Eagles situational players who will help make or break the 2022 season

Investing in Josh Sweat and Avonte Maddox long-term were wise moves.

When he decided to forego his senior season at Florida State with the Seminoles to enter the NFL Draft, it was clear that, though he wasn’t a finished product, Josh Sweat had a lot of ability. 35 games at the collegiate level produced 138 total tackles (combined and solo), 14.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and six pass breakups.

He’s had his up-and-down moments at the professional level. He’s also shown the ability to come up big in big moments, but he’s improved every season.

Last year, that led to his first Pro Bowl nod. He’ll need a monster year again after signing a three-year, $40 million extension on September 18th, especially when the Eagles’ defense is in pass-rushing situations.

The way the game is played now, it feels like each team’s slot/nickel corner is a part of the starting lineup, but we can call them situational guys, right? Say what you want to say about Jonathan Gannon, but there were a lot of guys that flourished under his system. Throw Avonte Maddox‘s name in that conversation.

He seems to have found his groove, but the coming season will go a long way in determining how far he’s come. He figures to be tested early and often with Darius Slay and James Bradberry taking up residency at the Eagles’ outside cornerback positions. Something tells us that Avonte will be up to the task though.

Philly inked him to a three-year, $22.5 million contract extension on November 20th, so they believe in him. Based off of the eyeball test, their faith seems to be fixated in the right place.