5 Eagles training camp overreactions: This rookie is shining, and it's not Quinyon Mitchell

PHILADELPHIA − There are already two recurring themes of questions that the Eagles are hoping become obsolete.

The first is the conditioning of defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. A quick synopsis: Both admitted to wearing down late last season. Both are large men as Davis is 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, and Carter (6-4, 313 pounds) was a rookie who hit that so-called "rookie wall."

So far, so good. Both have had strong practices so far, and both are confident they can hold up throughout the season. They'll have to now that Fletcher Cox retired.

The second is the questions about last year, and what went wrong during the 1-6 collapse. Everybody, of course, has a theory, and the Eagles spent the entire offseason analyzing it and making changes − to the players, the coaching staff, even head coach Nick Sirianni's new role as CEO coach.

Imagine that: Defensive players are saying Sirianni is "popping in" to their position meetings!

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But left tackle Jordan Mailata has heard enough about 2023.

"I’m about goddamn tired of talking about last year," he said. "I’m tired, I’ll be honest. I’m only looking forward. We can only learn so much from last year and we learned a lot. The direction we’re going now is forward and we gotta do that this year.

"Talk is cheap, but I have a really good feeling about our offense this year and our defense. If everyone can stop talking about last year, that’d be nice."

Well, that won't happen until the Eagles prove that it's behind them on the field. The fact that 2023 has still not been put to bed is one early training camp overreaction. Here are four more:

Have Eagles already overcome Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox retirements?

Since we're still on the subject of conditioning, those attending practices might have noticed the players on the field for team 11-on-11 drills doing "gassers" after their final play.

In fact, after one such drill, quarterback Jalen Hurts and tight end Dallas Goedert were racing as if they were in the final stretch of the 110 meters at the Olympics. Hurts won, by the way.

That directive didn't come from the coaches. Rather, it was something offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Mailata came up with. Mailata said it started when the O-line had three false start penalties on the first day of practice, including one on the very first play of camp.

"Just trying to maintain the standard," Mailata said. "Everybody thinks it’s a joke, but it’s something that we live by. It’s unacceptable that we had three false starts, and that’s including myself from the very first play of practice. So there needs to be discipline, again, to uphold the standard. That’s where it came from."

That's a good sign that there are new leaders stepping up.

AJ Brown is really good, and Jalen Hurts is flinging it

Look, we're only two practices in. The players haven't put on the pads yet, nor have they faced an opponent, but quarterback Jalen Hurts has been on target with just about every throw. And that includes a beautiful deep ball down the sideline to A.J. Brown.

The ball was placed perfectly over Brown's outside shoulder and away from cornerback Darius Slay, who was step-for-step with Brown.

We did not see this from Hurts in the spring. He threw some interceptions, and seemed to be unsure at times as to where to throw the ball. That would have led to an opposite overreaction that the offense under new coordinator Kellen Moore doesn't fit Hurts and the Eagles offense.

So let's take what we're seeing so far through two practices with a grain of salt. But still, the potential is definitely there.

Jalyx Hunt so far has been the Eagles' best rookie

Hunt was considered a project, or developmental player when the Eagles drafted the edge rusher in the third round. After all, he began his college career as a safety at Cornell before transferring to Houston Baptist and moving to edge.

Yet so far, Hunt has shown his speed in rushing the quarterback as well as dropping into coverage. Again, the usual caveats apply, but Hunt has been with the second unit, mostly with Nolan Smith, and both have been impressive.

Speaking of the rookies, it has been a rough start

First-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback, has moved around from outside to nickel while with the second team, and seems to be finding his way. Second-round pick Cooper DeJean, also a corner, injured his hamstring working out before camp and is out for three weeks. Fourth-round pick Will Shipley, a running back, has yet to stand out.

Neither have wide receivers Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. Jeremiah Trotter, meanwhile, suffered a leg injury at the end of practice Thursday.

There's a long way to go, clearly, but so far only Mitchell, and maybe Hunt, seem to be on track to contribute Week 1.

Could Nakobe Dean really lose a starting inside linebacker job?

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said inside linebacker and cornerback present the stiffest competitions.

That's not necessarily good news for Dean, who was the Eagles' third-round pick in 2022. Fangio gave a scouting report on the three players battling for the two spot − Devin White, Zack Baun and Dean. Baun, it should be noted, has spent most of his career as an edge rusher, and White, the Eagles' free agent signee, was the No. 5 overall pick by Tampa Bay in 2019.

"I like Zach," Fangio said. "He's a guy that's played very little inside linebacker in his career. We think he can do it. Obviously, Devin has had a career where he has done it. Nakobe has shown that he can do it in college. He really hadn't had the opportunity to do it here because his first year he was behind two good players (T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White), and last year he was injured."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 5 Eagles training camp overreactions: This rookie is shining, and it's not Quinyon Mitchell