The Philadelphia Eagles have made a defining statement this offseason, not through high-profile free agent signings, but through their silence. Perhaps the clearest example is their decision not to pursue cornerback Jaire Alexander, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. Despite having multiple reasons to consider adding a veteran presence in their secondary, the Eagles chose not to act. For Kelee Ringo, that decision speaks louder than any announcement the team could have made.
Ringo, a former fourth-round pick out of Georgia, has not yet started full-time in his first two seasons with the Eagles. His role has largely been focused on special teams, though he has made some appearances in spot starts. Last season, in limited defensive snaps, Ringo recorded a coverage grade of 67.2 from Pro Football Focus, which placed him 64th out of 222 cornerbacks graded by the site and falls into the “above average” category. These numbers, while not compiled over a full season of starting reps, suggest promise.
With veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry no longer on the roster, the Eagles are creating an opportunity for Ringo to compete for a starting job opposite Quinyon Mitchell in their base defense. According to reports, Ringo is being given “every chance possible” to win the job outright, something that did not happen in the previous season. The team could have chosen to bring in a more experienced option to avoid uncertainty in such a critical position. Instead, they’ve opted to invest in the development of the 2023 draft pick.
On the offensive side of the ball, Saquon Barkley is coming off a monumental 2024 season. He rushed for 2,005 yards and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. In fantasy football, Barkley was the second-highest-scoring running back in full-point PPR leagues last season, finishing with 355.3 points. He played 16 games and averaged 22.2 points per game, more than Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who led all running backs with 355.4 total points but averaged 21.3 points per game.
Even with Barkley’s production, Sports Illustrated analyst Michael Fabiano has predicted a regression in 2025. In his words, Barkley will be a “huge fantasy football disappointment.” Fabiano has written multiple articles arguing why Barkley may underperform this upcoming season. He cites reasons such as the heavy workload from last year, the potential for natural statistical regression, and what he refers to as various “curses” that could affect players coming off massive fantasy seasons. He also noted that Barkley may fall out of the top 10 fantasy running backs.
Still, Barkley’s performance last year has earned him a high spot on CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco’s list of the top 100 NFL players heading into 2025. Barkley ranked third overall, even though he wasn’t listed at all in Prisco’s 2024 rankings. Prisco credited Barkley’s 2,005 rushing yards and his wide-ranging contributions to the Eagles’ offense as justification for his new ranking.
The Eagles had 10 total players featured in Prisco’s top 100. Right tackle Lane Johnson ranked 12th and was named the highest-rated offensive tackle on the list. Johnson is a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion. Left tackle Jordan Mailata, drafted by the Eagles in 2018 despite having never played a down of American football, followed closely behind at 13th. Though he has yet to make a Pro Bowl, Mailata is ranked as the second-best offensive tackle behind Johnson.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter ranked 17th, Prisco’s highest-rated at the position, ahead of Chris Jones (18th) and Dexter Lawrence (29th). He jumped from 93rd last year.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown ranked 31st overall after posting 1,079 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in 2024. Brown dealt with a hamstring injury early in the season, and the Eagles shifted their offensive focus toward the run game. Last year, Brown ranked 27th on Prisco’s list. This year, he is ranked behind CeeDee Lamb (27th), Justin Jefferson (5th), Ja’Marr Chase (8th), and Tyreek Hill (30th), the last of whom finished with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards in 2024.
Inside linebacker Zack Baun came in at No. 40. Baun was named an All-Pro in 2024 and was not ranked in the previous year’s list. He is the second-highest-ranked inside linebacker behind Fred Warner, who is ranked 19th overall.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was named Super Bowl MVP, was ranked 52nd, and that’s a one-spot increase from his 2024 ranking at 53rd. Hurts was ranked below several quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes (1st), Josh Allen (4th), Lamar Jackson (6th), Joe Burrow (7th), Jayden Daniels (33rd), and Justin Herbert (49th). Players ranked immediately above Hurts include Broncos center Quinn Meinerz (51st) and Falcons offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (43rd).
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was ranked 69th. Prisco ranked six other cornerbacks higher than Mitchell: Patrick Surtain Jr. (9th), Sauce Gardner (24th), Trent McDuffie (46th), Christian Gonzalez (62nd), Brian Branch (65th), and Marlon Humphrey (68th). Mitchell completed an impressive rookie season and may be considered a candidate to rise higher in next year’s rankings if he maintains or improves upon his performance.
Left guard Landon Dickerson was ranked 72nd. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons and was not included in last year’s top 100. Prisco ranked Dickerson lower than Chris Lindstrom (43rd) and Joe Thuney (55th), both of whom have also made the Pro Bowl three times, including in each of the past three seasons.
Nickelback Cooper DeJean was ranked 85th. DeJean did not start until Week 6 of the 2024 season but is considered a potential candidate to move higher on the list in the future. Prisco’s inclusion of DeJean acknowledges his impact in a less-glorified position.
