Ambitious goals for the Eagles during coming regular season

Is a top-five finish too much to ask for from this Eagles defense?

Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was heavily criticized on several occasions by members of the media and in the court of public opinion for the way his defense performed in 2021. Take a moment and revisit those games versus the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and you’ll see something almost instantly.

Much of that criticism was valid.

The Birds beat up on a lot of the teams they were supposed to beat though. Once the regular season wrapped, Gannon and his guys had clawed their way to a top-ten finish, but they finished at the bottom of the NFL in sacks (29 total) while allowing a 45.7-percent third-down conversion percentage. That’s why Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Kyron Johnson were drafted, and that’s why Kyzir White, Haason Reddick, and James Bradberry were added during the offseason.

If Gannon is what we’ve been told he is, we should see some dominant defensive performances this season. The schedule should be even more favorable than it was a year ago. He has everything he needs from a personnel standpoint to run whatever scheme he wants.

A top-five finish by this unit might be a big ask, but it isn’t impossible. Add this one to our Eagles wish list.