Philadelphia Eagles: Terrell Burgess could be the next Malcolm Jenkins

If the Philadelphia Eagles want to add a versatile safety and defensive leader in the 2020 NFL Draft, Utah’s Terrell Burgess could be a natural heir to Malcolm Jenkins.

The Philadelphia Eagles are absolutely loaded at safety… well, sort of.

After entering the 2019 season with arguably the best one-two safety tandem in the NFC, maybe the NFL in general, the Eagles declined Malcolm Jenkins‘ $7.8 million option and replaced him with Will Parks, a position-swapped Jalen Mills, and Rodney McLeod – who had his contract reworked going into the 2019 season.

Will this motley crew of versatile defensive backs be able to replace Jenkins’ do-it-all role on Jim Schwartz‘s defense? Only time will tell, but it’s safe to say, safety is probably pretty low on Howie Roseman‘s wish list… right?

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Maybe so, maybe not.

While on paper Parks and/or Mills should be able to fill Jenkins’ role with some creative scheming from Schwartz, either player is going to come with an inflated contract if they outplay their one-year deal and earn a long-term deal with the team. The whole reason the Eagles moved on from Jenkins in the first place was to 1. get younger, and 2. get cheaper, so investing average starter money in either position is kind of antithetical to Roseman’s initial planning, right?

That’s like replacing Charles Barkley with Clarence ‘Baby Barkley’ Weatherspoon because he’s younger and cheaper. It doesn’t always work out.

So needless to say, if the Eagles can land a solid young safety in the 2020 NFL draft who could play at the same level as – or even better than – Parks and/or Mills, they shouldn’t blatantly write it off for a lesser player at a position of need.

Terrell Burgess is that kind of player and then some.

A former first-team wide receiver and second-team cornerback out of San Marcos High School in San Diego, Burgess is no overnight sensation. No, he had to work his way up the Utes’ ranks the hard way, initially appearing as a deep bench reserve as a rookie on offense, defense, and special teams. Burgess then played four games on defense as a sophomore and nine games on defense as a junior before popping off as a full-time safety in 2019.

And boy howdy was he worth the wait.

Starting all 14 games as the Utes’ defensive elder statesman, Burgess did a little bit of everything in Utah’s secondary, playing free safety on one play, in the slot on the next, and in the box – his natural position – as a hard-nosed, rim running strong safety.

Despite his relative inexperience on the field, Burgess consistently made plays like a grizzled veteran, recording 81 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a 29-yard interception in 783 total defensive snaps. He showcased fantastic vision, even better instincts, and enough speed to make any play on the field sideline-to-sideline.

Check out his highlight reel here if you didn’t happen to catch a Utah game in 2019. It’s freakin’ fantastic.

So on paper, Burgess is the kind of position-versatile safety tailor-made for the modern NFL, but it’s his intangibles that really make him stand out as the kind of player the Philadelphia Eagles covet.

In this modern era of instant gratification, where players transfer to avoid a competition with another five-star recruit, Burgess stuck it out for three seasons as a part-time defender, full-time special teamer. He remained ready, studied a ton of film, and became the defensive leader of Utah’s defense, often calling out coverages in practice per Jaylon Johnson on the 2 for 1 podcast.

You know who else played all over the defense, contributed on special teams, and served as a leader both on and off the field in 2019? Jenkins.

Now I’m not saying Burgess is as good as Jenkins right now or has three-time Pro Bowl potential down the line, but his versatility is impressive, and personally, he’s the kind of person I want to root for moving forward.

Over his lone season as a full-time starter at Utah, Burgess logged 133 snaps at free safety, 285 snaps in the box, and 272 snaps in the slot. To make matters even more impressive, Utah’s 4-2-5 defense runs a ton of man and single-high safety looks, two of Schwartz’s favorite looks. While some fans may be disappointed if the first defensive back the Eagles select in the 2020 NFL Draft is a safety, but Burgress’ versatility alone should make him a plus addition to any coverage unit regardless of what technical position you want to label him with.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham calls safety the hardest position to learn on his defense, so the fact that Burgess was able to play it at such a high level in 2019 should be lauded.

If the Eagles can land Burgess in the third round pick – either with the 103rd overall pick or a slight trade up – they will be adding an eventual starter, even if he spends the 2020 season as a special teams ace and emergency backup at multiple positions.

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I may be a bit presumptuous here, but I just feel like Terrell Burgess is a Philly guy. He’s a hard hitter, an even harder worker, and a true student of the game. Whether he plays as a rookie or steps into a full-time role in 2021 is honestly rather inconsequential, as his leadership and versatility alone as a three-position backup is worth the price of admission. Don’t be surprised if Burgess is a captain on whatever team drafts him by Year 3.

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