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The Philadelphia Eagles made one of the most intriguing selections of the entire 2026 NFL Draft when, in the seventh round, they selected Uar Bernard, a defensive lineman who never played football. After developing Jordan Mailata into an All-Pro-level talent, Eagles fans naturally felt intrigued by Bernard, who ran a 4.63 time in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds. On Saturday, August 15, he made his NFL preseason debut. Bernard didn't play a whole lot for the Eagles, but he did enough to spark some excitement from the fan base. However, ESPN's Tim McManus is, correctly, urging the Eagles to have patience with Bernard. The young lineman still has a lot to learn. Eagles urged to be patient with Uar Bernard "Philadelphia will need more patience when it comes to edge rusher Joshua Weru and defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who are products of the NFL's International Player Program," McManus writes. Bernard's NFL debut wasn't anything too impressive. He didn't record any statistics. and even could be considered to have missed a tackle. But, as McManus noted for both Weru and Bernard, "Both made their pro debuts and held their own, all things considered." It wasn't anything truly shocking, but for them not to look completely out of their element was a huge testament to the work they've put in. Looking even somewhat like an NFL player is a huge win for the pair of rookies who've never played football before. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, and the Eagles and their fans should have patience. But it's hard not to be a little bit excited about Bernard's debut, as the potential is there, and he showed moments of promise, most notably when he pushed the Baltimore Ravens guard back on one rush. It's too soon to believe either will make an impact in the NFL, let alone even make the roster. Patience is something the Eagles will need to practice when it comes to Bernard. There's potential here, and his debut was exciting just to even see him with pads on and playing. But a lot needs to happen for him to actually see an NFL snap. But if nothing else, it seems as if he's on the right track. More NFL news: - ESPN analyst predicts Josh Allen is already a Hall of Famer despite lack of Bills playoff success - Lamar Jackson is already predicted to be a Hall of Fame QB for Ravens per ESPN - Cowboys QB Dak Prescott projected by ESPN to be behind Lions QB Jared Goff for HOF chance - Packers edge Micah Parsons already predicted to be on cusp of Hall of Fame - Why Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson QB competition is taking so long for Browns