Ranking every Philadelphia Eagles defensive unit ahead of training camp
. . Defensive end. 4. player. 54.
There are a few concerns at defensive end, but the Philadelphia Eagles have upgraded the linebacker corps substantially.
We’ve all been critical of the Eagles’ evaluation of their talent in recent years. It’s maddening to see aging or underperforming players who haven’t contributed much earn new deals when we’d all like to see the organization move on and admit failure.
Most of you probably thought of Derek Barnett while reading that scenario, and you should. There is hope though. Josh Sweat is evolving into quite the talent, and Brandon Graham, even though he’s no spring chicken anymore either, has gotten better like a fine wine as he’s aged.
B.G. missed all but two games in 2021, but he seemingly hasn’t lost a step since returning. That’s good news for the Birds as is the fact that Tarron Jackson is on the roster. He hasn’t reached the level of being consistently dominant yet, but he’s headed in the right direction.
54. . . . Linebacker. 3. player
It seems like we’ve been complaining about the Eagles putting minimal effort into upgrading their linebacker corps since Andy Reid was pacing the sidelines. No one is saying that anymore.
Since March, the Birds have added Haason Reddick and Kyzir White in free agency. They drafted Nakobe Dean and Kyron Johnson in the most recent NFL Draft.
If T.J. Edwards, Shaun Bradley, and Davion Taylor continue to improve, this will be a frightening bunch to opposing offenses, their quarterbacks, and their coordinators, and frankly, that’s what Birds fans have been waiting to hear.