Eagles' Position Battles to Watch Ahead of 2022 NFL Season

As the Philadelphia Eagles enter their second season under head coach Nick Sirianni, they're looking to take another step toward championship contention. They made the playoffs at 9-8 in 2021, and they're aiming for more in 2022.

It's been an eventful offseason for Philadelphia. It has added impact veterans on both sides of the ball, such as wide receiver A.J. Brown, linebacker Haason Reddick and cornerback James Bradberry. And it has brought in some talented, young rookies who could quickly contribute on the field.

Still, not everything is set in stone on the Eagles' depth chart. They're going to have some starting jobs and roster spots up for grabs when players report to training camp later this summer, and they'll have players vying to impress throughout the preseason.

Here's a look at some key position battles that Philadelphia will have heading into the 2022 season.

Most of the Eagles' starting secondary appears to be in place. Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox should be the top three cornerbacks, while Anthony Harris re-signed with the team on a one-year deal and will likely again be the starting free safety.

However, Philadelphia didn't bring back Rodney McLeod, so there will be a battle for the starting job at strong safety. And unless the Eagles sign another free-agent defensive back before training camp, it will likely be a competition between Marcus Epps and K'Von Wallace for that role.

Epps, 26, is the more experienced of the two safeties. He's played 45 games over his first three NFL seasons, including 37 for Philadelphia. In 2021, he played 16 games and made three starts, recording a career-high 62 tackles and one interception.

Wallace, 24, was a fourth-round pick for the Eagles in 2020. Over two seasons, he's played 28 games and made six starts, compiling 36 tackles over that time.

At this point, Epps appears to be the front-runner to start at strong safety. And even though that's the case, he believes he still has "a lot to prove," according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

So that's what the Wyoming product will look to do when he's on the field this summer.

It appears 80 percent of Philadelphia's starting offensive line is set: Jordan Mailata (left tackle), Landon Dickerson (left guard), Jason Kelce (center) and Lane Johnson (right tackle). The only undecided spot is right guard, and there are several players who could potentially land that starting job.

Isaac Seumalo may be the favorite to start there, but several other linemen could be in the mix. That group includes Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta and potentially even Cameron Jurgens, a rookie who the Eagles took during the second round of this year's draft and is likely to serve as the backup center to Kelce.

However, the starting right guard role could be Seumalo's to lose in camp. He is a six-year NFL veteran who has started 43 career games for Philadelphia. But he's had trouble staying healthy in recent years, having played only 12 games over the past two seasons.

The 28-year-old is set to make $5.65 million in 2022, before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. So if the Eagles want to save some cap space, perhaps they part ways with him and go with a cheaper alternative at right guard.

That's why it's going to be important for Seumalo to perform well in camp and show he's the best option to play in between Kelce and Johnson on the Philadelphia O-line.

The Eagles' receiving corps is much improved from last season, largely because of the acquisition of A.J. Brown, who will be the clear No. 1 option in the passing game.

The 24-year-old should be joined by DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins as Philadelphia's starting wide receivers this year.

Beyond that, though, the Eagles are going to have battles for playing time and roster spots. Zach Pascal signed with the team in free agency, while returning receivers such as Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, John Hightower and others will be looking to get on the field as much as possible.

Reagor will be looking to finally break out in his third season. A first-round pick in 2020, he has only 64 receptions for 695 yards and three touchdowns in 28 games over his first two years in the NFL. Now, it's likely going to be more difficult for him to get as many snaps as he did in 2020 and 2021.

Will Pascal make an impact after spending four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts? Could another receiver push his way into the No. 4 spot with a strong showing in camp and the preseason? It will be interesting to see how things shake out behind the trio of Brown, Smith and Watkins.