When the Philadelphia Eagles traded for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard during the 2026 NFL Draft, the fan base knew what kind of impact it would have on the team as it rolled into the future.
The Eagles gave Greenard a four-year, $100 million contract extension after the trade, giving them their top pass rusher for a long time. That also meant that for the next four to six years, Greenard will be lining up against star defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, an idea that excites the former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler.
“I think about it all the time,” Greenard said last week via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro. “It’s going to be fun, man, because those are two guys who are selfless but also understand how much impact they can have on the game. I just told them when I got here, ‘Look, I feed off of y’all. I’m just going to let y’all do y’all thing,’ and I’ll eventually, obviously, read and see how they like to play vs. certain opponents. But I’m not here to slow y’all down.”
Jonathan Greenard is ready to work with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter
Those three together might end up being one of the best trios in the NFL on the defensive line. Davis has drastically improved over the past season, and Carter is a two-time Pro Bowler. Greenard is coming off an injury-filled season last year, but he had posted over 12 sacks the previous two seasons.
The only concern for the Eagles now is finding the right edge rusher to pair with Greenard for the future. Nolan Smith had his fifth-year option picked up in the offseason, so he's one option. Jalyx Hunt is coming off a great season in which he led the Eagles in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (three), leaving him as another option.
Once the Eagles get that figured out, this front four is going to be dominant for a long time. Last year was an up-and-down year where it started badly enough, but got better once Jaelan Phillips was traded for in the middle of the season.
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Greenard comes into Philly and appears to make a significant difference to this franchise from a leadership standpoint, but on a performance level as well. The Eagles have a solid group there between Greenard, Davis, and Carter that will set the foundation for the franchise in the future.
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