Eagles Training Camp Practice Notes: Is Eli Ricks the dark horse in the cornerback competition?

Observations from the NovaCare Complex.

Today marked the eighth Philadelphia Eagles training camp practice ahead of the 2025 NFL season. The padded session lasted for about one hour and 40 minutes. Here’s what I observed at the NovaCare Complex.

EAGLES PRACTICE NOTES

• JALEN HURTS UPDATE: Hurts was solid yet unspectacular. He hit a crossing DeVonta Smith in stride for a nice gain. He had another good ball to Dallas Goedert. Hurts had a chance to make the play of the day by hitting Jahan Dotson for a deep touchdown. The wide receiver was comfortably open for an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone but Hurts overthrew him. The quarterback wasn’t helped by the wind being at his back; the upright streamers and a big flag nearby were blowing in the same direction the ball was thrown. Still waiting to see another hot stretch from Hurts like he had early in camp.
• EAGLES INJURY REPORT: Bunch of new updates.

DID NOT PRACTICE

LB Zack Baun (back contusion)
WR A.J. Brown (hamstring)
S Lewis Cine (hamstring)
RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (hamstring)
WR Terrace Marshall Jr. (knee)
CB Mac McWilliams (quad)
LB Ben VanSumeren (ankle)

Baun has missed four straight practices.

Marshall has missed three straight practices.

McWilliams and BVS have missed two straight practices.

Brown is a new addition to the injury report. Obviously a big one to monitor. UPDATE: Here’s some encouraging insight.

Cine and Johnson Jr. are also newly injured.

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

LB Jihaad Campbell (shoulder)
LS Charley Hughlett (neck)
TE E.J. Jenkins (hamstring)
S Andrew Mukuba (shoulder)
WR DeVonta Smith (back tightness)
LB Nolan Smith (concussion)

DeVonta took part in some team drills in his first day back after missing four practices.

Nolan was limited to position drills. He’s ramping up after missing three practices.

Campbell doesn’t appear to be limited despite being listed as such.

Mukuba was limited for the second practice in a row. Still not participating in team drills.

Hughlett is a new addition. Something to keep an eye on ahead of the first preseason game on Thursday. UPDATE: The Eagles are reportedly bringing in a new long snapper.

Jenkins was upgraded to limited after missing the last two practices.

OTHER INJURY NEWS

Jalen Carter (shoulder), Landon Dickerson (ribs), and Cam Jurgens (back) were removed from the injury report.

• POSITION BATTLE UPDATE — CORNERBACK: Adoree’ Jackson was first up with the first-team defense on Sunday. That makes five days when Jackson has been up first and three days for Ringo. Jackson had good coverage on DeVonta Smith in 7-on-7 to force Hurts off that read. Jackson would’ve allowed a deep touchdown to Dotson if not for a Hurts overthrow. Ringo broke up a Hurts pass to Goedert.
• Is Eli Ricks a dark horse candidate to win the starting cornerback job? He hasn’t been getting regular first-team reps with Jackson and Ringo splitting those. But the third-year defender’s having a nice summer. There’s often talk about how player development isn’t linear. In...