5 Philadelphia Eagles role players who will help fuel a playoff push

K’Von Wallace and Nakobe Dean will contribute mightily to the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.

This has been mentioned a couple of times, but when the Philadelphia Eagles added K’Von Wallace during Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft, the hope was they’d be able to deploy him in the same manner that the Clemson Tigers utilized him during his days in the ACC.

Clemson lined K’Von up all over the place. He played deep. He lined up in the box and covered slot receivers. That hasn’t translated to the professional level, but he has shown some value on special teams. This time around, we’re expecting a few other more plays from him on defense.

He was on the field for 184 defensive snaps in 2021, roughly 22 percent of the team’s total. His role will increase this year, and another year in Jonathan Gannon’s system will help in his development.

Issues with adjustments to the pro game aside, Nakobe Dean has mountains of potential. Everyone acknowledges that quarterbacks need time to develop. People sometimes forget that middle linebackers, the quarterbacks on defense, should be afforded that right as well.

One of the things working in the rookie’s favor is the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles don’t need him to be one of the leaders on defense immediately. T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White are both ahead of him on the depth chart. One of several things working adversely for opposing offenses and their coordinators is this.

Nakobe Dean is going to have a role, and he’s going to excel in it. Expect him to improve steadily as the season wears on and things slow down for him.