3 Long-Shots Who Will Make the Eagles Roster

2. Eli Ricks

The Eagles were dealt a huge blow when cornerback Zach McPhearson tore his Achilles during their preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.

While Philly’s CB room is still stacked with names like James Bradberry and Darius Slay, the team still needs someone to fill the season-long void left by McPhearson’s injury.

The good news is that the Eagles still have Eli Ricks, who was an undrafted free agent out of Alabama earlier this year. He was solid in his final year with the Crimson Tide, allowing just 6 receptions on 19 targets for 77 yards without a touchdown.

Although he likely won’t have similar success in the NFL right out of the gate, Ricks hasn’t looked out of place this summer. After shining in practice, he didn’t waste any time in his preseason debut, recording a pick-6 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Ricks did make some mistakes against the Browns, but that’s far from an issue. He’s only 21 years old and will go through some growing pains before becoming an everyday starting CB.

Still, even if he’s far from a finished product, Ricks has only allowed four catches on 11 targets with an interception and a pair of broken-up passes in two exhibition contests. That’s without mentioning how quarterbacks have a 50.2 passer rating when targeting him.

Unless Ricks completely forgets how to play football before the end of August, there’s no excuse for him not to be on the Eagles’ roster this fall.