Eagles' Defensive Weakness Offers Trade Answers on T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson
At the start of the offseason, it took just a couple of weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles to lose several key edge rushers from their Super Bowl roster.
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Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat have all left the organization for various reasons. Their departures have raised significant concerns for the team's top-ranked defense.
But that doesn't mean Philadelphia's weakness will be at edge rusher this year.
On paper - and amid trade speculation regarding big-name NFL contract holdouts T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh and Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati - hey have plenty of stars to make up for some of their losses.
Philadelphia at this time has a young and energetic group, including third-year edge rusher Nolan Smith, second-year phenom Jalyx Hunt, and their collection of free agent pickups like Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari.
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In the case of Smith and Hunt, their development took a massive turn for the better during their playoff run last season. The Georgia product recorded four sacks during Philadelphia's run to the title. Hunt, meanwhile, recorded 1.5 sacks, including a half-sack in Super Bowl LIX.
If both Hunt and Smith can find a way to build on their playoff success, the Eagles' biggest perceived question mark or "weakness'' may not be as weak as originally thought.
Add in Uche and Ojulari, two veterans with a penchant for rushing the passer, and the Eagles' defensive line could be just as good as they were last season.
It's customary with any team for a position group that lost three quality veterans in free agency to take a step back.
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But Philadelphia has developed a reputation for, well ... development.
A superstar addition (at a price tag of over $30 million APY) would be appealing. But ...
The Super Bowl champs generally seem equipped to move past their offseason losses and now likely believe they have the next-gen players on the roster with the ability to push for a repeat.
Related: Eagles First-Round Rookie Passes Major Off-Field Test
Related: Eagles Pro Bowler Speaks Out on Impressive 'Draft Steal' Rookie
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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