Eagles Near Top of ESPN’s NFL Roster Rankings

Did ESPN get its roster ranking of the Philadelphia Eagles right?

The Philadelphia Eagles once again find themselves as the runner-up to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

ESPN ranked all 32 NFL rosters heading into the 2023 season, and the Eagles checked in at No. 2. It's hardly a diss to have the the second-best roster out of 32 teams, but the Chiefs finishing in the top spot is a reminder of their 38-35 comeback win over the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

What's worth pointing out is that the feeling from most was that the Eagles were the more complete team in Super Bowl LVII, but the Chiefs were ultimately victorious because of they have two inner-circle future Hall of Famers in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. Not to mention, for as successful as coach Andy Reid's 14 seasons in Philadelphia largely were, he's cemented himself as one of the 10-greatest coaches in NFL history, at a minimum, by guiding the Chiefs to two Super Bowl victories. 

But had most experts been asked before (and perhaps even after) Super Bowl LVII whether the Eagles or Chiefs had a more complete roster, they likely would have picked the former. 

Granted, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, linebacker T.J. Edwards, running back Miles Sanders and right guard Isaac Seumalo did depart in free agency this offseason, so the Eagles don't return entirely the same roster. There's also the possibility that some of the Eagles older players -- center Jason Kelce, defensive end Brandon Graham -- finally hit a wall in 2023. 

Then again, the Eagles' run game is based first-and-foremost around quarterback Jalen Hurts. And there's a chance that if Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift are able to stay healthy, the Eagles running game could be even better than it was a year ago. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean are likely to make more of an impact in their second seasons, and general manager Howie Roseman also drafted three more former Georgia standouts in defensive tackle Jalen Carter, outside linebacker Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo. 

For all that the Eagles lost in free agency, it feels like they added quite a bit of reinforcements via signings and the NFL Draft. Not that it makes a ton of difference whether you're ranked first or second, but from here, the Eagles probably do still have the best roster in the NFL. That hardly guarantees you a Super Bowl, especially if you come up against someone like Mahomes on the biggest stage.

But 2022 was arguably the deepest team in Eagles history, which led to a 14-3 record and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. With a roster that has a similar talent level, the Eagles remain very much in the Super Bowl window, even if Kansas City enters 2023 as the top-ranked team in pretty much every category. 

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