Eagles announce jersey numbers for new players, including their first No. 0!
I type this with no intention of hyperbole: one of the best days of the entire year has finally arrived.
It’s always exciting to see which jersey numbers the Philadelphia Eagles’ new players are going to wear. And now we officially have that information!
#JerseyNumberAnalytics SZN is here.
EAGLES DRAFT PICKS
DT Jalen Carter - No. 98
LB Nolan Smith - No. 3
OL Tyler Steen - No. 56
S Sydney Brown - No. 43
CB Kelee Ringo - No. 37
QB Tanner McKee - No. 10
DT Moro Ojomo - No. 72
VETERAN ADDITIONS
RB D’Andre Swift - No. 0
QB Marcus Mariota - No. 8
WR Olamide Zaccheaus - No. 13
RB Rashaad Penny - No. 23
S Terrell Edmunds - No. 26
S Justin Evans - No. 30
CB Greedy Williams - No. 38
LB Nicholas Morrow - No. 41
DT Kentavius Street - No. 97
RETURNING PLAYER CHANGE(S)
P Arryn Siposs - No. 10 (was No. 8)
RB Trey Sermon - No. 22 (was No. 34)
UNDRAFTED ROOKIE FREE AGENTS
CB Eli Ricks - No. 39
CB Mekhi Garner - No. 46
P Ty Zenter - No. 49
LB Ben VanSumeren - No. 57
OT Trevor Reid - No. 74
OL Chim Okorafor - No. 79
TE Brady Russell - No. 83
WR Joseph Ngata - No. 86
WR Jadon Haselwood - No. 87
ANALYSIS
As the unquestioned authority on this subject matter, here are my incredibly important takes.
In case you forgot, the Eagles were the team to propose No. 0 being allowed in the NFL earlier this offseason. They put their approved proposal to good use by handing out No. 0 to Swift:
That’s a good look. Stock up on Swift.
That being said, I think I’d switch Swift wearing No. 0 and Nolan Smith wearing No. 3 if I had my way. But this outcome is a close second place.
Good to see Smith staying in the single digits after wearing No. 4 (already taken by Jake Elliott) at Georgia. Especially with Haason Reddick wearing No. 7. It’ll be a great look if/when they’re on the field together.
If I had my way, I’d put Jordan Davis in No. 98, Jalen Carter in No. 97, and Kentavius Street in No. 90. The Eagles understandably have No. 99 retired for Jerome Brown. Otherwise, Davis should be wearing what he wore in college. I still think the biggest man on defense should have the biggest number on the team. But, alas, Davis is No. 90, and the biggest number on the team is instead going to his old teammate. Carter wore No. 88 in college so this was a logical evolution for him in the NFL.
Street isn’t necessarily a lock to make the roster. No. 97 is a really good number for Ojomo to switch to if/when he’s on the team. If the NFL allows No. 00 in the future, he MUST switch to that. Jim Otto rocked No. 00. Ojomo would, too.
The Eagles announced Steen as a guard and he was seen taking right guard snaps during the media-attended portion of rookie minicamp practice. No. 56, previously worn by Isaac Seumalo, is a much more acceptable guard number than tackle number. Steen wore No. 54 in college.
Judging by the temperature on social media, Sydney Brown in No. 43 is not a popular choice. It’s definitely not great. It could be worse, though. It’s also possible he can switch to his No. 30 that he wore in college if/when Justin Evans gets cut.
Kelee Ringo getting No. 37 is tough. His stock has really dropped from once being considered a first-round pick to now being a fourth-round selection wearing that number. Potential pivot options for him if/when the following players get cut: No. 21 (Andre Chachere), No. 22 (Trey Sermon), No. 33 (Josiah Scott).
McKee is taking over No. 10 from the departed Gardner Minshew. Solid but unspectacular. Fits his profile.
After spending a season with the Atlanta Falcons as No. 1, Mariota is back in the No. 8 he wore with the Oregon Ducks and Tennessee Titans.
No. 13 is a nice fit for OZ as a slot WR number.
Penny is taking over No. 23 in the aftermath of C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s exit. He’s the first offensive player to wear it since ... Ryan Moats all the way back in 2006. Wow. Since then: Dimitri Patterson, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Patrick Chung, Nolan Carroll, Rodney McLeod, CJGJ. I like 23 for Penny, who previously wore No. 20 (obviously retired for Brian Dawkins) with the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego State.
Terrell Edmunds wore No. 34 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He wore No. 22 at Virginia Tech. So, maybe the six comes from the 4 + 2? Don’t hate that. This is the first time No. 26 is being worn by a defender since Jaylen Watkins in 2017. Before him, it was Walter Thurmond (AKA Dick Mahoney), Cary Williams, and Jaiquawn Jarrett. So, not the best precedent for longevity.
No. 30 is a good get for a player of Evans’ relatively low profile. It’s what he wore with the New Orleans Saints.
Greedy Williams wore No. 26 with the Cleveland Browns but apparently lost out to Edmunds for that choice. Williams can’t possibly be more than a backup in Philly wearing No. 38.
Nicholas Morrow in No. 41 is brutal for his roster chances. He could’ve and should’ve aimed for No. 57, which instead went to an undrafted rookie free agent. If he somehow makes the team, he could reasonably take Davion Taylor’s No. 52. Or be back in No. 53 if Christian Elliss doesn’t make the roster ... which I think he actually might.
Siposs AND a QB both wearing No. 10. Something has to give if they’re both on the roster. One has to be hoping that Siposs gets beat out. How can you truly trust him to not have a disastrous end to his season for the third year in a row?!
Sermon with the sneaky glow up from No. 34 to No. 22. That’s a big stock up for him. A real contender to make the roster now, though the running back room is crowded.
Thanks to a rule change, Zenter is the first Eagles specialist to wear a number higher than No. 19.
BVS getting No. 57 is a really good get for a UDFA.
Trevor Reid either 1) not opting for or 2) getting beat out by a NAIA player for No. 79? Makes you scratch your head. Okorafor going from playing at Benedictine to getting a number previously worn by Brandon Brooks and Todd Herremans is quite the honor.
The Eagles finally did it. They FINALLY gave out Brent Celek’s No. 87 after previously keeping it on ice since he retired after Super Bowl LII. This was overdue. But they withheld it this long to give it to a UDFA WR who likely won’t make the team? Kinda weird.
The Eagles also gave out Zach Ertz’s No. 86 for the first time since he got traded during the 2021 season. A little surprising but hardly should be considered a disgrace.
Stay tuned for the annual #JerseyNumberAnalytics podcast that I’ll be recording with BGN alumnus Benjamin Solak for BGN Radio in the near future. (Should be posted next week? Waiting on him to get back from post-draft vacation.) Subscribe so you don’t miss what many are expecting to be the most fun episode of the year!
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Source: Bleeding Green Nation
