Wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon were both sidelined with hamstring injuries. Other rookies who missed Tuesday’s practice included outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), guard Micah Morris (shoulder), guard Jaedan Roberts (calf contusion), and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Tackle Lane Johnson was also excused (non-injury) from practice.
Jake Elliott and special teams hit the mark
Elliott was perfect during the special teams field goal period, hitting all six field goal attempts. He was good from 32, 39, 42, 44, 50, and 52 yards.
The two-time Super Bowl Champion kicker also finished the fourth team period with a converted field goal.
The offense started in the red zone during the first team period of the day, but the secondary blanketed quarterback Jalen Hurts’ receiving options, allowing no touchdowns in the period.
On the first passing play of the second team period, Hurts attempted a deep ball down the field for wide receiver Hollywood Brown, but was intercepted by defensive back Michael Carter II, who made an acrobatic catch. The defensive back nearly lost the ball as he went to the ground, but was able to pluck it out of the air before it hit the turf.
Cornerback Jakorian Bennett had a good showing at practice, forcing incompletions during 1-on-1s. During the second team period, he prevented wide receiver Elijah Moore from getting to a pass from Jalen Hurts and broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Quez Watkins on an out route near the sideline.
During the fourth team period, safety Andrew Mukuba and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell broke up a Hurts pass near the back of the end zone intended for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks.
While wide receiver Darius Cooper has been red-hot all Training Camp, cornerback Ambry Thomas was able to get the better of him with good coverage in the back of the end zone, preventing a completion from Hurts. Cooper almost made the catch of the day in the corner of the end zone on a pass thrown by quarterback Andy Dalton, but his second foot landed just out of bounds.
Defensive line swarming to the ball
The defensive line was dominant against the Eagles’ running game at practice. Jihaad Campbell and Nolan Smith were able to get to running back Saquon Barkley in the backfield and line of scrimmage on multiple occasions. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were also disruptive in the run game and collapsed the pocket on multiple occasions.
Near the end of practice, rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard got through to quarterback Andy Dalton for what would have been a sack.
With Smith and Lemon out, Hurts frequently looked for Wicks. The fourth-year receiver had multiple catches as the primary option, once escaping for a 13-yard catch on an out route against Cooper DeJean in a rare matchup between the two during team drills. However, Jihaad Campbell got to Hurts on the blitz just before the throw.
Nolan Smith was able to pressure the quarterback in team drills, getting a “sack” in the last team period.
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton made the most out of his limited reps, finding Danny Gray on a slant route for a touchdown in the developmental period. Gray was wide open running across the middle of the field with the defense blitzing.
DeJean continued to practice catching punts, while Erik Ezukanma, Elijah Mitchell, Dameon Pierce, Will Shipley, and Tank Bigsby were active in punt/kick return drills.
Vic Fangio is set to speak to reporters for the second time this Training Camp on Wednesday around 9:40 AM. Practice will be followed by player press conferences, which can be watched live on the Eagles’ app, website, and social media channels. – Written by Caroline Connor
