Philadelphia Eagles: Don’t forget about defensive tackle Renell Wren

Jordan Davis is having a blast.

He’s rung the bell at a Philadelphia 76ers playoff game, met many of his new teammates, and even earned a namesake signature burrito called the “Heavy D” at Barberito, which unfortunately only exists in the greater Athens, Georgia area.

Surely life is good for the Philadelphia Eagles‘ first round pick, as he is not only guaranteed to make the roster but is expected to take on a massive role playing alongside Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, and his fellow speedy defensive line draftee Milton Williams.

But hey, Heavy D isn’t the only defensive tackle who took his talents to the City of Brotherly Love this year. No, while Davis may draw the majority of the headlines, Renell Wren is quite literally fighting for his NFL life in what could be his first and final season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Renell Wren has a lot to prove to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.

Coming out of college, Renell Wren was considered one of the more intriguing boom-or-bust prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Sure, his numbers weren’t great, recording just 81 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks – plus an interception in 2017 versus Oregon State – over his 29 game tenure at Arizona State, but his combination of size, speed, and power enticed many a team who believed that their player development staff was strong enough to “unlock” his defensive potential.

The team that got the first crack at that opportunity was the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected Wren with the 125th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The results were…well, let’s just say the Bengals waived Wren in August of 2021, and after spending the entirety of what would have been his third professional season on the practice squad, he was allowed to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in February of 2022 after failing to come to terms with a futures contract.

Needless to say, Wren isn’t particularly popular among Cincinnati fans, but will he fare better among Philly’s finest? I guess we’ll have to see.

Now granted, the Eagles are pretty darn stacked at defensive tackle. They’re bringing back 2021 starters Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox, retained 2021 third round pick Milton Williams, and drafted super-super-sized defensive tackle Jordan Davis at pick 13, but behind that trio, the Eagles’ depth chart is pretty much wide open.

With Hassan Ridgeway now a member of the San Francisco 49ers, the Eagles have eight players listed as defensive tackles on their official website: Hargrave, Cox, Davis, Milton, and Wren, plus 2021 sixth round pick Marlon Tuipulotu and Marvin Wilson/Noah Elliss, who joined the team as UDFAs. Assuming the Birds opt to keep five defensive tackles in total due to Williams’ inside-out deployment, that puts Wren in direct competition with Tuipulotu, Wilson, and Elliss for a single roster spot, with at least one “loser” likely to land on the practice squad.

Goodness gracious, that should be a fun position group to watch indeed.

In the NFL, more so than almost any other sport, depth is vital. Sure, teams need top-end talent, as having a poor performer at a single position, say left tackle or CB2, could prove the difference between a win or a loss in any given game and thus, the difference between a playoff berth and an early offseason. While Renell Wren won’t generate many more headlines this offseason, if he can win that DT5 spot, it could prolong his NFL career and keep his professional football dreams alive, which is good, considering both Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox could hit free agency next March.