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Since J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, he has been met with loads of criticism.
The 24-year-old has not become a consistent part of the team’s offense in two seasons and could be at risk of losing his roster spot in training camp this year.
The Eagles selected a wide receiver in the first round in each of the last two drafts and have found some solid role players at the position who will enter camp ahead of Arcega-Whiteside on the depth chart.
The wideout also faces the unenviable task of learning a new system under first-year head coach Nick Sirianni while fighting for the roster spot.
Arcega-Whiteside will be closely watched throughout training camp, but he is far from the only player at risk of being cut if he does not shine in August.
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Arcega-Whiteside’s two-year stint in Philadelphia has been a disappointment, and that might be underselling it a bit.
The Stanford product has not lived up to his status as a second-round pick. He has 14 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown in two seasons.
That production is simply not good enough, and he has been surpassed on the roster by wide receivers who entered the league as lower-round picks or undrafted free agents.
In 2020, Arcega-Whiteside failed to earn snaps on an injury-ravaged offense. Instead, Travis Fulgham emerged as a solid contributor and Greg Ward chipped in from the slot.
With Jalen Reagor healthy and DeVonta Smith in the fold, Fulgham and Ward will settle into secondary roles, which buries Arcega-Whiteside on the depth chart. He will be in competition for a roster spot with Quez Watkins and John Hightower, both of whom had better numbers than him in 2020.
Unless he drastically improves this summer, Arcega-Whiteside may not make it to Week 1 in 2021 as an Eagles player.
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The Eagles built up a good amount of depth at running back behind Miles Sanders.
Philadelphia added Kerryon Johnson once he was released by the Detroit Lions and brought back Jordan Howard to have more experience in the position room.
However, Howard’s presence may not be needed on the field if some of the young running backs develop behind Sanders, Johnson and Boston Scott.
The Eagles selected Kenneth Gainwell in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft and have more younger legs in the form of Jason Huntley and Adrian Killins Jr. on the roster.
Even though Howard is only 26, he has plenty of yards on his legs in the NFL, and he has dropped off in production from his two 1,000-yard seasons with the Chicago Bears in 2016 and 2017. His rushing-yard total decreased in every season since 2017, and he was deemed as surplus by the Miami Dolphins in 2020.
There is always a chance Howard comes into camp as a rejuvenated player and lands a spot on the depth chart, but it will not be an easy fight with two established players in Sanders and Scott and another veteran in Johnson fighting to prove his worth as well.
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The Eagles attacked the defensive line throughout the latter stages of the 2021 draft.
Milton Williams was chosen in the third round, while Marlon Tuipulotu, Tarron Jackson and Patrick Johnson were chosen in the sixth and seventh rounds.
The younger interior linemen could put pressure on Hassan Ridgeway’s roster position beneath Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle.
The 26-year-old has only played in 14 games in first two seasons with the Eagles and has not appeared in more than 10 contests since his second season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.
Ridgeway’s inability to stay healthy could cost him a roster spot if he does not have a strong camp. If he does not look at 100 percent, the Eagles could give their younger players more chances ahead of the regular season.
Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.
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