The Los Angeles Rams—the Eagles’ toughest opponent last season—could overtake Philadelphia as the NFC’s top team, according to NFL analyst James Jones.

A former wide receiver who spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Giants, and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Jones appeared on FS1’s “The Facility” Monday and used the Eagles’ 28-22 in a snowy divisional-round win over the Rams as the key example of the Rams’ potential to close the gap.

“The only team I would go with that closed the gap a little bit is the Rams,” Jones said. “The Rams took the Eagles at home down to the wire. If they had picked up a protection, who knows how that game would have gone. You have a very good defense about to play together again this year. They’ll get better, and they have a really young core. Then you add Davante Adams to the mix with Puka Nacua and the running game. I think the Rams have closed the gap a little bit, and you can go quarterback for quarterback. With Matthew Stafford and Jalen Hurts, they can go at it.”

Jones also noted that even the Kansas City Chiefs—whom the Eagles beat 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX—did not do enough to overtake Philadelphia this season. He pointed to the rematch next season as the ultimate litmus test.

“The Chiefs have to show me something when they play the Eagles again because I don’t think they match up well with the Eagles, especially in the trenches,” he said.

On the roster front, the Eagles will return 11 of their 12 offensive starters this season, with right guard Mekhi Becton the only player gone after signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Defensively, they lost key contributors including defensive end Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Willams, cornerback Darius Slay, and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson—players who helped lead the league in total yards allowed per game.

However, the Eagles have depth along the defensive line. Edge rushers Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt are expected to continue improving, and 2025 second-round draft pick safety Andrew Mukuba is anticipated to learn quickly and fill in for Gardner-Johnson.

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.