The Eagles revealed their Super Bowl LIX banner and kicked off their 2025 season with a win over the Cowboys. Thunder and lightning storms be damned, Philadelphia eked out a weird, wild victory after their defense shut down Dallas in the second half. While the Eagles rookies as a whole didn’t contribute, two first year players were extremely present in the defensive effort.
Jihaad Campbell: A
Jihaad Campbell lived up to the hype in his first action as an NFL starter. Campbell was arguably the Eagles’ best defender on Thursday
night, playing all three downs with speed and discipline. While Campbell did some solid work in the run game, he was most impressive as a coverage defender. Campbell’s athleticism allowed him to shut down the middle of the field, at one point batting away a throw deep down the seam. He already is showing the heady play of a veteran, a great sign as the Eagles no doubt give him more responsibility.
Andrew Mukuba: C
Andrew Mukuba out-snapped Sydney Brown on Thursday, indicating he is the Eagles top guy to play safety across from Reed Blankenship. Mukuba’s speed showed up all night, including flying to the ball to make a stop late in the game. He is a fast, physical player already. Now it’s a matter of cleaning up coverage discipline and getting more consistent as a tackler. It wasn’t the best night for Mukuba, but there is plenty to be excited about given his skill set on display against Dallas.
