The Philadelphia Eagles continue to get great production from their top defenders on the unit, but one has always been the standout since joining the franchise last year.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has not been shy about sharing his admiration for linebacker Zack Baun whenever he can. Fangio gave Baun his credit for the job he has done in his second year in the Eagles' defensive system.
"Just a continuation of last year," Fangio said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "He's had the extra little burden, which started in the playoffs last year when Nakobe (Dean) got hurt of wearing the green dot and handling all that, and he's done well with that, too. Just a nice evolution, and he keeps going."
Baun just picked up from where he left off last season
While the stats show Baun might be behind where he was with tackles in 2024, he's done so much more in Year 2. This season in 14 games, Baun has racked up 108 tackles, six tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, seven pass deflections, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
His tackles and forced fumbles numbers are not quite where they were last year, but Baun has proven to be more than just the guy who can stop the run. Baun has picked up the slack on pass rushing on linebacker blitzes and has improved in his coverage skills against the pass.
While Baun has always been the jack of all trades, this season has been about tightening everything up so he can be an expert in everything. He has truly become the master of all things defense and has been a massive help to a unit that started slow but picked it up late in the season.
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Eagles fans might not see Baun's name up for Defensive Player of the Year like he did last year, but he will be in the conversation for the Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, which should be the case as his 2025 campaign might arguably be better than his 2024 season.