The Numbers
One of the major reasons to be exited for a potential breakout season from Gerry is that much of the knocks about his play has been exaggerated. His involvement and production have gone up exponentially each season and his play on the field has come leaps and bounds. Despite criticism, Nate has found his way on to the field at a rapidly growing rate — a pattern that should only increase in 2020.
| Defensive Snaps | % | Special Teams Snaps | % | |
| 2017 | 20 | 2% | 180 | 40% |
| 2018 | 134 | 13% | 257 | 59% |
| 2019 | 620 | 61% | 335 | 74% |
From his second to third season, Gerry improved in almost every aspect as a defensive contributor. As a converted safety, he was expected to be solid in coverage from the early goings. Being that he was featured on defense much more often, the total numbers have gone up, but when looking at the percentages, he was pretty impressive last season.
| Play | Stop | Dft | Stop% | YAC | Yds/Att | Succ% | |
| 2018 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 56% | 1.7 | 6.0 | 60% |
| 2019 | 40 | 19 | 7 | 48% | 2.9 (12th) | 4.2 (6th) | 56% (19th) |
*Football Outsiders define defeat (Dft) as:
1) a tackle that results in a loss of yardage, including sacks.
2) any play that results in a turnover, including tipped passes which are then intercepted.
3) any tackle or tipped pass that leads to a stop on third or fourth down.
In coverage, Gerry ranked in the top 20 at his position in three major categories. He also improved in nearly every category above, as well as the ones below:
| Comp | % | Yds/Comp | TD | INT | Total Air Yds | Avg Tgt Depth | Rating | |
| 2018 | 10 | 83.3% | 9.7 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 5.2 | 93.4 |
| 2019 | 29 | 67.4% | 8.4 | 1 | 2 | 56 | 2.4 | 70.2 |
As a regular starter, teams began to take Gerry into account. They got the ball into the receiver’s hands earlier, understanding that the LB has the speed to carry his coverage down the field. He was pesky at the catch point, causing five PBUs and limiting opposing QBs to a very pedestrian completion percentage — especially considering the average target depth. Against the pass, overall, Gerry was an above-average starter with room for improvement. In just his third year at the position, there are plenty of reasons for hope.
This is even more true for his performance against the run. Surprisingly, entering the league as an undersized converted safety, Gerry has made run defending one of his strongest assets.
| Plays | Dft | Stop | Stop % | Yds/Play | |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 64% | 4.3 |
| 2019 | 37 | 8 | 31 | 84% (3rd) | 2.4 |
Whether you believe it or not, Gerry is quietly becoming a premier run defender on the outside. He’s a form tackler with good recognition and the athleticism to fill gaps in a hurry. When he is able to diagnose the play and avoid traffic, he’s as solid as they come. He was tied for second on the team with Fletcher Cox for most stops in 2019 (behind Brandon Graham). He was also second on the team with 78 combined tackles.
Regarding the numbers above, Football Outsiders has considered plays in which Gerry is the primary defender. There is something to be said for his recognition as a help defender and his gap-filling. When considering those plays, his numbers are as follows:
| Stop | Stop % | Yds/Play | Missed Tkl | % | |
| 2018 | 12 | 60% | 5.6 | 2 | 8.0% |
| 2019 | 50 | 65% | 3.7 | 14 | 15.2% |
Herein lies the greatest hurdle for Gerry in 2020: reducing the missed tackles.
Missed Tackles
As the young man continues to develop and learn his relatively new position, it is only natural that his angles of pursuit will improve. Nate admitted himself that is was only just last season that he fully got a grasp of the playbook and everyone’s assignment. It’s obvious from the numbers above that if Gerry can improve his angles and make more consistent paths to the football, he is a talented “stopper”. The additions up front will undoubtedly clear some lanes for him to operate.
In addition to his personal development, there should be a boost in chemistry between Gerry and his teammates heading into this season. This will be his second year alongside Edwards, whom he has lauded on multiple occasions for his football IQ. This will be his third season playing behind the Eagles defensive line and in front of Rodney McLeod.
Another season under his belt should also allow him some recognition from Jim Schwartz as a play-caller. As mentioned earlier, the Eagles’ roster is packed with movable pieces on the defensive side of the football. Schwartz loves to play the match-ups game and with Gerry now a key part of the defense, it is likely he will often be put in favorable match-ups. The team will be able to play to his strengths, in a sense, taking the reigns off and allowing Gerry to just react.
If he can clean up the missed tackles and continue growing as a run stopper and in coverage, there are big things on the horizon for Nathan Gerry.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
