Yesterday, the Eagles made a flurry of transactions to finalize their 53-man roster. There were a few surprise cuts and keeps from the Eagles, but the team has to be thrilled with the final outcome. From top to bottom, the Eagles boast one of the most well-rounded rosters in the entire league.
With so much talent on hand, some players are being a bit overlooked heading into this season. In this article, I’ll highlight three under-the-radar Eagles that could outperform expectations in 2022.
LB Kyzir White
The Eagles have made a ton of moves this offseason but not many more impactful than the Kyzir White signing in May.
White, who just turned 26 this summer, is a starting-caliber, off-ball linebacker that the Eagles hope can provide assurance at a position that has been a liability in recent years.
White started 17 games for the Chargers last season and finished with 144 tackles, which was the eighth-highest total in the league. The former fourth-rounder also hauled in two interceptions, highlighting his great on-field instincts.
“I can’t wait to get it going to really find out what we’re all about on defense,” White said in an interview with Dave Spadaro. “It’s week to week in this league, but you want to establish yourself right away. I’m excited. I think we have a lot of good pieces in a great scheme and we’re coming together.”
A native of Lehigh County, PA, White will be making a homecoming of sorts when he suits up for Philly this season.
The Eagles won’t need him to be a superstar, but if White can replicate or exceed his production from last year, his one-year, $5 million will be remembered as one of the biggest steals of the offseason.
DT Javon Hargrave
I can’t help but feel as though the excitement of drafting former Georgia star Jordan Davis has caused Javon Hargrave to become a bit underrated heading into 2022.
Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that the Birds were able to land Davis in the first round, but let’s remember that Hargrave was A BEAST last season.
Through 16 games, Hargrave compiled a team-best 7.5 sacks, which was tied for the seventh-most in the league amongst defensive linemen. Hargrave also recorded personal bests in tackles (63), tackles for loss (9), and his aforementioned sack total. On the year, Hargrave was graded as the second-best DT in the league by PFF, trailing only Aaron Donald.
For his efforts, Hargrave was named to the Pro Bowl roster for the first time in his career. Now, with new defensive additions taking the pressure off of him, I expect the “Gravedigger” to continue burying opposing quarterbacks in 2022.
CB James Bradberry
There are a lot of players that can make a positive impact on the Birds, but few players have the ability to take the defense to the next level like veteran cornerback James Bradberry.
Bradberry was signed away from the New York Giants on a one-year, $10 million deal with the Eagles.
Bradberry is a former Pro Bowler with a wealth of experience and the hope is that he is able to sure up a murky CB2 situation in Philly.
The Eagles’ defense got off to a historically bad start last season and a big reason why was their anemic pass defense. Aside from Darius Slay, the Eagles had little in the way of secondary help. In Bradberry, the Eagles hope to have found Slay a viable running mate.
Bradberry has 82 career passes defended and has led his team in all six of his NFL seasons. He and Darius Slay — who are now teammates in Philadelphia — are the only cornerbacks with 80 passes defended since Bradberry’s rookie season (2016).
If he can continue to stifle opposing receivers, the Eagles defense could get scary in a hurry and we may even see the return of the No Phly Zone in Philly.
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
