Tim McManusESPN Staff Writer Oct 13, 2023, 4:16pm ET3 minute read
What is Erin Dolan’s top pick for the Eagles-Jets?
Erin Dolan has the Eagles at -3.5 in the first half of their matchup against the Jets on Sunday.
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles will be without two of their best defensive players for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Cornerback Darius Slay (knee) and rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter (ankle) are both out, as are safety Justin Evans (knee) and receiver Quez Watkins (hamstring).
The Eagles placed Evans on injured reserve on Friday and signed corner Bradley Roby from the practice squad to the active roster.
Carter, the No. 9 seed from Georgia, injured his ankle during Wednesday’s practice and was sidelined the rest of the week. Coach Nick Sirianni indicated it was not a long-term injury.
The same goes for Slay, who played all of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams but didn’t practice all week.
Carter leads the team with 3.5 sacks and ranks first among defensive tackles in QB pressures with 25 sacks through five weeks, according to NextGen Stats data.
“Man, he just played phenomenal. A young man with a lot of energy, a lot of juice,” said veteran edge player Haason Reddick.
Slay, considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league, ranks second on the Eagles with four passes defensed and one interception this season.
Second-year cornerback Josh Jobe is a candidate to start in Slay’s absence, and Terrell Edmunds is expected to start at safety in place of Evans.
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (back) is scheduled to return after a week-long absence, which should help offset the loss of Carter.
The Jets are also battling injuries and will be without two of their top four cornerbacks for the second straight season with starter DJ Reed (concussion) and dime back Brandin Echols (hamstring) sidelined.
Reed was leaning toward returning after practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but was unable to complete concussion protocols and was held out of Friday’s practice. Bryce Hall, who scored on a late fumble recovery last week, will start again for Reed.
Top corner Sauce Gardner also had to miss Friday due to illness, but according to coach Robert Saleh he should play despite being classified as questionable. The Jets may also need to rotate punt returners, as rookie Xavier Gipson appeared on the injury report as questionable with an ankle injury. Mecole Hardman, who was a healthy scratch last week, would likely replace Gipson.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini contributed to this report.