The Philadelphia Eagles finished the 2022-2023 regular-season with a whooping 14-3 record. After earning the No. 1 seed in the league, the Birds are just days away from their first playoff game.
This season, the team was filled with immense talent, and though it’s difficult to choose a handful of players that were the best, these top-five players certainly made waves.
EAGLES TOP-FIVE PLAYERS: 2022 REGULAR-SEASON
1. Jalen Hurts, Quarterback
There aren’t enough good things to say about quarterback Jalen Hurts this season. He had some issues in 2021, but he recognized them, fixed them, and has been executing almost flawlessly.
Hurts missed two games this season with a shoulder injury, but while on the field, he finished 14-1, completing 3,701 passing yards for 22 touchdowns. Hurts also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl, named Second-team All-Pro, and remains an MVP candidate.
Undoubtedly, Hurts is the driving force behind the Eagles’ offense, and has successfully ended his second regular-season in the top-five among other quarterbacks.
2. Lane Johnson, Right Tackle
Lane Johnson isn’t only one of the best players this season, but he’s one of the best players in Eagles’ history and throughout the league.
The right tackle has gone two complete seasons without allowing a sack or quarterback hit, ranking first among others in his position. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson is second among right tackles in pass-block grade (89.7), second in pressure percentage allowed (1.7%), and third in offensive grade (83.6).
This season Johnson was named to his fourth Pro Bowl and second First-team All-Pro.
Thankful 🙏 pic.twitter.com/b20XtSQIFg
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) January 13, 2023
In Week 16, he was injured. He has decided to forego surgery for now, but has returned to practice in anticipation for Philadelphia’s playoff game scheduled for Saturday.
3. Haason Reddick, Outside Linebacker
Reddick has been with the Eagles for one season, and he made it a career-best. The linebacker finished with 49 total tackles (35 solo), 16 sacks, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
He has an overall 81.1 grade by Pro Football Focus, was selected for his first Pro Bowl and was named Second-team All-Pro.
Recently, Reddick was named the NFC Player of the Month for December. During that month, the 28-year-old completed eight sacks, including two sacks each for three consecutive weeks.
Now, for the first time since college, Reddick will play in his first playoff game.
“It’s a great feeling not cleaning out your locker,” Reddick stated. “Usually, I’ll be planning what trip I’m about to go on, but now I’m here with a chance to fight for something special, be a part of something special and, shoot, man, I’m trying to do my best to make sure we hit that goal.”
4. A.J. Brown, Wide Receiver
The Eagles won when they traded for A.J. Brown. The former Tennessee Titans’ wide receiver finished his most successful career-season, making history after completing 1,496 yards. The record was broke in Week 18 against the New York Giants.
Brown also finished with 88 receptions, the second-most in franchise history, behind DeVonta Smith. He was third in yards per catch (17.0), third (tied) for touchdowns (11), and fourth in receiving yards. Brown was selected to his second Pro Bowl and named Second-team All-Pro.
The relationship Brown has with Hurts has become an asset for Philadelphia. If the two continue to play with the confidence they’ve shown all season, fans should see a dominating offense in the playoffs.
5. Jason Kelce, Center
Similarly to Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce is simply one of the best in the league. He’s a leader, has solidified strong relationships with his teammates, and has the ability to block while creating a pathway for Hurts unlike any other.
With an 88.5 PFF grade, he’s ranked second among centers in the league, and lucky for the Eagles, he’s no rookie when it comes to postseason games.
Though the Eagles had a bye week, Kelce stated, “I really do think the biggest advantage is that little shift from assessment of somebody else to self-assessment. Because we fully believe that success on game day, at the end of the day, is going to come down to us. Whether we make mistakes, whether we turn the ball over, all of these things have been very controllable from our point of view. That’s going to determine whether we win or lose any of these games.”
6-10 RANKED (JUST FOR FUN)
After a number of missed opportunities on Howie Roseman’s part, this season the Eagles created one of the best groups in franchise history. The 2022-2023 team is so talented in fact, that it was difficult to choose only five players.
Ranked below is the latter half of my top-ten.
- 6. DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver
- 7. T.J. Edwards, Linebacker
- 8. Darius Slay, Cornerback
- 9. Brandon Graham, Defensive End
- 10. Jake Elliott, Kicker
The remaining half to the Eagles’ receiving duo is DeVonta Smith. In his second season with Philadelphia, Smith finished the 2022 season with 95 receptions, surpassing the record by a receiver in franchise history.
Edwards, who has been a favorite of Nick Sirianni is certainly one of the strongest. This season, he finished with a season-high 159 tackles and two sacks. He’s ranked second among per PFF with a 90.7 grade.
Darius Slay, a five-time Pro Bowler, has been another win for the Eagles. Over the last three seasons in Philadelphia, he’s become a household name. This season, he finished with 55 tackles and three interceptions.
“It means a lot to me. I’ve been in the league 10 years and never won a division in my life. I got one today,” Slay said after securing the No. 1 seed last week. “I’ve never had a bye week. I’ve never seen the second round. I get to see both of them at one time, so I’m thankful.”
Coming in at No. 9, Brandon Graham has seen the playoffs before. As the longest tenured athlete in Philadelphia, fans weren’t sure what they would get when the 34-year-old returned after a season-ending injury. But, they got the best version of him. Ranked fifth with a 89.9 PFF grade, Graham was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. He’s had 35 tackles and 11 sacks, becoming an integral part of one of four Eagles’ players who finished with 10+ sacks to make history.
Landing in the No. 10 spot on my list is Jake Elliott. Kickers usually don’t get recognized, but if it weren’t for Elliott, the Eagles may not have won their Week 18 game. Pulling out a career-high with five field goals, Elliot was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
