Philadelphia Eagles: Grading every starter on their defense

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 03: Tarik Cohen #29 of the Chicago Bears cannot make a catch against Nate Gerry #47 and Rodney McLeod #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on November 3, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Rodney McLeod, safety

Rodney McLeod has been one of the few bright spots on one of the lesser defenses that Eagles fans have seen in quite some time. Think about it. He’s one of the few members of this Eagles team that you don’t have anything bad to say about. Well, isn’t he? Grade: B-

Malcolm Jenkins, safety

Malcolm Jenkins has taken a lot of heat in 2019, and that’s unfortunate. That only means the people criticizing him don’t understand the subtle differences in coverages. It’s impossible to state this without pointing fingers, so here are the facts.

Jenkins’ ‘off-year’ isn’t attributable to him beimg out of position as so many stated. It’s a result of his desire to do too much and cover for the people who are truly struggling. There’s no need to state names, but here’s a hint. The guys he’s covering for play cornerback.

What does Jenkins do? He just smiles and takes the heat for his teammates because that’s the job, and that’s what a good leader does. Grade: C

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