Five Eagles breakout candidates to watch in 2024: Jason Kelce's successor, unheralded LB worth monitoring

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles are at a crossroads heading into the 2024 season.

Equipped with one of the best rosters in the NFL , the Eagles are a contender to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy in New Orleans this February. Questions remain with the franchise whether Nick Sirianni is the head coach past this season, and if Jalen Hurts can return to the level of his 2022 heights, when he was runner-up for league MVP. Two new coordinators don't make things easier in Philadelphia, as Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio are charged with bringing new wrinkles to both sides of the ball.

What will make things easier in Philadelphia? Some of the younger players emerging as key pieces in 2024. The offense is immersed with talent, but the defense has plenty of open spots with hungry players ready to show the franchise their value. Every spot on the offense isn't settled, either, even though there are fewer questions on that side of the ball.

A lot of those questions will be answered if some players evolve to key contributors this season. With training camp set to begin, here are five candidates that could break out for the Eagles this year.

The heir apparent to Jason Kelce at center, Jurgens will take over at the position for one of the greatest players in franchise history. With Kelce's retirement this past March, Jurgens slides over to center after playing right guard last season.

Jurgens moves over to his natural position after being cross-trained at right guard over the past two years. He was solid playing next to Kelce, but his performance is expected to improve now that Jurgens is commanding the offensive line.

The tutelage from Kelce will help (Kelce is still around the Eagles' facility), yet Jurgens will need to step up on the interior of the offensive line with an ongoing right guard battle this training camp. Given how fluid Jurgens is with his footwork and how fast he can get to the second level, the transition back to center should be elementary.

The Eagles aren't asking Jurgens to be Kelce. They just need Jurgens to minimize mistakes.

Both linebacker spots for the Eagles are open entering training camp, giving VanSumeren an opportunity to seize a role in the rotation. An undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, VanSumeren impressed the Eagles in his nine games last season -- including a solid performance in a start against the New York Giants in Week 16.

Van Sumeren's 50 defensive snaps in his rookie season came in just two games (Weeks 16 and 17), but he showed the Eagles he can be trusted playing meaningful snaps. The Eagles did address linebacker this offseason with the free agent signings of Devin White , Oren Burks , and Zack Baun , yet VanSumeren is a dark horse candidate to crack the rotation.

The uncertainty at linebacker plays in VanSumeren's favor. Already a key special teams player for the Eagles, the athletic VanSumeren can emerge into a bigger role with the team with a strong training camp.

The cornerback position is the most intriguing to watch in training camp, and Ringo has an excellent opportunity to earn a starting role in what appears to be a loaded field. Ringo earned his playing time late last season, starting in the final four regular season games and playing 198 of his 199 defensive snaps in that frame.

Ringo allowed a 40.8 passer rating in coverage during that stretch with an interception, a rare bright spot for a pass defense that couldn't stop anyone at the end of 2023. Another core special teamer in his rookie season, Ringo will be in the cornerback rotation heading into his sophomore campaign. Will he start or provide needed depth?

There's competition for the starting outside cornerback job opposite Darius Slay . Ringo, minicamp standout Isaiah Rodgers , first-round rookie Quinyon Mitchell and incumbent starter James Bradberry are in the mix.

Ringo has the tape to prove he can start. A good training camp could thrust him in that role come Week 1.

The Eagles believed they struck gold when DeJean fell into the second round of this year's draft. They had a first-round grade on DeJean, who can play multiple positions in a secondary where Vic Fangio uses multiple formations and interchanges personnel.

DeJean has an opportunity to seize the starting slot cornerback job in training camp, a role where the Eagles can get him on the field for the majority of the snaps. The second-round rookie has the makings of an All-Pro safety and should see time there, but C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship are the projected starters with Sydney Brown having a hybrid role in sub-packages.

The Eagles will mix-and-match DeJean all summer, as he'll be somewhere in this secondary. Of the rookies who could make an instant impact this year, DeJean has the best chance.

The Eagles drafted Smith toward the end of the first round last season, and his rookie campaign was marred by a lack of playing time. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman admitted Smith should have been on the field more, but the coaching staff didn't play him in favor of veteran edge rushers.

That should change in 2024, as Smith looks stronger entering training camp. He had a good camp last summer, but didn't see the field until late in the year. In the wild card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Smith had four tackles and a quarterback hit in 16 snaps.

The Eagles are paying Bryce Huff and Josh Sweat to start, but the edge rushers rotate in Fangio's scheme. Smith is going to have his opportunities at getting to the quarterback and emerging as a key piece in the pass rush.

Philadelphia needs Smith to step up in 2024. With a year of development under his belt, Smith has a good head on his shoulders and is a player his teammates can gravitate towards. Smith can answer a lot of questions on that defensive line.