Philadelphia Eagles: 7 UDFAs who could sneak onto the main roster
By David Esser
Raequan Williams, DT
Just like the Philadelphia Eagles love their offensive linemen, they also love their defensive linemen. Coming in as the second highest paid UDFA right behind Juriga, DT Raequan Williams could impress enough to slot in as the team’s fifth defensive tackle
A 6-4, 308lbs defensive tackle out of Michigan State, Williams was routinely praised for his run-stuffing ability during college. MSU’s run defense ranked as the best in the country in 2018, and the second best in 2017, and Williams was undoubtedly a big reason why.
Williams struggles a bit when it comes to actually rushing the quarterback, but his overall ability to eat up blocks and clog the middle of the line had many scouts projecting him to be a mid-round draft pick. The Eagles obviously thought he was an undrafted steal, hence the $115,000 they paid him to sign.
The Eagles already have a pretty deep defensive tackle room with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Malik Jackson, and Hassan Ridgeway all on the roster. On top of that, both Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham have experience swinging inside.
The major benefit working in William’s favor is that the Eagles didn’t draft any interior defensive lineman this year (they almost always do), which bodes well for his longterm developmental future with the team.
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Now obviously, not all seven of these guys are going to make the Philadelphia Eagles final roster. In fact, it would be pretty surprising to even see one or two crack the 53-man. This has been a chaotic offseason for both rookies and free agents alike, and every single one of the before mentioned players are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to sneaking onto an NFL roster.