Just like that, preparations for the 2023 season will soon begin for the new class of Eagles. Rookie Minicamp begins on Friday.
Not only will the team's seven draft picks start their training in Philadelphia, but so will nine undrafted free agents who were signed during the post-draft period.
Get to know the team's recently signed undrafted free agents before they get to work on the field.
CB Mekhi Garner, LSU
Garner played at Navarro College for one season, then Louisiana for three seasons before transferring to LSU in 2022. There, the 6-foot-2, 212-pound corner started every game, leading the team with eight pass breakups.
WR Jadon Haselwood, Arkansas
Haselwood played at Oklahoma for three seasons until transferring to Arkansas following Head Coach Lincoln Riley's departure from the program. Through his four years of collegiate ball, he compiled 1,438 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, the Georgia native led Arkansas with 59 receptions in 2022.
WR Joseph Ngata, Clemson
This Clemson receiver played 45 games with 25 starts through his four-year tenure in Death Valley. He compiled 1,287 receiving yards and six touchdowns during that span. Ngata's parents were born in Cameroon, moving to the United States first to pursue educational opportunities, but stayed, putting down roots in California. Ngata's brothers Ariel and Daniyel both played college football as well.
T Chim Okorafor, Benedictine
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman is coming to Rookie Minicamp from Benedictine College in Kansas. He's taken an atypical route to the NFL. He played two seasons of basketball at Cal Poly Pomona, then transferred to Riverside City Community College in 2019, Missouri Southern in 2020, and Pitt State after that. He landed in Kansas at Benedictine for the 2022 season, playing three games.
T Trevor Reid, Louisville
Reid is one of a few Georgia natives in this year's Eagles rookie class. He first stayed local for college, playing at Georgia Military College, before transferring to Louisville in 2020. He played 34 games there.
CB Eli Ricks, Alabama
Another Alabama product in the building. Ricks, who started at LSU playing in 2020 and 2021, transferred to Alabama for the 2022 season. He played 25 games during his collegiate tenure, compiling 44 total tackles, five interceptions, and two touchdowns.
TE Brady Russell, Colorado
Russell played in 42 career games at Colorado, where he compiled 67 career catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns. A team captain, Russell became the first TE to earn the Buffalo Heart Award, an honor bestowed on a Colorado Buffaloes player who demonstrates grit, determination, and toughness. Russell's uncle, Matt, is the Eagles' senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager. Matt Russell is a member of the Colorado Buffaloes' Hall of Fame after winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker in 1996.
LB Ben VanSumeren, Michigan State
VanSumeren has been a Michigan football lifer throughout his playing career. He's from Bay City – that's where he won player of the year honors as a senior in high school after setting the state record of 85 receptions, 1259 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He played on both sides of the ball – taking snaps at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and linebacker. He logged the No. 1 SPARQ score (cumulative athletic rating) in the country among tight ends (No. 10 overall) at the Nike's The Opening camp.
Collegiately, he played three seasons at Michigan, moving to the defensive side of the ball permanently in 2020, before transferring to Michigan State for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In his final season, he played 11 games with 10 starts, finishing third on the team with 81 tackles.
P Ty Zentner, Kansas State
Punter Ty Zentner, who grew up in Topeka, Kansas, didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school. He played soccer, but the football team needed a kicker. He played at Butler Community College before joining Kansas State University. There, he was a punter/kicker, making 11 field goals and recording a season-long 72-yard punt.
