Pass Rushers: The Eagles’ Overlooked Need
With the 2019 season coming to an end, there are a lot of ways the Eagles can go into the 2020 offseason to help address glaring needs the team faces. With positions such as wide receiver and cornerback depleted of talent, it is fair to say that they are two huge needs for the team.
Another position group that underperformed was the defensive line. While the Eagles defense was third among all teams in rush defense largely in part due to the front four, the defense struggled at getting to the quarterback.
There were flashes when guys were getting home such as week five against the Jets and week eight against the Bills, both of which were victories. However, more often the pass rush was inconsistent. Against teams such as the Vikings and the Seahawks in the postseason, when the pass rush did not get pressure the whole defense suffered.
For most of the season, it seemed like the defensive line could not get a sack at a much needed moment and this left the secondary out to dry. An example of this was against the Falcons in week two. In the game, the Eagles only registered one sack. With just under three minutes left the Falcons looked at a fourth and three. Jim Schwartz sent the blitz, leaving the secondary in man-to-man coverage. Fifty-four yards later Julio Jones was in the end zone, helping the Falcons prevail.
All year Schwartz seemed to rely on the blitz more, which is a reflection on the defensive line’s inability to get to the quarterback.
With free agency and the draft slowly approaching the Eagles will need to invest in multiple new additions to the line. On the free-agent market guys such as Shaquil Barrett, Dante Fowler Jr, and Yannick Ngakoue all could bring instant production, however, their price tags would be very steep. Defensive ends such as Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah would be more likely signings based on their age and their cap hit. They could provide production behind guys such as Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.
Unlike the 2019 draft, this upcoming draft looks to not be as deep of a class when it comes to pass rushers. Guys like Chase Young and Derrick Brown will be off the board early and would be a near miracle for the Eagles to land at pick twenty-one. However, prospects such as Yetur Gross-Matos out of Penn State and A.J. Epenesa from Iowa are a few names of late first-round picks to mid-round picks that could help bring fresh, young legs to the Eagles pass rush.
Jim Schwartz’s style of defense has shown that when it comes to getting pressure on quarterbacks, the more the merrier. Having waves of fresh legs that can get sacks is prioritized more than having one guy who can get you all the pressure.
Refurbishing the defensive line will be huge in getting the Eagles defensive back to being a truly dominant force in the NFL.
Featured Image: Yong Kim/ Philadelphia Inquirer
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Categorized:Eagles