You can never have too many edge rushers, and Ali Fayad gives the Eagles another one.
Earning First-Team All-MAC honors and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021 tells us two things about Ali Fayad. One, he wasn’t seeing the same level of competition as guys have seen while playing in the Big Ten or the SEC. Second, you don’t take home hardware because you aren’t doing something right.
Fayad wouldn’t have racked up 39 tackles, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles during his final season at the collegiate level with the Western Michigan Broncos if he didn’t know how to play.
A suddenly loaded Eagles linebacker room probably ensures that all roads lead to Philly’s scout team for this six-foot-two, 250-prospect. Knowing that the Birds have 11 linebackers on standby probably means that Fayad won’t be receiving as many reps as the aforementioned Blankenship, but we all should expect Fayad to get some playing time. We should also expect that he’s going to make the most of every opportunity that he’ll be given.
No one should discount the fact that he’s staring at a steep hill to climb if he’s going to make the roster. Of the aforementioned 11 linebackers, he’s probably the 11th man on the depth chart.