4 Eagles Who Will Make Their First Pro Bowl in 2023
By Isaiah De Los Santos
The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten off to a 3-0 start, all while not playing up their full potential. However, these early struggles from some key players, plus a number of injuries, have cleared the way for other contributors to step up.
As a result, Philadelphia already looks like it could send several first-timers to the Pro Bowl this year. Here are the four players who appear to have the best chance to make their Pro Bowl debut in 2023.
Eagles Early Pro Bowl Candidates 2023
1. D’Andre Swift
The D’Andre Swift Show is now playing in Philly, and what sight it is to behold.
Outside of quarterback Jalen Hurts, Swift has been the single most impactful player on the Eagles’ offense over the last two games — and that’s not exactly what anyone expected after his extremely quiet Week 1.
Many thought Swift would be Nick Sirianni’s featured back to begin the regular season, but it was the incumbent Kenneth Gainwell who handled nearly 90% of the team’s running back carries in the opener. A rib injury prevented Gainwell from suiting up in Week 2, though, and Swift’s been dominant ever since.
With a heightened role in Week 2, Swift went on to rack up a whopping 175 yards on 28 attempts, literally helping carry Philadelphia to the win in a tightly contested matchup. He kept things going on Monday Night Football in Week 3, popping off for another 130 yards on just 16 attempts (good for a staggering average of 8.13 yards per carry).
Swift is now second in the entire league in rushing yards (308), trailing only Christian McCaffrey (353) of the San Francisco 49ers. Yet, he’s on CMC’s heels despite having 15 less carries (45 vs. 60), which speak to Swift’s insane big-play ability when he does touch the ball.
It’s clear Swift is thriving after his move to Philadelphia, and there’s little reason to believe a drop-off is coming. Playing behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines gives him a chance to get loose on any given week. He’s also straight up been better than Gainwell, who lacks his next-level burst.
After this string of dominant outings, Philadelphia can’t continue to treat Swift and Gainwell the same. The former needs to be treated like the star RB that he is, which means more touches. If that happens, Swift could run his way straight into his first-ever Pro Bowl.