The Eagles fell to the Browns 22–13 in their second preseason game of the year on Saturday, but came away from the loss having gained plenty.

Several young players made their case for bigger roles once the regular season comes around, and the defending Super Bowl champions were undoubtedly happy to see them step up as they attempt to repeat their success from last season.

Let’s take a look at five Eagles that stood out with their performance against Cleveland.

Andrew Mukuba, S

Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba put on quite a show against the Browns, taking a pick-six to the house on the first play of the second quarter. Up until that point, Cleveland quarterback Dillon Gabriel had been picking apart the Eagles defense, having completed all but one of his first nine passes of the game.

But when Gabriel tried to force a ball between two Browns receivers, Mukuba was ready, pouncing on the ball with a clear runway to the end zone.

He wasn’t done. Just a few minutes later, he would track a ball that hit the ground after a bad transfer between Gabriel and his running back, leaving the scrum with the fumble recovery.

The second-round pick in this year’s draft was always expected to play a big role in the Eagles’ upcoming campaign, but has shown potential to be a true game-changer right out of the gate.

Jihaad Campbell, LB

A first-round draft pick out of Alabama, Jihaad Campbell joined the Eagles defense as a do-it-all linebacker. He’s comfortable across the defense, and looked the part on Saturday. On the second snap of the game, Campbell shot the gap and came down with a sack.

“I think that just comes with understanding the scheme, understanding where’s the help, understanding your assignment,” Campbell said after the game, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “To execute it, I’m just taking that detail by detail, every day, and the game is slowing down for me. Just being calm as a linebacker in general.”

Ainias Smith, WR

The top of the depth chart in Philadelphia is pretty set at wide receiver, but fifth-round pick Ainais Smith has shown that he’s ready to contribute right now in both of his preseason performances.

On Saturday, Smith caught both of his targets, including an impressive touchdown snag from quarterback Kyle McCord.

Smith also scored last week in his preseason debut against the Bengals.

Kyle McCord, QB

The top two spots on the quarterback depth chart in Philadelphia are squared away, with Tanner McKee backing up Jalen Hurts heading into the 2025 season. But it feels like there’s a real competition for the third spot, and that feeling only deepened on Saturday.

While former Brown Dorian Thompson-Robinson got the start and was likely the leading man in the competition entering the day, he struggled on the field, while rookie Kyle McCord looked plenty composed when he got his shot in the game.

The Eagles love developing QBs, so it feels like a safe bet that whoever misses out on making the roster will still have a spot on the practice squad.

Azeez Ojulari, Edge

The former Giant had his best day yet in Eagles green on Saturday, looking sharp off the edge. He recorded three total tackles and one sack in the loss.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Eagles Players Who Impressed During Preseason Loss vs. Browns.

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