Philadelphia Eagles: Big expectations for rookie K’Von Wallace heading into 2020

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted K’Von Wallace with big expectations in mind.

The hype surrounding Philadelphia Eagles‘ rookie safety K’Von Wallace has been increasingly growing. The team’s fourth round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, former players and analysts alike have done nothing but rave about the Clemson defensive back since. With football right around the corner, expectations are high for the rookie safety.

Wallace played four full seasons of college football at Clemson, appearing in 56 games and making 39 starts. By his junior and senior years, he was a consistent start in the Tigers’ defense, making 30 of his 39 total starts during that time. Wallace became such a crucial piece to Clemson by his final year that he was also named team captain.

Across his four year collegiate career, Wallace was an absolute stat sheet stuffer. He recorded 156 total tackles (108 solo), 15 pass deflections, 5.5 TFLs, 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown. He was apart of both Clemson’s 2016 and 2019 national championship teams, and was widely regarded as one of the better all around safeties heading into the 2020 draft.

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Despite playing in a secondary that included future first-round picks Isaiah Simmons and AJ Terrell, Wallace still led the entire Clemson team in passes defended last year. He also ranked second in solo tackles and third in interceptions.

The Eagles currently have a pretty crowded safety room heading into 2020. Despite 3x Pro Bowler Malcolm Jenkins walking away in the offseason, Howie Roseman went out and re-signed both Rodney McLeod and Jalen Mills (moved to SS), while simultaneously landing Philly native Will Parks on a one year deal.

This presents a bit of a challenge to Wallace, especially in a rookie year where he’s had little time to get accustomed to the speed of the NFL via OTAs.

However, simply by reading the room, it looks like Wallace is more than up to the task. Not only has he oozed a sense of confidence that gives you no choice but to believe in him, but Eagles legends like Brian Dawkins and Ike Reese have voiced support for the young safety as well. Wallace seems beyond determined to make sure he gets on the field consistently in 2020.

Wallace is your typical modern day “hybrid” safety. He can play in the box, drop back in coverage, line up in the slot, and even play some man defense at times. Wallace actually played more snaps in the slot last year than at safety, showcasing just how versatile he is.

It’s highly unlikely Wallace will earn a starting spot on the Eagles defense by week one, but expect him to see the field quite a bit as the team starts getting him up to speed. Some have mentioned week 8 as a rough timeline for when Wallace could have himself a more solidified role.

According to PFF.com, Wallace was ranked as the 60th best prospect in the entire 2020 draft class. The Eagles managed to get him at pick 127. Since being drafted, he’s received nothing but praise from teammates, fans, scouts, and football analysts. Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has always loved his versatile DBs, him and Malcolm Jenkins were a match made in heaven. Considering just how highly Wallace has been talked about since his selection in the draft, expect the former Clemson DB to fill a similar role in the very near future.