Unsurprisingly, a team that sets franchise records in wins and league highs in most defensive categories will be seen amongst the best of the NFL.
Over the last week, ESPN has unveiled a ranking system of top players at each position on defense as voted on by league players, coaches, executives, and scouts. To no one’s surprise, the Eagles have had several current and former players make up most of the list.
Darius Slay (5th)
Slay finished as the fifth-best corner in votes and for good reason. The 32-year-old made his second straight Pro Bowl last season while totaling three picks. He shut down the likes of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Terry McLaurin while helping Philadelphia’s defense rank as the top secondary in football last season. Slay is back for another season with the Birds and should continue to anchor a lethal cornerback group.
Javon Hargrave (5th)
Hargrave may have signed elsewhere this past season but that doesn’t take away from the dominance he displayed with the Eagles over the last few seasons. Hargrave tallied 11 sacks last season en route to a Super Bowl berth and a franchise record for team sacks in a year. Hargrave signed a long-term extension with the 49ers during the offseason, but his 23 total sacks in three years in Philly show how good a signing he had become.
Haason Reddick (5th)
While Hargrave’s free agent signing a while back was good, there wasn’t a single player who has had a more significant free agent impact than Haason Reddick in 2022. Reddick was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year with a career-high 16 sacks. Reddick anchored a ferocious pass rush for Philadelphia and is easily considered as one of the best pass rushers in all of football.
CJ Gardner Johnson (8th)
Like Hargrave, Gardner-Johnson is no longer with the Eagles, but that doesn’t take away from how good he was in his lone year with the team. CJGJ tied the league lead in interceptions and helped transform the Eagles’ secondary into an elite group. Considering it was also just his first full-year playing safety in the NFL, Gardner-Johnson’s 2022 season was extremely impressive and will be a loss away from Philadelphia.
Eagles Receiving Votes: James Bradberry, Josh Sweat
Bradberry and Sweat both had superb seasons with the Eagles in 2022 – it just wasn’t enough to put them in the rankings of each position. Bradberry helped Darius Slay make the Eagles’ secondary one of the best in football while setting career highs in most coverage categories. Sweat, meanwhile, has continued his career trajectory and reached 10+ sacks for the first time in his career. Both players are back and are expected to be even better in 2023.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
