The Eagles rode an explosive offense to an appearance in Super Bowl 58 last season. They haven't gotten off to as quick of a start in 2023 but are trying to remedy that by adding a familiar face to their roster.
That would be Julio Jones. The longtime NFL receiver and former All-Pro with the Falcons agreed to join Philadelphia's practice squad ahead of its Week 7 game against the Dolphins.
While Jones isn't yet on the active roster for the Eagles, the plan is to elevate him to the 53-man roster eventually. At that point, the team is likely hoping he will emerge as an effective No. 3 receiver.
The Eagles have one of the most effective receiving duos in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but they don't have too much behind them. So, if Jones can stay healthy and show some of the speed and burst that he had early in his career, he could emerge as a quality weapon.
Of course, Jones did the same thing with the Buccaneers during the 2022 NFL season. It didn't work, and it's possible that the 34-year-old receiver is simply past his prime.
Still, it makes sense that the Eagles would want to get a look at him to at least see whether he has anything left in the tank. His familiarity with A.J. Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus will give him some instant chemistry in the receiver room, as so too will his Alabama ties to DeVonta Smith.
MORE: Why the Eagles signed Julio Jones, explained
But how might Jones eventually fit on the Eagles' receiver depth chart? Here's a look at the eight healthy players they have on the active roster and practice squad at this time.
Eagles WR depth chart
1. A.J. Brown
Brown remains the Eagles' No. 1 receiver a year after recording 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first season with the team. The Ole Miss product started the 2023 season slowly but posted four straight games with at least six catches and 127 receiving yards from Week 3 onward.
QB Jalen Hurts and Brown are close friends and have great chemistry, so it's no surprise that Brown has found so much success. The 26-year-old excels with the ball in his hands and should continue to be one of the toughest receivers to tackle thanks to his combination of speed, athleticism and elusiveness.
2. DeVonta Smith
Smith has been well worth the top-10 pick the Eagles spent on him. He served as the team's No. 1 receiver during his rookie season before emerging as an excellent complement to A.J. Brown during a 1,196-yard, seven-touchdown sophomore campaign.
Smith has been a bit more hit-or-miss while adjusting to Brian Johnson's offense in 2023, but he is only slightly off the pace for a 1,000-yard season. As he gets more into rhythm with the new scheme, he should only improve. Either way, he's the clear-cut partner for Brown by a wide margin.
2021 NFL RE-DRAFT: Eagles forced to take new WR with DeVonta Smith off the board
3. Julio Jones
In an ideal world, this is where Jones would fit for the Eagles. He could come in, flash some of the speed that once made him one of the most threatening deep-ball receivers in the NFL and emerge as the team's true No. 3 receiver. A trio of him, Brown and Smith along with tight end Dallas Goedert would certainly look tantalizing on paper.
That said, Jones has managed to appear in only 20 games over the last two seasons with the Titans and Buccaneers. He has posted 55 receptions for 733 yards and three touchdowns during that span. That's not bad, but it's certainly not close to his 10 years in Atlanta, during which he averaged 1,624 yards and eight touchdowns per 17 games played.
Even so, the Eagles have lacked consistency and production at their No. 3 wideout spot. Jones is more than capable of providing that so long as his hamstrings don't bother him.
4. Olamide Zaccheaus
Until Jones is integrated into the Eagles offense, Zaccheaus will serve as the team's No. 3 receiver, as normal No. 3 wideout Quez Watkins is on IR with a hamstring injury.
Zaccheaus was a solid rotational weapon during his time with the Falcons and recorded a career-high 40 catches for 533 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. There was some hope that he could see an uptick in production working with Jalen Hurts, but he has just four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown through six games.
At 5-8, 193 pounds, Zaccheaus is on the smaller side and can be a solid gadget and slot weapon for the team. That said, it makes sense that the Eagles wanted to find an upgrade over him to push him into his better-suited No. 4 receiver role.
5. Britain Covey
Covey is one of just four receivers on Philadelphia's 53-man roster at present but he doesn't do much on offense. The Utah product has played only 31 snaps on offense so far during his 23-game career but has logged 47 punt returns and 11 kick returns.
Covey's average of 13.9 yards per punt return currently ranks seventh-best in the NFL. The Eagles will continue to use him in that role, but it doesn't look like the 5-8, 173-pound playmaker will get too many chances on offense. Besides, playing him and the similarly diminutive Zaccheaus consistently could limit the versatility within Philadelphia's offensive attack.
POWER RANKINGS: Where Eagles rank among NFL's best teams in 2023
6. Greg Ward
Ward was a quarterback during his college days at Houston, but he moved to receiver at the NFL level. The Eagles evidently like him, as he has been a member of the team since going undrafted in 2017, save for a brief 2019 stint with the AAF's San Antonio Commanders.
During the 2020 season, Ward served as a solid slot receiver, appearing in 16 games (10 starts) and recording 53 catches for 419 yards and six touchdowns. It looked like he would be a valuable depth receiver at the very least at that point, but he has received only 11 targets since then.
Ward has been stashed on the Eagles' practice squad in each of the last two seasons and could be called up if the team needs depth. It's clear that the team likes him; they simply may not believed that the 28-year-old has any upside left to continue his development.
7. Devon Allen
Allen will turn 29 in December but has played only 23 NFL snaps to date. Why was he so late to the party? The Oregon product focused on his Olympic track and field career, which was made possible by his speed. But after impressing the Eagles in a 2022 tryout, he was signed to a practice-squad deal.
Since then, Allen has remained on the practice squad with the Eagles developing him as a speed-based returner. They will continue to do this but don't appear willing to use him on offense, so barring a change, he won't be involved in any plays outside maybe a trick-play package.
8. Joseph Ngata
Ngata signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old has great size at 6-3, 215 pounds and posted a career-best 41 catches for 526 yards and two touchdowns during his senior season at Clemson.
Ngata appears to be a developmental project for Nick Sirianni's staff and possesses size, something that many of the team's other pass-catchers lack. That is certainly nice to have, but it seems like he is at the bottom of the depth chart as he tries to prove his worth to Philadelphia.
