signing of Sirianni favorite Zach Pascal from the Colts are additional considerations in that endeavor.

The offense under Hurts this season has the potential to come together and improve with time. If it doesn't work out that way, though, it could wind up spelling the beginning of the end for the 2020 second-round pick's run in Philadelphia.

A Frustrating Backfield

One would have thought that the offense that led the NFL in rushing yards and run-play rate (49.9 percent) in 2021 would produce an elite fantasy running back, or at least two simultaneously usable ones any given week. But that person would have been wrong.

Philly's No. 1 RB Miles Sanders missed at least four games for a second straight season, but even when healthy, he finished 13th in the league in rushing yards per game (62.8) among qualified running backs. He also saw 15 or more carries in just four of his 12 appearances.

Boston Scott fared no better, never seeing more than 15 rushes in an outing, even weeks in which Sanders was absent. Despite preseason hype, rookie Kenneth Gainwell had only 68 carries and caught 33 of 50 passes in 16 contests, while current free agent Jordan Howard recorded 86 carries in seven games. What's evident is that Jalen Hurts siphoned off enough rushes (9.3 per game) that it prevented other ball carriers from producing top fantasy days most weeks.

Sanders is the only bankable talent here but shouldn't be counted on as more than an oft-injured RB2. Nevertheless, with all things looking up for the Eagles offense this season, there remains potential for a breakout from the 2019 second-rounder, and the math says he won't score zero touchdowns again, like he did last year.

Fantasy Football Stock Watch

⬆️  Rising: WR DeVonta Smith

Smith fell just 84 yards shy of a 1,000-yard rookie campaign, and with the addition of A.J. Brown, the former may find more room to operate than he did in 2021. A full year in the league also will be a boon for Smith.

⬇️  Falling: WR Jalen Reagor

The 2020 first-rounder has failed to produce in two seasons and subsequently has fallen out of favor in Philly. Reagor is a strong trade candidate, especially with the influx of WR talent, and could use a fresh start elsewhere.

😴  Sleeper: WR Quez Watkins

Watkins jumped up the depth chart last season to rack up 647 yards on 62 targets. A sixth-round pick in the 2020 Draft, he slots in as the Eagles' third receiver and could see ample targets when Brown and Smith aren't open.

🌟  Pivotal Player: Jalen Hurts

With potentially more onus on Hurts' arm in his third pro campaign, all eyes will be on him to lead the Eagles to the promised land of the postseason. The man who hastened the exit of Carson Wentz will need to show continued improvement with his accuracy and the deep ball, or Hurts' stay in Philly may be shorter than he hoped, too.

Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report

QB Jalen Hurts

Hurts missed Week 13 due to a high-ankle sprain, an issue that continued to limit him in practice the rest of the way. While the only other game he missed came with the Eagles' playoff spot already locked up Week 18, the injury was deemed serious enough to require surgery in early February. He was healthy ahead of the offseason program, so the issue shouldn't be a concern heading into this season, but he'll need it to remain that way if he's to remain a dual-threat quarterback. Hurts rushed for 32.0 yards per game on 6.3 attempts after his return, well below the 57.9 yards on 10.2 attempts he managed prior to his absence.

RB Miles Sanders

Sanders played a full 16 games as a rookie in 2019, but he's only played 12 games in both of the last two years. He missed Weeks 8-10 this past season due to an ankle sprain and later broke his hand Week 16, forcing him to miss the final two weeks of the regular season. He was able to return for the wild-card game against the Buccaneers but received just seven carries, though that was mostly due to game script. Neither issue is a concern heading into this season, but the Eagles could decrease his snap count if the nagging injuries continue to pile up.

DE Brandon Graham

Graham missed just a single game over the previous nine years, but the torn Achilles he suffered Week 2 against San Francisco cost him a full 15 contests last season. He completed his recovery in time to be a full participant in OTAs and stated his desire to continue playing beyond this season, so he's in as good a place as a 34-year-old coming off major surgery can be heading into the year. While it's tough to have full faith in his health, it's worth noting that he didn't show signs of age prior to last year, posting the second- and third-best sack totals of his career in 2019 and 2020.

Training Camp Battle 2022 – Philadelphia Eagles

There are no questions as to who fills the top two spots on the Eagles' wide receiver depth chart, as the draft-day trade for A.J. Brown gives the team another excellent option alongside promising second-year wideout DeVonta Smith. The picture gets murkier after that.

Quez Watkins, a sixth-round pick in the 2020 Draft, may have the inside edge on the third receiver role after catching 43 passes in 17 games last season, though Zach Pascal also is in the mix. Pascal had a modest 38-384-3 receiving line for the Colts last year in his fourth NFL season, but he was over the 600-yard mark in both 2019 and 2020 when Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni served as the Colts' offensive coordinator. Jalen Reagor, a 2020 first-rounder, appears to be buried on the depth chart after total 64 receptions and 695 yards across his first two pro seasons.

Whoever wins this job may not see as many targets as most third receivers, however. Quarterback Jalen Hurts runs frequently, and Brown and Smith will soak up quite a few targets, as will tight end Dallas Goedert.