Can the Eagles 2023 Pass Rush Be Better Than 2022?
In 2022 the Philadelphia Eagles recorded 70 sacks in the regular season, tied for third-most all-time by a team in a season, only two behind the legendary 1984 Chicago Bears defense in first.
Four players on the defensive line had double-digit sacks, Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and Javon Hargrave. The Eagles ultimately lost Hargrave to the NFC runner-ups San Francisco 49ers. Even with losing a big part of the interior of their defense, can the Eagles’ defensive line somehow be better than last season?
To re-record over 70 sacks is a challenging task, but the Eagles have the pieces in place to do so again. The loss of Hargrave certainly hurt, but not for long, as the Eagles were able to land Jalen Carter with the 9th pick in the 2023 Draft. Regarded as the best defensive tackle in the class, Carter now slides into the best situation imaginable for the young pass rusher.
Playing next to one of his best friends Jordan Davis and learning from Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox as well.
The Eagles didn’t stop adding talent to the defensive line there. With the 30th pick in the first round, the Eagles selected another Georgia pass rusher, Nolan Smith. Nobody expected Smith to be there at 30, and he fell right into the Eagles’ laps.
The Eagles were able to fill a hole at defensive tackle and then add another young athletic edge rusher to their unit.
Smith isn’t going to come in and ride the bench; he’s going to be a key contributor in his rookie season.
Looking at it on paper, the 2023 Eagles pass rush looks scarier than the 2022 pass rush.
The depth on the defensive line goes as follows heading into the training camp. Starting at defensive tackle, the unit consists of the aforementioned Cox, Carter, and Davis. All three will play massive roles this upcoming season and will likely see most snaps. Behind them are Milton Williams, who is coming off a strong postseason, an off-season signing Kentavius Street, Marlon Tuipulotu, and seventh-round rookie Moro Ojomo.
On the edges, you have Pro Bowler Reddick, Sweat, and Graham. All three are coming off stellar seasons and will likely play most of the snaps off the edge.
Their backups will be Georgia rookie Smith, Derek Barnett, who is returning from injury, and then a competition of younger guys such as Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson, Janarius Robinson, and Tarron Jackson.
All these players won’t be making the final roster, but the Eagles have some of the best depth along the defensive line in the NFL.
The backups on their line could be starters on other teams. It will be nearly impossible for NFL offensive coordinators to game plan for everything the Eagles have.
It is always hard to top a historic season.
The 2022 Eagles pass rush was one of the best in NFL history, but with how Howie Roseman has constructed this roster, there is a chance this unit could be better than the one last season.
Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
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