Philadelphia Eagles debate table: Has Derek Barnett peaked already?

Does Derek Barnett make these Philadelphia Eagles better or not?

Believe it or not, it’s already been three years since the “City of Brotherly Love” hosted the NFL Draft in 2017. That season, we thought that we all had it figured out. The Philadelphia Eagles, without question, were taking a cornerback to stabilize this team’s secondary, or they were going with a weapon for Carson Wentz. It was that simple. You remember if you’re an Eagles fan. Those were the choices, and it was obvious.

What did the “Birds” do? They did what they always do, the exact opposite of what we were all thinking (minus the year they took Carson Wentz of course). When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell approached the podium to announce the 14th-overall selection, the decision was Philly would take a defensive end. His name was Derek Barnett, formerly of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Now, remember that the draft, that year, was in Philadelphia. You may not recall this, but the fans that were in attendance didn’t do anything. They didn’t cheer. They didn’t boo the selection. They just stood there.

Heading into Barnett’s fourth season as a professional, it’s still the same sort of vibe whenever Derek Barnett is mentioned. Eagles fans aren’t excited. They aren’t angry. They’re just sort of numb.

So, with that, we all have questions that need to be answered. Does Derek Barnett make the Eagles a better team? Have we already seen everything that he has to offer? Thanks to Philly exercising the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, we have 16 regular-season games to figure this out. The question is have we seen anything to suggest that he has more to him than what we’ve already seen? Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen. We have much to discuss.