Defensive tackle
This is really hard to grade because within the space of a month, the Eagles had lost Malik Jackson and Timmy Jernigan, and within another, they had lost Hassan Ridgeway.
Fletcher Cox, who has been recovering from offseason foot surgery, has been tasked with carrying the entire position. Sure, Anthony Rush and Albert Huggins have arrived in a pinch along with Akeem Spence prior to his cutting, but even so, there’s been lack of help.
What we saw out of the three key injured players when healthy was really impressive and Cox is…well, Cox. Fletch is getting back to his best for the Eagles and that can only mean good things.
Grade: C+
Defensive end
Brandon Graham is enjoying one of his best seasons yet and has a whopping 5 sacks on the year, proving that the Eagles were right to award him a new contract, while Derek Barnett also appears to have taken a sizable step forward, adding 3.5 sacks to his name.
Josh Sweat seems to be coming along nicely and is flashing on a semi-regular basis now, which is really encouraging. Vinny Curry has been a little quiet and the team do now have seven defensive ends after trading for Genard Avery, although I think he has a very high ceiling in this defense.
The common complaint has been that the pass-rush is struggling to get home, but when quarterbacks are throwing within 1.7 seconds of getting the ball to take advantage of a secondary deficiency, what more can they do?
Grade: C+
Linebacker
The unit was actually really strong through the opening quarter of the season…and then they cut Zach Brown on a week when Nigel Bradham picked up an injury. Lovely.
Since then, we’ve seen flashes from T.J Edwards and company, but Nate Gerry’s big plays are often overshadowed by questionable instincts and decision-making. The unit needed a real boost at the deadline after being dealt play-action weeks frequently over the last two weeks and narrowly avoiding being taken advantage of. Genard Avery may help here as a stand-up DE, but it’s wishful thinking.
If the Eagles can get Bradham back in action soon, there is significant hope that the position recovers…but as of right now, it is a glaring hole.
Grade: D
Cornerback
I’ll try to summarize this without causing a migraine, bear with me.
I don’t think the corners are strictly to blame for pass-defense woes. The huge ‘shots’ they’ve conceded have come as a result of schematic setback and a lack of adjustment, enabling teams to continue to take advantage of miscommunications and vacant Safeties against CB’s playing with outside leverage.
That said, they haven’t exactly been great. Rasul Douglas has been the best of a bad bunch and now he’s been benched with Ronald Darby’s return being made to look heroic thanks to an underthrown ball that would’ve otherwise been a touchdown.
Sidney Jones has had ups and downs but was scolded by Malcolm Jenkins to the press and pulled by Doug Pederson at one point.
Jalen Mills provided a burst of character and drive upon his first game in a year, which frankly, a decimated secondary really needed at that point.
Mills and Darby will be the starting corners for the foreseeable future, with Maddox and LeBlanc filling out slot duties when they come back from their injuries.
The corners have been bad, like BAD…but in a scheme that didn’t put them in a firing line every single week with the expectation of surviving, I’m sure they’d be…average?
Grade: D
Safety
This is also tricky. On one hand, the amount of times that a Safety has meant to pick up a route over the middle of the field and has instead closed down on a crosser is terrifying. On the other, Rodney McLeod may well have been the team’s most valuable player through the opening quarter of the season.
Malcolm Jenkins still leads the team in tackles (McLeod just behind) and Andrew Sendejo is still flying around like an RC car being driven by a kitten.
When the Safeties are on-assignment, I think they’re playing some of the best Football we’ve seen under Schwartz. The problem is, that’s happening less and less as teams try to force a single-high safety into a bad decision, which they often do.
Grade: D
Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
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