Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett turns 22 years old
Defensive end Derek Barnett’s name will be mentioned in the Philadelphia Eagles’ story forever, and he’s only 22 years old.
The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles rookie class consists of a few guys fans and coaches are expecting a lot from. While we wait to see what happens with the likes of wide receiver Shelton Gibson, cornerback Rasul Douglas, running back Donnel Pumphrey and linebacker Nathan Gerry, we’re already fighting the urge to invest too much emotional capital in guys like Corey Clement, Mack Hollins and Derek Barnett.
Things change frequently and swiftly in the NFL, but the general consensus among most of us is we expect Barnett, Hollins and Clement to make the 2018 roster and be in Philly for a while.
They’re a special group indeed.
This rookie class got a taste of success early. They don’t know the torment of playoff droughts. They don’t know what heartbreak feels like yet. The only thing they know about Philly’s unquenchable thirst for a Lombardi Trophy comes from what they’ve read or seen on television.
Let’s look at Number 96.
Derek Barnett was the 14th-overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. It was a bit surprising, yes. The Philly faithful hoped they’d hear a running back, a wide receiver or a cornerback’s name called. Instead, the Eagles organization went with a defensive end, and the decision to do so was absolutely the right one.
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Only one man can lay claim to breaking Reggie White‘s sack record with the Tennessee Volunteers, and he did it without playing his senior season.His collegiate resume is amazing. He’s earned honors as a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2014. He was First-team All-SEC and Consensus All-American in 2016. Then, in 2017, he was named as a member of the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
What’s scary is he’s just getting started. What’s even scarier is he still has time to improve.
On June 25th, Barnett turned 22, and as expected, there’ s been a ton of well wishes from fans, coaches and teammates. The love Eagles fans already had for Barnett was well known. His strip-sack of Case Keenum in the NFC Championship Game and his fumble recovery in Super Bowl LII only increased what was already there.
Next: Let’s not forget about Markus Wheaton
Year two is on the horizon, and we’re all wondering what he could possibly do for an encore. We may not have to wait too long to learn the answer.