Quick Links: Dallas | NY Giants | Philadelphia | Washington
Overview of the Philadelphia Eagles Defense
Offenses loved facing off against NFC East opponents last year. At least until they got to the Eagles. This defense finished in the top half of the league in virtually every category. They were opportunistic, with 21 takeaways; they put pressure on the quarterback with 42 sacks, and they were stingy on the scoreboard, allowing the sixth fewest points. The run defense tied for 13th in yards per carry, but they were tight in not allowing many long runs. The Eagles' pass defense was outstanding. They ranked 6th in yards, 5th in yards per attempt, and their 56.8 completion percentage was the best in the league.
It was a relatively quiet offseason for the defense. The organization made just a few moves in free agency, but a couple of them could pay big dividends. Jonathan Greenard was arguably the best edge to hit the market. He will be an upgrade, as will Riq Woolen at corner. The only other additions were three veteran edge defenders to provide depth. The team concentrated on offense in the draft, waiting until the seventh round to add defense. They had three picks in the round and used all of them on developmental and special teams guys.
The unit lost two starters from last season. With the first-round selection of Jihaad Campbell last spring, they were prepared to move on from linebacker Nakobe Dean, but safety Reed Blankenship could be missed. There is plenty of talent on the roster, and continuity is always a plus. If the Eagles struggle in 2026, it won't be because of the defense.
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Line
The Eagles run an aggressive scheme that relies on pressure from the front line. Their pass rush piled up an impressive 70 sacks in 2022. The three seasons since have been less impressive, but consistently solid, producing 43, 41, and 42, respectively. The most interesting part of last year's total is that no one on the team had more than 6.5, while ten players had at least 2.5. That is what you call a team effort.
The problem with such team efforts is that they often neutralize IDP value by spreading the numbers too thin. That was not the case here. Jalyx Hunt still managed to land in the top twelve at edge, and Jordan Davis made the top five at tackle. The 13th overall pick in 2022, there has never been any question about the talent of Davis or his effectiveness on the field. In his first three seasons, however, it never manifested on the stat sheet. His best production previously had been the 18-27-2 Davis recorded in 2023. Our job now is to figure out what caused the leap to 34-38-4.5 and determine if it will happen again.
Vic Fangio brought his 3-4 scheme to the Eagles in 2024, so it was not a scheme change that triggered Davis, nor was there a change of position. The difference was conditioning and playing time. Cayden Steele of NJ.com wrote an article last June titled Big Eagles star finally got in shape after noticing his face was "a little fat". In it, Steele talks about the highly talented Davis realizing during the 2024 season that he was not performing to the best of his ability. That is when the turnaround started.
Davis played well enough over the second half of that season for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. When he showed up for training camp last summer, he was a different player both physically and mentally. It not only led to better play, but more of it, with his snap count jumping from 539 in 2024 to 686 in 2025. So the answer is yes, we can put a finger on why he was so much more productive, and yes, there is reason to believe it will continue in 2026.
There is a good chance that Davis will not be the only Philadelphia interior lineman to provide useful numbers. Many teams would be happy to get five or six sacks from their interior line. Philadelphia got 16 from theirs in 2025. Davis finished fourth on the team with 4.5 of them, with Jalen Carter contributing 3 and Moro Ojomo accounting for 6. Most 3-4 teams use several players in their rotation. Byron Young saw 338 snaps as the fourth man for the Eagles last year. 165 of them came in the five games that Carter missed.
Carter logged over 90% of the snaps in seven games last season, seeing less than 70% once. The 2023 ninth overall pick has seen his production rise steadily. He was the 20th-ranked tackle in 2024. His average points per game ranked 12th last year. Steadily rising tackle totals with 13 career sacks and 13 batted passes over the last two years are good reasons to believe he is just getting started.
Ojomo came from nowhere to claim a starting job. The 2023 seventh-round pick had 23 career tackles and no sacks over his first two seasons. All he did last year was lead the team's interior linemen in snaps and sacks. Ojomo will need to improve on the 17-21 he put in the tackle columns a year ago, but the sacks are rather eye-catching for a tackle, and the coaching staff obviously trusts him. He won't make my draft list, but Ojomo will be on the watch list come September.
The Eagles went into last season with questions at the edge positions. Josh Sweat left, and 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith Jr. had not yet fully blossomed. He was 21-21-6 with 3 turnovers in his second season, so the team gambled that he was ready to step up. It didn't happen. Smith had 4 tackles, 6 assists, and a forced fumble over the first three games, then saw a stint on IR with a triceps injury. He returned in week ten, going 11-10-3 over the final nine games.
Most people expect Smith to start in 2026. The man is 6'2" and 238 pounds. How can he hold up versus a 300-pound tackle in the run game? Smith is a pass rusher. He will see plenty of action on passing downs and could excel in the sack column, but I will be shocked to see him consistently in the games on first downs.
It is not just his size that drives my opinion of Smith. There are two other good reasons: Jonathan Greenard and Jaylx Hunt. Greenard missed time last year with a shoulder injury, but he is a proven commodity as a three-down contributor. He turned in 36 tackles, 15 assists, 12.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in fifteen games with the Texans in 2023. That earned him a phat contract with the Vikings in 2024. Greenard went 41-18-12 with 4 forced fumbles with them in 2024. If not for the shoulder injury and the rise of Dallas Turner, Greenard might still be with the Vikings. He is just under 260 pounds and plays the run well. Providing that he stays healthy, Greenard should be a 50-tackle, double-digit sack guy in this scheme.
Hunt brings a whole new dynamic to the game. The 2024 third-round pick out of tiny Houston Christian played 241 snaps as a rookie. It was enough for the coaching staff to see something they liked. He had 21 tackles and 1 sack that year, but he forced two fumbles and was disruptive. I believe Hunt was a big part of the decision to let Josh Sweat get away.
Hunt was raw coming out of college and had not faced division one talent, yet Fangio gambled on him as a starter right from the start in 2025. He struggled early on, making Fangio's decision look like a mistake. Through the first seven games, Hunt had 3 tackles, 12 assists, and no sacks, but in the week seven game, he picked off a pass and scored. That is when the lights came on.
Over the final eleven games, Hunt was 24-12-6.5 with 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and a recovery. While he finished 11th overall at the position, Hunt ranked fourth from week seven through the end of the season. He is still a little raw and needs to improve when teams run at him, but the guy is a playmaker who could blow up in 2026.
- Edge Jonathan Greenard – Priority ED2 with some upside and injury risk
- Edge Nolan Smith Jr. – Bye week depth with higher value in big-play based leagues
- Edge Jalyx Hunt – Sleeper with breakout potential
- Edge A.J. Epenesa – Injury sleeper with modest upside
- Edge Arnold Ebiketie – No impact expected
- DT Jalen Carter – Solid DT2 with some upside
- DT Jordan Davis – Priority DT2 with top 5 potential
- DT Moro Ojomo – Watchlist special
- DT Ty Robinson – No impact expected
- DT Byron Young – Injury sleeper
Philadelphia Eagles Linebackers
Continue reading this content with a ELITE subscription.
An ELITE subscription is required to access content for IDP (individual defensive players) leagues. If this league is not a IDP (individual defensive players) league, you can edit your leagues here.