Eagles safety Reed Blankenship keeps being mentioned as a 2023 X-factor

It has been a long journey for Reed Blankenship. Here's the best part. The story isn't over. Signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent following the addition of a five-man draft class in 2022, all this former Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider has done is make the most of every opportunity. At every turn, he has raised eyebrows.

Reed shined at rookie minicamp and OTAs. The opportunities increased. There was that bone-jarring tackle during the final preseason game. That may have won him a roster spot.

Last season, Reed was one of three undrafted rookies to make the 53-man roster. Then, C.J. Gardner-Johnson left Week 12's game versus the Green Bay Packers with a lacerated kidney. Mr, Blankenship was the next man up as they say. He played 35 defensive snaps and another 11 on special teams.

One of those defensive snaps was truly unforgettable. He picked off Aaron Rodgers, making him the lone UDFA to intercept a pass off the arm of the future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Take a look

All we can ask of anyone that dons an Eagles jersey is that they do the best they can and make the most of every opportunity. Reed has done that, and this year, he enters the NFL season expected to make massive contributions as a starter. Something tells us he's going to get the job done.

Pro Football Focus names Reed Blankenship as an X-factor for the Eagles twice.

As fans of other NFL mediums and publications, we pay a lot of attention to the content that comes from other sources. Pro Football Focus has been on fire recently. During a recent roster ranking, one the Eagles topped, they named Reed Blankenship as a potential X-factor. Here's what was said on the subject.

"Blankenship enters 2023 with a great opportunity to start after a surprising rookie year in which he finished with a 79.4 overall grade. He earned an 89.4 run-defense grade, fourth best among qualified safeties, and made some plays in coverage — including an interception of Aaron Rodgers. The Eagles will still have an elite pass rush and excellent outside cornerback play. They need Blankenship to be the glue in the middle."

- Dalton Wasserman and Jim Wyman

PFF also dropped their theories on every team's potential depth chart. Wouldn't you know it? Reed's name was again brought up, and he was named as an X-factor again.

SI's John McMullen, a trusted voice around Eagles circles, shared his theories on how the investment in Blankenship paid off. Philly gave him a whopping $55,000 in total guarantees when he arrived and just $5K to sign. Recently, he hung out with select members of the media and shared his thoughts on the coming season.

Let's revisit something he said. Let this sink in for a few ticks.

"Make sure you're ready, at all costs. No matter what position you are, what you're in, somebody can go down and your number can be called. You gotta be ready to go.You know, that's why I treat it, every week, as I was starting. That goes back to the guys we have in our room, and asking questions, and just learning from them."

If anyone is concerned about the Eagles at safety, we can understand where you're coming from, but respectfully, we disagree. Terrell Edmunds is going to shock some people. We think the Sydney Brown selection is going to work out favorably. Reed Blankenship is going to be just fine.

He isn't Brian Dawkins or Malcolm Jenkins by any means, but heck, who is? 34 total tackles, two pass breakups, and the aformentioned interception make up his ten-game NFL resume so far. Keep those eyes on Number 32 this season. There's a lot to like about his game.

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