These 7 young players are making the biggest impact for Eagles. One sold tires last year

Of the Eagles' 48 players eligible to play on Sunday, 16 had either never played in an NFL game before this season, or weren't on the Eagles' roster when the season began.

Some, such as safety Blake Countess, weren't even on the roster as recently as last Wednesday.

It's quite a menagerie of players, from touted early-round draft picks in first-round wide receiver Jalen Reagor and second-round quarterback Jalen Hurts, to cornerback Kevon Seymour, who hadn't played in an NFL game since 2017.

Seymour started for Darius Slay, who suffered a concussion the week before in the Eagles' 33-26 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. He had to cover DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald.

No pressure, right?

PLAYOFF BOUND?:From worst to first in only 2 weeks: How the Eagles can still win the NFC East

Seymour, a sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2016, missed the entire 2018 season to have shoulder surgery while on injured reserve for the Carolina Panthers. 

Seymour wasn't even on a roster last season. He was selling tires in Charlotte and working out on his own while rehabbing a wrist injury.

"I hit rock bottom, but I’m from rock bottom," Seymour said.

Then the Eagles called.

ALL ON HURTS:Eagles' greatest irony: Future of coach, general manager and QB all resting on Jalen Hurts

Here, then, are seven unknowns who have made the biggest contributions this season:

7. Kevon Seymour, cornerback

It was a rough game for the Eagles' defense as a whole, and Seymour understandably had his struggles against Hopkins and Fitzgerald. The Cardinals had 526 yards of total offense, and Hopkins had 169 receiving yards.

Still, Seymour hung in there, "taking on that role," as safety Jalen Mills put it.

6. Quez Watkins, wide receiver

Of the three rookie wide receivers, Watkins has taken the longest to get his chance. He started the season on injured reserve, played in two games without a reception, then didn't play for the next six until getting a chance last Sunday against the Saints.

Watkins, the Eagles' sixth-round pick, had a 32-yard TD reception against the Cardinals. It was only his second NFL catch and first TD.

"We have a lot of explosive receivers and he’s definitely one of them," fellow receiver Greg Ward said. "He made a great move, and ain’t nobody going to catch him down the sideline."

5. Travis Fulgham, wide receiver

Fulgham would have been the top choice six weeks ago. That was when, over a five-game stretch, Fulgham had 29 receptions for 435 yards and 4 TDs.

But Fulgham has struggled since, with just 6 catches for 62 yards in the last six games. Two of those catches, for 30 yards, came on the Eagles' final drive Sunday. That gave the Eagles a chance to tie the game.

4. Michael Jacquet, cornerback

Jacquet – signed last spring as an undrafted free agent – wasn't on a roster until he was signed to the Eagles' practice squad the first week of October. Jacquet didn't get on the 53-man roster until Nov. 1.

Since then, Jacquet has been busy. He was the Eagles' top cornerback against the Cardinals with both Slay and Avonte Maddox out.

Jacquet played every defensive snap, and forced a fumble in the second quarter that the Eagles recovered at the Cardinals' 21. That led to a touchdown that brought the Eagles to within 19-14.

"My hat’s off to these guys," Pederson said about Jacquet and safety Marcus Epps. "Put in a tough situation against a really good football team ... and they battled their tails off."

3. Jalen Reagor, wide receiver

It hasn't been the rookie season Reagor envisioned, especially compared to Justin Jefferson, who went one pick after Reagor to the Vikings. Jefferson has 1,182 yards receiving, while Reagor has dealt with a shoulder injury before the season started and a thumb injury that cost him five games.

Still, Reagor has 351 yards receiving in nine games. It's something to build on heading into next season.

2. Jordan Mailata, left tackle

Mailata had not gotten into a game in his first two seasons before finally getting a chance this season. He took over for an injured Jason Peters early in the season, then again later in the season after Peters struggled before going on IR to have toe surgery.

Pederson stopped short of saying Mailata will start at left tackle beyond this season. After all, the Eagles drafted Andre Dillard in the first round in 2019. Dillard has missed the entire season with a torn biceps.

"I think it's a little unfair to sit here and say he's a full-time starter moving forward without seeing enough of Andre," Pederson said.

1. Jalen Hurts, quarterback

Hurts has had a memorable first two starts. In his first, he became only the second QB in 50 years to run for at least 100 yards in his first start, joining Baltimore's Lamar Jackson.

In his second start, Hurts threw for 338 yards with 3 TD passes and ran for 63 yards and another touchdown. 

Hurts became just the third rookie QB in Eagles history with 3 passing TDs in a game. The others were Donovan McNabb on Jan. 2, 2000 and Sonny Jurgensen on Nov. 24, 1957.

"Those 300 yards didn’t win us the game, whatever it was," Hurts said. "That’s what matters."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.