Top 5 Philadelphia Eagles facing the most pressure in 2021

Derek Barnett

Another former first-round pick who’s yet to establish themselves as a franchise piece worth building around, Derek Barnett is entering a pivotal contract year with the Philadelphia Eagles. The team picked up his fifth-year option last season to give them an extra year to decide on Barnett’s future, but now the time to come to a conclusion has arrived.

Barnett either needs to prove he’s worthy of a multi-year extension, worthy of being a starting DE for the next handful of seasons, or he’s likely to be traded/allowed to sign elsewhere in free agency.

While Barnett has had spurts of productivity during his four-year Eagles career, he’s yet to have a season where he truly establishes himself as a top-tier pass rusher. His career-high for sacks in a season is a measly 6.5, and that’s while playing alongside the likes of Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham – two players who frequently demand double-teams.

If Barnett is to get that big-time extension with the Eagles this season, he’s going to have to produce like the elite pass rusher that he was drafted to be. Philadelphia is set to have multiple first-round picks next offseason, so replacing Barnett with a new young DE wouldn’t be all that hard to do.

The pressure is 100% on Barnett to convince the front office to not do such a thing.