Pro Football Focus listed a collection of Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles among the top 101 performances from the 2024-25 NFL season. Eleven Birds were selected, with the six offensive stars barely outpacing the five defenders. Offensive Lineman Jordan Mialata led the way, as he did for Saquon Barkley this season, landing as the third-best player in the NFL according to that publication. If you squint really hard, you can find Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts near the end of the text….as the eighth-best NFL QB from the NFL this season.
Two Top 10 Players in Philadelphia
Even with missing some time due to injury, Mialata still placed in the “bronze medal” position. The massive 6-foot-8 lineman allowed only two sacks this year while having one of the most dominant seasons a lineman has seen since 2006. He was equally effective in pass-blocking and run-blocking, allowing the Australian to earn such high praise from PFF.
Despite being the only 2,500-yard rusher the NFL has ever seen, Saquon Barkley had the tenth-best performance of the season and second-best running back campaign behind Baltimore’s Derrick Henry. His 2,504 total yards smashed Terrell Davis’ combined regular season and postseason rushing mark. Barkley’s elusiveness was a significant factor in the ranking for the running back, described as “the Eagles closer” due to having the most touches, yards, and scores of all NFL running backs in the fourth quarter this season. Has anyone checked if Barkley can toss a baseball? Just checking for some friends in sunny South Florida.
Three More Birds Inside Top 30 NFL Players
Behind Barkley is the publication’s 2024 Breakout Player of the Year, Zach Baun, at Number 11. The free agent signed with Philly on a 1-year “prove it” deal… and well, Baun did that and some, earning his first All-Pro selection with the NFL’s highest-rated linebacker play in 2024. Baun excelled in both facets of the run-and-pass game, leading to a Super Bowl Championship for Philadelphia. Baun’s bet on himself last season should pay out handsomely for the 28-year-old defender this summer.
The second Eagles lineman lands on the list at #18, thanks to Lane Johnson’s excellence at the tackle position. Johnson had one of the most productive seasons of his career en route to his second Lombardi trophy. Like Mialtata (and Baun), his all-around dominance in the pass-and-run scheme propelled the 34-year-old lineman to the best overall grade of his career. The five-time Pro Bowler allowed only one sack this season, which occurred during the final quarter of the Eagles’ victory over Kansas City in New Orleans.
A.J. Brown marks the first appearance of an Eagles wide receiver in the Top 101. Philly’s pass catcher was the NFL’s best-ranked wideout in 1-0n-1 coverage this season – something that Jalen Hurts utilized brilliantly in the postseason on several occasions. Brown finished with over 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time in his six-year NFL career. He is signed through 2029 in Philadelphia.
Related: Eagles WR A.J. Brown supports new OC Kevin Patullo, states changes will need to be made
Eagles Rookies Receive Recognition
Cooper DeJean (#45) and Quinyon Mitchell (#78) surprised a bunch of NFL front offices with their seamless transition to the pro level. Everyone in Philadelphia can recall where they were when DeJean returned a Patrick Mahomes pass to the painted turf for a touchdown during Super Bowl LIX. However, Vic Fangio’s defense gained momentum once a healthy DeJean was added to the starting line-up in October. The Eagles lost only one game this season with the rookie in the cornerback slot as he locked down a position that Philadelphia ranked last in at the end of the 2023 season.
Speaking of locking things down, Eagles’ rookie Quinyon Mitchell (#78) placed sixth among qualifying players in coverage this season… and the second-best rookie behind the guy you just read about, DeJean. The first-round pick out of Toledo erased any doubts anyone had about his ability to perform at the NFL level coming out of a smaller college with a stellar freshman season for Philly. Mitchell was sixth among qualified cornerbacks in coverage this season.
Hurts Barely Lands on List at 91
The remaining four Eagles include a QB-protector, a duo of threats to the opposing quarterback, and the Super Bowl MVP-QB himself. Landon Dickerson (#64), Jalen Carter (#77), Milton Williams (#90), and Jalen Hurts (#91) round out the impressive total of Philadelphia football players inside the Top 101.
On the defensive side of the ball, there was no sophomore slump for Carter as he continued to reward the Eagles selection. The interior defender was rated as the fourth-best pass rusher in their metrics, with a 13% win rate when attacking the opposing QB during the 2024 season. Teammate Milton Williams cranked it up in the postseason as PFF’s best-graded pass rusher en route to becoming a household name with a strip sack of Mahomes in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl win.
Hurts might not have been on the list without a strong offseason performance. The publication claimed the late entry for Hurts (and Milton Williams) was “due to exceptional performances in the postseason.” Three turnovers in three months since the Eagles’ October bye week only go so far in this economy, folks. No matter, as Nike said, “Love Hurts,” and Philly’s star QB will continue to try to prove the doubters wrong.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
