Philadelphia Eagles: Ranking UDFA jersey numbers

The good.

Devon Allen – 39

Devon Allen is a wide receiver who is currently wearing the number 39.

That’s weird.

Now granted, if Allen does stick around, either on the active roster or on the practice squad, it will likely be due to his potential as a return man, so having a number in the teens or the eighties isn’t crucial, but 39 is a number for a bottom-of-the roster cornerback/safety, not a pass catcher of any sort.

Josh Blackwell – 39

Oh hey, a bottom-of-the-roster cornerback who is wearing the number 39; here’s what I’m talking about. While Blackwell is the least heralded of the three cornerbacks the Philadelphia Eagles signed immediately after the draft, he was handed $137,500 in guaranteed money, including a $12.5k signing bonus, so clearly, the collegiate Dukie did something right.

With that being said, if he somehow beats out the rest of the young cornerbacks for a roster spot, he’ll have to settle on a new number, especially if Allen does so too.

Britain Covey – 41

What’s worse than a wide receiver with a number in the 30s? A wide receiver with a number in the 40s. Like Allen, Covey’s best chance to make the Eagles’ roster is likely as a return man, but unlike his new teammate, the 5-foot-8 product out of Utah actually played wide receiver in 2020, as opposed to competing for gold in the Olympics. With five special teams touchdowns on his resume, you can’t hate it.

Ali Fayad – 59

Ali Fayad is the only member of the Eagles’ initial UDFA class who didn’t earn a single dollar in guaranteed money. If he makes the roster this fall or proves his upside is worthy of a spot on the practice squad, he’ll need to do so the hard way by fighting for his roster spot. But hey, after recording 12 sacks at Western Michigan last season, anything is possible.

Keric Wheatfall- 38

Keric Wheatfall joined the Eagles’ roster late, as he won a contract due to his exemplary efforts at rookie minicamps, so the number of jerseys, um, numbers available probably wasn’t particularly expansive. Still, for the Fresno State product, I’m sure an opportunity to simply prove his mettle is worth a lousy jersey number, especially since it can be changed in the future if everything works out.