5 bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017
By Ryan Quigley
Derek Barnett will be named Defensive Rookie of the Year
The Eagles’ 2017 first-round selection is legit. Despite questions about his athleticism, Barnett has all of the tools necessary to become a dominant presence on the edge at the next level. After all, this is the guy who broke Reggie White‘s sack record at Tennessee in one less year of collegiate play.
It will be interesting to see how much the Eagles use Barnett as a rookie. With Chris Long and Brandon Graham likely to receive a fair share of the snaps, Barnett will have to earn playing time in training camp and throughout the season. Based on his impressive spring, though, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he eventually forced the Eagles to give him more snaps.