One thing that is very clear about this Philadelphia Eagles defensive unit is that they are young and hungry to be one of the best in the NFL.
In the last two years under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, this has been a top 13 unit in the NFL thanks to the talent that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has added to the team. Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano ranked the Eagles as the fourth-best defensive triplet in the league, with the choices being Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, and Quinyon Mitchell.
"Carter didn’t make the leap that many expected from him in his third season. Maybe that explains why GM Howie Roseman, who prefers to do extensions sooner rather than later, hasn’t rushed to re-sign Carter, who had only three sacks in 2025 after 10.5 in his first two seasons.Â
But maybe Carter plays better with the Eagles, addressing their need at edge rusher with the trade for Jonathan Greenard. Mitchell is heading into his third season, but he might have already made the jump as an elite player with how well he’s played as a shutdown corner in his first two seasons. Baun wasn’t named an All-Pro as he was in his first season in Philadelphia, but he still had similar numbers in his second year."
Eagles are so much deeper than the top three defensive triplet choices
The wild thing about this Eagles defense is that if fans picked the next three triplets, it might still be a top 15 choice. Those would most likely be Jordan Davis, Jihaad Campbell, and Cooper DeJean.
Eagles fans could continue on with so many choices to throw in there, like Jonathan Greenard, Moro Ojomo, and Riq Woolen, who would fit in just fine. This Eagles defense is among the deepest in the league.
Philly already saw Zack Baun as an All-Pro in 2024 and then last year had Mitchell and DeJean as All-Pro selections. There are so many more who could reach those levels with the right development and time.
More potential could be found with guys like Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Andrew Mukuba, who could be the next generation of Eagles starting defensive players who could step up. While this year's NFL Draft was all about offense, the defense will soon enough get attention and have more talent coming in.
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It's a credit to Roseman for all the work he has done building this defense with all the young talent since 2022. The Eagles won't be done getting this unit to the level they need to be at, but they are already among the best in the NFL in such a short time.
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