The Philadelphia Eagles entered their Week 10 bye at 2-7, but evaluating their rookie class requires more than attaching the team’s record to every player.
Some rookies have handled substantial responsibilities. Others have lost development time to injuries or been overshadowed by veterans. Philadelphia’s final eight games should provide more answers, particularly for players whose limited opportunities make a firm judgment premature.
Here are our editorial grades for Philadelphia’s eight draft picks through Week 9. They reflect production, opportunity, and expectations, rather than a direct conversion of Pro Football Focus grades.
WR Makai Lemon: B
Lemon has provided the clearest immediate return, leading Philadelphia with 37 receptions and 312 receiving yards
while adding one touchdown. Becoming a regular option through quarterback changes is encouraging, although his 8.4 yards per reception shows there is room for more productive opportunities. He has established a foundation; the next step is turning involvement into more explosive gains and scoring plays.
TE Eli Stowers: Incomplete
Stowers has three receptions for 53 yards after beginning the season on injured reserve. His limited opportunities have included a 34-yard reception, but the sample remains too small to judge a second-round investment fairly. Philadelphia needs to determine how consistently he can contribute within its tight end rotation over the remaining games.
OT Markel Bell: C-
Bell has received a demanding assignment at right tackle, and the results remain developmental. PFF lists a 56.7 overall offensive grade across 393 offensive snaps, illustrating the distance between gaining experience and becoming a dependable starter. The rookie deserves consideration for the circumstances, but Philadelphia needs better execution from the position. His final eight games should help establish whether those repetitions are producing measurable progress.
QB Cole Payton: Incomplete
Payton has not attempted a regular-season pass, leaving no meaningful passing sample to evaluate. His grade should reflect that lack of opportunity rather than Philadelphia’s decisions elsewhere on the quarterback depth chart. The fifth-round pick’s development remains a longer-term question.
G Micah Morris: Incomplete
Morris has received too little offensive work to support a meaningful performance grade. Making the roster and contributing on special teams are steps in his development, but they don't show whether he can handle an extended assignment at guard. That evaluation requires actual offensive opportunities.
S Cole Wisniewski: Incomplete
Wisniewski’s opportunities have primarily involved special teams rather than a sustained defensive role. His elevation for the Giants game supplied another opportunity to contribute, but Philadelphia still needs a larger defensive sample before judging his potential place in the secondary.
DT Uar Bernard: Incomplete
Bernard’s development has been interrupted by his placement on practice squad injured reserve. With no regular-season defensive sample, assigning a failing grade would confuse availability with demonstrated performance. His evaluation remains centered on getting healthy and developing the fundamentals necessary to compete for a role.
OLB Keyshawn James-Newby: Incomplete
James-Newby received defensive and special teams opportunities before the bye, but his workload remains limited. The seventh-round pick needs more repetitions before Philadelphia can determine whether he offers a dependable rotational contribution. The remaining schedule provides an opportunity to learn more without treating a small sample as a final verdict.
Lemon has supplied the strongest early production, while Bell has received valuable but difficult experience. For much of the class, the most important evaluation is still ahead.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Grading Eagles rookies at the bye: Makai Lemon leads the draft class
