Eagles' underrated pass rusher has fueled impressive 7-2 start to 2025 season

Following a Super Bowl win last season and a 7-2 start to 2025, the spotlight has remained on the Eagles, and more so, fixed on the stars -- Jalen Carter anchoring the interior, Quinyon Mitchell in the secondary, and rookie Jihaad Campbell's emergence at linebacker.

But one name that hasn’t been mentioned nearly enough has been Moro Ojomo, the third-year interior defender who’s quietly become one of the most productive players within Vic Fangio’s defense.

How Ojomo went from seventh-round pick to key contributor in two years

Ojomo’s rise isn’t the kind of story that typically makes headlines. A seventh-round pick in 2023, selected 251st overall out of Texas, he entered the league as a developmental depth piece, a flyer really, behind a loaded defensive line rotation.

His rookie year was modest -- just 68 total snaps, a few flashes, and mostly a learning season behind established veterans. But as the Eagles have retooled their front and leaned on younger contributors, Ojomo has gone from an afterthought to one of the defense’s most consistent disruptors.

Last season marked his breakout. Across 490 snaps, Ojomo recorded 39 pressures, a sack, and five quarterback hits, showing flashes of the explosiveness and power that made him an intriguing late-round flyer. That growth has carried directly into 2025 -- and now, nine games into the season, he’s been nothing short of dominant.

Through nine games, Ojomo leads all Eagles defenders with 34 total pressures -- more than Carter, more than edge rushers like Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr., and more than any linebacker in Fangio’s scheme. He’s also totaled four sacks, including two in the last three weeks, and 18 pressures over the last month alone.

He's also doing stuff like this in high leverage moments:

That kind of production from a player drafted outside the top 250 is rare -- and it speaks volumes about both Ojomo’s development and Philadelphia’s ability to identify and nurture defensive talent.

What makes Ojomo so effective is his versatility. At 290 pounds, he’s strong enough to hold his ground inside, yet quick enough to rush off the edge or stunt into open lanes. Fangio has utilized him in creative ways -- aligning him across multiple gaps, pairing him with Carter or Jordan Davis to create mismatches, and allowing him to win one-on-one against slower interior blockers.

His hands are heavy, his leverage is excellent, and his motor is relentless -- the kind of traits that make him a nightmare in long-yardage situations.

Read more: Jaire Alexander just threw massive wrench in Eagles' perfect defensive plan

While the rest of the league focuses on the Eagles’ stars, Ojomo continues to thrive in the background. He’s the type of player every championship roster needs: an unheralded grinder who does the dirty work and produces week after week. And for a defense already filled with top-end talent, having a seventh-round pick leading the team in pressures is a testament to depth, development, and the power of opportunity.