This dark horse at 3rd WR among 6 under the radar Eagles making a strong roster push

PHILADELPHIA − We know that for the Eagles to succeed, the stars have to carry the load.

So it's no surprise that the Eagles need quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, not to mention the offensive line, to have big seasons. It's the same on defense with cornerback Darius Slay, defensive linemen Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.

But an NFL roster consists of 53 players, and injuries are always a factor, as is the salary cap. So teams need depth behind the stars, and these often come from so-called "under the radar" players.

For the Eagles, that includes a third wide receiver, backup running backs and tight ends, depth on the offensive and defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary.

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We have seen some of these players start making a strong push for those roles, and the remaining weeks of training camp, as well as the three preseason games will provide those opportunities.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, for one, said he's enjoying the battle for the third wide receiver spot, with veterans Parris Campbell, John Ross, Britain Covey, along with rookies Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, battling it out.

"It's a really fun process," Moore said. "Obviously, DeVonta and A.J. will certainly have a lot of the opportunities, but those other guys, I mean, there are critical moments where we have to put those guys in a position to succeed. They have to be able to adjust based off where those guys are aligned.

"We have to have smart guys that understand where they are, and can be reliable."

Here, then, are 6 under the radar players who are doing just that:

Britain Covey, wide receiver

Covey has served as the Eagles' punt returner for the past two seasons. In fact, Covey had an NFL-best 417 punt return yards last season. But Covey has always seen himself as a wide receiver, and he has longed for an opportunity to show that on the field. Covey got his first snaps at wide receiver last season and had four catches for 42 yards last season.

And Covey has looked good in camp so far. On July 27, he made a long over-the-shoulder catch on a deep throw from Kenny Pickett, getting behind first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell.

Tristin McCollum, safety

McCollum made an impression last season, getting into four games after he was an undrafted free agent by Houston in 2022. He spent that season on the Texans' practice squad before coming to the Eagles in the same capacity. But injuries enabled him to play last season.

It has been somewhat telling of how the Eagles feel about McCollum that he has been with the second unit at safety in training camp.

There's a chance he can stay in that role as a backup safety during the season. Sydney Brown, who tore his ACL last January, is on the PUP list, and likely won't be ready for the start of the season. Veteran James Bradberry is moving to safety after spending his entire career as a corner, and there's a chance he'll get traded or released before the season starts.

So McCollum has every opportunity to earn a spot to start the season.

Darian Kinnard, offensive line

When right guard Tyler Steen left practice with an apparent injury last weekend, it was Kinnard who got the first chance to replace Steen with the first unit over veterans like Matt Hennessy, Max Scharping and Mekhi Becton.

It's not known how long Steen will be out, but it was expected that there would be an open competition for that starting job. Even if Steen returns, that shows that the Eagles think highly of Kinnard, who was originally drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round in 2022.

He got into one game that season, then spent all of last season on the Chiefs' practice squad. Still, Kinnard has two Super Bowl rings in two seasons. Not bad.

Terrell Lewis, edge rusher

We got a glimpse of the kind of player defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wants at edge rusher when Lewis, at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, dropped into coverage and batted down a Pickett pass during a recent practice.

Sure, the Eagles seem set at edge with Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith and rookie Jalyx Hunt. But if the Eagles keep six edge rushers, or one of the others get hurt, Lewis, a third-round pick of the Rams in 2020 out of Alabama, can certainly step in.

Lewis played in 30 games with the Rams from 2020-22, with seven starts. He was released by the Saints last October.

Grant Calcaterra, tight end

The Eagles appeared to open up the competition for the No. 2 tight end behind Dallas Goedert by signing Albert Okwuegbunam to a two-year deal and adding free agent C.J. Uzomah. But so far, Calcaterra has been the most impressive, both as a receiver and as a much-improved blocker.

Calcaterra was always the third tight end in his first two seasons behind Goedert and Jack Stoll, considered a strong blocker. Calcaterra had just nine catches in two seasons. But Stoll signed with the Giants, giving Calcaterra a chance. So far, he has taken advantage.

Tyrion Davis-Price, running back

There shouldn't be many opportunities for whoever gets the spare snaps whenever Saquon Barkley needs a breather. And it just so happens that the Eagles have signed their second discarded 49ers third-round running back in four years. This year, it was Davis-Price. In 2021, it was Trey Sermon.

Davis-Price is competing with Kenny Gainwell and fourth-round pick Will Shipley, among others, for a role in the Eagles' pecking order behind Barkley. Davis-Price has so far shown an affinity for running up the middle, sort of like Boston Scott used to do.

If he can torment the Giants like Scott used to, with 10 TDs against them during his career, then all the better.

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

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: This dark horse at 3rd WR among 6 under the radar Eagles making a strong roster push