Philadelphia Eagles: Time to unleash Derek Barnett
The Philadelphia Eagles invested the 14th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Derek Barnett. Through five games, Barnett hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time, but the Eagles should make the move to give him starting reps.
Going into this season, the Philadelphia Eagles biggest strength was the defensive line. Through five games, the defense has done its job, keeping the team in the game and giving the offense a chance to win. The secondary remains a cause for concern, but with the defensive line playing exceptionally well, the cornerbacks don’t have to be world beaters. Now that Philadelphia has depth along the defensive line, they can afford to give new pieces meaningful snaps.
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The Eagles saw enough out of Derek Barnett to draft him in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, and even though he isn’t starting, the former Tennessee star is gradually becoming a bigger part of the defense. In five games so far this season, Barnett’s stats haven’t jumped off the page, but he does the small things that show he will be a long term starter.
Against the Arizona Cardinals, Barnett tied his season high for snaps in a game with 26, with Brandon Graham entrenched on one side Barnett needs more snaps opposite him. Chris Long is playing a similar situational role as Barnett, playing 29 snaps against the Cardinals, but he may be the one that hurts the most from Barnett’s role increasing. Vinny Curry has been the starter so far this year, but his snap count has been sporadic, only playing on 34 snaps last week. And while he did have a sack against Arizona, he isn’t the dominant force that Barnett can be.
Through five games, Philadelphia has 13 sacks, tied for 10th in the NFL. Out of those 13 sacks, 12 come from the defensive line. Neither Curry nor Long are long-term answers, and while the production is there right now, Barnett has the higher upside.
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Barnett will be a staple on the Eagles defensive line for years to come, and to get that started, he needs to be more involved right now. The defense has been great so far this season and with the defensive line playing exceptionally well, it should be time to give Barnett more opportunities.