In a recent ranking of the NFL’s top 10 defenses by NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice, the Philadelphia Eagles landed at No. 5. The success of the unit may come down to the performance of the Eagles’ newest pass rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Philadelphia lost key starters in free agency, with safety Reed Blankenship, who started 46 of 48 regular-season games and seven playoff contests since 2023, signing with the Houston Texans and linebacker Nakobe Dean, the green-dot caller for Vic Fangio’s defense in 2024, joining the Las Vegas Raiders
The front office also saw edge rusher Jaelan Phillips sign a massive four-year, $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers after generating 41 pressures in eight games for the Eagles last season. To fill that void, Philadelphia pivoted by trading a pair of third-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings for Greenard, immediately signing him to a four-year, $98 million extension.
In 2023 and 2024, Greenard produced back-to-back 12-plus-sack seasons. A consistent play finisher has been someone the Eagles have been searching for since the departure of Haason Reddick, as the Eagles have not had a double-digit sack leader in two years and have ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in pressure rate for three straight seasons.
While last season Greenard only recorded three sacks, the Eagles believe that the Florida product will return to form after an injury riddled year.
However, Greenard’s health has already impacted his first season in Philadelphia. Greenard missed training camp with a pectoral strain suffered while weightlifting in July. Placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of camp, Greenard was ultimately named to the initial 53-man roster, signaling that he will likely return within the Eagles‘ first four games.
Without Greenard early, the pressure will be on Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith to create havoc on the edge. Signs are pointing to another jump by Hunt, with the Houston Christian product reportedly being nearly unblockable throughout camp. If Hunt’s performance translates to the regular season, Philadelphia’s pass rush won’t miss a beat.
Once healthy, Greenard brings elite, proven sack production, giving the Eagles a premier edge-rusher duo and is the final piece on a defensive line that could rival Philadelphia’s historic 2022 unit.
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