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Let’s talk some defense!
Pass Rushers / EDGE players
This position remains difficult to define in the modern era of the NFL; there are three or four distinct positions that could qualify as “pass rushers”. Each has slightly different roles but for simplicity’s sake we’re going to combine them.
Philly has the best trio of pure pass rushers in the game, with Hasson Reddick, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat racking up 38 sacks (and 89 total QB pressures) between them last season. There’s every reason to think that the productivity will remain high:
-This is the first time in his NFL career that Reddick will be playing the same position two years in a row. It’s also the first time since 2020 that he’s been with the same team back to back years.
-I pointed out last year that a player (in this case, Brandon Graham) who builds his game around strength, effort and savvy should age pretty well, and that seemed to be proven true. Graham is still strong, smart and will give good effort. I don’t know if he’ll rack up 11 sacks again but he should be effective, and this year won’t be rehabbing his Achilles.
-Josh Sweat’s PFF score has climbed three consecutive seasons, as has his sack count. His total QB pressures have risen each of the last two years, and his pressure rate (total pressures divided by total defensive snaps) of 4.6% last season was the highest of his career. This guy is remarkably still ascending and I’m excited to find out where his ceiling is. We know it’s high, considering that nine years ago he was considered the top overall player in his high school class.
Nolan Smith was a favorite of the Philly beat over the summer, and was a consensus top 20 prospect in the draft. He slipped to #30 but would probably be a starter for half of the teams in the NFL. Here, he’ll be the fourth option to start the season but I expect to see a lot of him as the year unfolds. I’ve said enough already about Derek Barnett, but in summary I think he’s a fine fifth option. I was grateful that Patrick Johnson’s injury wasn’t as serious as initially feared; he’s not only solid depth but provides special teams chops, something that this team desperately needs.
We’ve still got Tarron Jackson (PS) hanging around; I was in the fan club last year and I’m still hopeful they can turn him into something. To me, he looks like a poor man’s Brandon Graham.
My evaluation: this is the finest collection of pass rush talent in the league, and I don’t think it’s close.
Defensive Tackles
Jordan Davis steps into the limelight here, as he looks to justify what the Birds traded to get him last spring. His rookie season was mostly muted, partially due to injury and partially because the team was deep with options last season. The team is still deep, but with Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph all departing, it’s time for Davis to step up. His athletic profile indicates a high ceiling, and I still think he’ll develop into a solid player as long as he stays healthy.
Fletcher Cox is very clearly not the elite player he was five or six years ago but remains a solid rotational option. I expect him to cede more snaps to Jalen Carter, who will make the Pro Bowl as a rookie if the buzz around him from camp comes to fruition (per Bo Wulf from The Athletic: “Every year, toward the tail end of training camp, we survey as many players on the Eagles as we can with a simple question: If you had to pick one teammate who you think is primed for a big season, who would it be? This is an exercise that dates back about a decade to when Sheil Kapadia first came up with it. As far as I can tell, this year’s winner [Jalen Carter] received the highest percentage of the vote in the history of the survey at 30 percent of the 32 players who answered.”).
Milton Williams, Kentavious Street and Moro Ojomo are all comparable players who will fill similar roles. Williams is more athletic, Ojomo is a little bigger and stronger, and Street is somewhere somewhere in between. All three are tweener tackles with pass rush juice. Williams in particular seems primed for a breakout of sorts.
Marlon Tuipulotu has improved each season he’s been here but has struggled with injuries, or has been buried on the depth chart. He’s the #2 NT behind Davis at this point, so we should expect him to rotate in with some frequency. I think he’ll be fine, and he’ll need to be as there are no other nose tackles on the roster.
My evaluation: there is a lot of potential here but we’ll need some of these young guys to go beyond potential to production. Good health will be necessary as well.
Linebackers
In 2017, the Eagles began that year with Nigel Bradham, Jordan Hicks and Mychal Kendricks as their starters. In 2022 it was TJ Edwards and Kyzir White. I’m presenting this reminder as evidence that Philly doesn't ALWAYS neglect the position, and that having competent LB play is still important in achieving the ultimate goal.
Thankfully, there’s at least the possibility that we have another solid 1-2 tandem in Nakobe Dean and Zach Cunningham. As long as Dean stays healthy, there’s no reason to think that he won’t be a good player. Butkus award winners have generally done well in the NFL (by my count, ten of the fifteen winners from 2004-2018 turned into solid or elite pros). Cunningham is a good player and will remain so as long as he’s healthy. If those guys each play a thousand snaps this year, we will probably be looking back on 2023 as a success at LB.
Christian Elliss is a player the team likes, and you can see why when you watch him play (length, speed, playmaking ability). The track record of similar players who emerge as starters after effectively not playing for the first few years of their careers is not promising, but exceptions happen and this situation may be conducive to that (he’ll play behind a solid DL and has a clear path to playing time). He offers special teams ability as well.
The Eagles added Nick Morrow (PS) and Ben VanSumeren (PS) to their taxi squad. Morrow is a replacement level player but that’s fine for a depth play. VanSumeren is a high level athlete that’s still learning the position (2022 was the first time in his entire football career that he started at LB). Don’t be shocked if one or both of these guys showed up on the active roster at some point, especially with the lack of solid special teams guys. That need for ST guys makes the injury to Shaun Bradley (IR) all the more disappointing; I think he’ll be back next year.
My evaluation: the phrase “if healthy” has come up a lot here, and I think that’s the key. Should we get a full year of good health from those two starters, I don’t think we’ll see much drop off from last season’s underrated group. Should injuries wreck the unit, however, the depth is concerning.
Cornerbacks
The team has gone heavy at this position, which makes sense considering that both Darius Slay and James Bradberry are on the wrong side of 30. Slay in particular seemed to tail off noticeably as the season went along. On balance, this is still one of the better CB duos in the league but the possibility of regression can’t be ignored.
Avonte Maddox remains one of the better slot corners in the NFL… when healthy. He’s been nicked up all preseason. No word that he’s in danger of missing regular season time yet, but this is a situation that needs to be monitored, especially with Maddox’s history of injuries. Mario Goodrich is the nominal backup slot, and Bradberry notably took some reps here in camp. Zech McPhearson’s (IR) injury looms here, as he had solid moments both inside and outside before his injury.
Elsewhere, Josh Jobe is yet another player from last season’s list of DB prospects that’s made the 53 (Goodrich and McPhearson also made final rosters, as did S Reed Blankenship). I think he’s the first outside corner off the bench, especially since Kelee Ringo isn’t ready yet. A word on Ringo, who has elite size-weight-speed measurables and who was the top overall DB recruit in his high school class: there’s no rush for him to be an immediate star. It makes sense for Ringo to be a year or two away. Thankfully Philly’s depth should buy him that time.
We mentioned that Ringo was the top overall DB recruit in his HS class; it’s ironic that Philly also employs the #2 guy (Eli Ricks). Ricks seemed like a superfluous addition back in April, but he really played his way onto the roster. If he continues to recover his 2020 form (when he made the FWAA’s Freshman All-American team), he’ll be a big time addition. The other UDFA corner, Mekhi Garner (PS), offers physicality and special teams chops. He’s a call-up possibility.
Isaiah Rodgers (Susp) was showing some real signs of becoming a solid starter by the end of last season. If he stays in shape, he’s a terrific stash option for 2024.
My evaluation: It’s clear from the moves that Philly has made at this position, that they feel the time to replace their two starters will come sooner than later, possibly as soon as 2024. They have good young options in place that will give them flexibility there. I feel good about the long term future at the position, but not as good about the depth for this season. So many of these guys are completely unproven at this level. Cross your fingers for good health.
Safeties
As noted above, Reed Blankenship represents a remarkable success story for the Eagles' UDFA program. He’s seized a starting spot for this year, and the question now is, will he be a Pro Bowler? His college career stat line continues to amaze me (52 starts, 419 tackles, 26.5 TFLs, 28 passes defended, including 9 picks, three forced fumbles, two touchdowns), but I had forgotten that he made Bruce Feldman’s 2020 Freak List (for his agility). What a find.
Elsewhere, my concern is that we seem to have loaded up on box safeties. That’s mostly been the job of Terrell Edmunds (despite his plus athletic profile), and Sydney Brown was used almost exclusively in the box in college. Justin Evans possessed both the athleticism and the physicality to be a high end safety coming out of college, but he’s missed 52% of all regular season games in the five seasons he’s been in the league.
My evaluation: the Eagles carried no safeties on their practice squad, meaning that they likely have more confidence in this four man group than I currently do. There’s certainly talent here, but question marks abound.
Specialists
Jake Elliott remains sound and solid. His big leg gives the Eagles an opportunity in every FG situation. Arynn Siposs (PS) was really bad last year (you don’t need me to tell you this); he was bottom twelve in average punting, net punting, and percentage of punts returned. He only sticks around due to his abilities as a holder, but it’s only a matter of time till he gets replaced. Rick Lovato has been Long Snapping for Philly since 2016 and has achieved a rank of #11 leaguewide in The Definitive, Inarguable Ranking of NFL Long Snappers, so there’s that! There should be more than a little concern over the kick coverage units, which struggled last year and now have lost several key contributors. It will be on Michael Clay to unearth and develop some new cover guys quickly.
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