Which Eagles Super Bowl team is better? Comparing 2022 lineup to 2017 championship roster

For the second time in six seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl. Fresh off a rout of the 49ers in the NFC Championship, the Birds have now secured a championship berth in each of the last three decades, previously advancing to the big game in 2004 and 2017. They claimed the Lombardi Trophy their last time out, and this year, they entered the playoffs with a franchise-record 14 regular-season victories.

With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder: are the 2022 Eagles actually better than their title-winning predecessors? Of course we don’t mean it in the literal sense; until they hoist their own trophy, they are inferior. But what about talent-wise? Are the present-day Birds even more dangerous, with an even more balanced roster? Let’s run through the major positions and decide:

QB

2017: Nick Foles
2022: Jalen Hurts

Replacing an injured Carson Wentz, who was emerging as dynamic MVP candidate at the time, Foles proved to be a historic fill-in, lacking Wentz’s athleticism but offering clutch and confident downfield touch. He ultimately went blow for blow with Tom Brady on the biggest stage, in the brightest moments. And yet Hurts, somehow, has been even better than both on the whole, taking the best attributes from each predecessor’s game. One of the toughest, most reliable runners at the position, his leaps as a passer this year cannot be overstated. While his aerial usage was muted against a stingy 49ers front in the NFC Championship, he’s tended to dish the ball efficiently and accurately at every level.

Edge: 2022

RB

2017: Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, Corey Clement
2022: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott

Ajayi and Blount were a lightning-and-thunder combo, with the former excelling in space and Blount setting the tone with smashmouth size, while Clement chipped in as a feisty pass catcher. Sanders, meanwhile, has exploded as more of a featured back in 2022, ranking among league-leaders in 20+ yard carries and showing improved toughness in tight spaces. Gainwell has also come on late as a high-effort change-of-pace option a la Clement, so it’s truly a…