BALTIMORE — Emotions were running high as they made their first NFL appearance, mostly trying to get rid of the butterflies in their stomachs that they had never felt before in their football lives before Friday night’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.

“I probably haven’t been this nervous in a long time,” said running back Will Shipley, a fourth-round pick. “This is the first NFL game, this is the next level, but after the first drive, everything calmed down a bit. The butterflies in my stomach were definitely gone.”

As usual, butterflies fly away after the first blow is delivered or absorbed.

Shipley’s ball disappeared after his first touch, a four-yard run behind rookie left guard Trevor Keegan midway through the second quarter. He later caught a 7-yard touchdown pass, the Eagles’ first of the preseason.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore brought sixth-round receiver Johnny Wilson into the game early, with a quick strike over the middle on the second play of the game that went for seven yards.

Fifth-round linebacker Jeremiah Trotter lost his composure after a special teams tackle.

“I got a lot of high fives from my teammates (on the sidelines) saying, ‘Great tackling, great job,’ because in football, the game is made up of three phases, we all have to work together and we take special teams very seriously,” Trotter said.

“I was really excited and wanted to get started right away, but as soon as I scored the first goal, the butterflies in my stomach went away and I just started playing football. I think that gave me an immediate boost. Once I had done that, I just started playing football again.”

The Clemson linebacker with deep Philly roots was just getting started. He recorded the first of three sacks for the Eagles by diving into an easy tackle on quarterback Josh Johnson and finished with five tackles.

“Some were nervous, some were excited, some had no butterflies in their stomach and were ready to go,” he said. “Everyone had different feelings coming into the game, but once you’re out there and going, it’s just football.”

Keegan and third-round pick Jalyx Hunt were at their best, with the fifth-round pick helping Keegan rush for 55 yards in the first half and Hunt contributing three tackles and being seen frequently in the backfield.

Patrick Johnson, who contributed to the win with a strip-sack fumble recovery, was asked about Hunt since the two play the same position.

“Jalyx came to us as a rookie and has developed very well as a player,” he said. “Smart, physical. He’s a super-fast learner. I know he’s been ahead of a lot of other guys I’ve met in the past, even myself, in how far ahead he is. He’s a really good player.”

This class seems to have several of them. While it’s too early to say who and how many, it’s off to a good start in Baltimore.

“I think we have a really good class,” Trotter said. “The Eagles have brought in a lot of great players in this class and I’m really happy for all of them and really rooting for them. I know they have all the talent they need, they have all the tools they need and they have the work ethic they need. We all have to keep going and try to get better and improve.”

First-round pick Quinyon Mitchell added: “I think we have a good rookie class. We have really talented guys, but we work hard every day.”

Since 2020, general manager Howie Roseman has put together some solid draft classes. Even 2020 produced franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts, but most of the nine other picks that year have failed to pan out, including first-round pick Jalen Reagor and third-round pick Davion Taylor.

Since then, there have been more hits than misses, and the 2024 vintage could bring similar results.

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