5 Philadelphia Eagles trending up heading into Week 9 versus Chargers
. . Avonte Maddox, cornerback. . player. 54.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox
Avonte Maddox has to bring a smile to your face. He’s one of those homegrown Philadelphia Eagles that turned out rather nicely. 124 players came off of the board during the 2018 NFL Draft before Philly’s brass swooped in (pun intended) and landed the former Pittsburgh standout in Round 4.
Typically, once teams reach the third day of any selection meeting, they’re just looking for guys that they hope can be a part of their long-term plans. Often, it doesn’t happen, and even though Maddox showed signs as a rookie (see Week 14’s game versus the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 for instance), he’s also had some rough days and evenings (reference the Eagles’ primetime game versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 of 2019 if you need an example of that theory).
There have been some growing pains as expected, but after eight games of the 2021 NFL season, it looks like Maddox has settled in nicely and found a role in Jonathan Gannon’s defense as a very capable slot cornerback.
He’s appeared in all eight games with two starts. He’s racked up 38 tackles, one-half sack, and an interception.
His most recent year might wind up being his most impressive, and with this being a contract season, we’ve gone from asking questions about his game to asking questions about whether or not he’s on the list of potential free agents that could wind up earning an extension.