This offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles lost defensive tackle Milton Williams to the New England Patriots in free agency. Williams was a key part of the Eagles' success among the defensive line last year, putting together a breakout season.
That said, Philadelphia is expecting Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and rookie Ty Robinson to step up to help replace Williams. Replacing a player who had a big season is never a one-man job. This is why the Eagles added another potential body to that room on Tuesday.
According to Mike Mitchell of the UFLNewsHub, the Eagles are expected to sign defensive tackle Jacob Sykes. Though Sykes faces a long road to crack the Eagles roster in 2025, it's not impossible.
Per league sources: The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to sign DT Jacob Sykes today. That would make him the 15th UFL player signed by an NFL team.
— Mike Mitchell (@ByMikeMitchell) July 22, 2025
As NFL teams start training camp league wide. Multiple players from @TheUFL have received workouts in recent days.
Sykes… https://t.co/aCl8PZx1MT
Eagles Expected to Sign Former UFL Talent Jacob Sykes
Sykes originally entered the NFL as an undrafted defensive tackle in 2023. Although he was given a shot by the Seattle Seahawks, he was unable to make their initial 53-man roster or practice squad. Unfortunately, he didn't receive any calls for other practice squads.
As a result, he landed in the United Football League for he 2024 season with the San Antonio Brahmas. With the Brahmas, he recorded 19 tackles and two sacks in nine games. While Sykes hasn't done anything to stand out professionally, he did have a solid college career.
The 25-year-old began his collegiate career in the Ivy League at Harvard. With the Crimson, he recorded 19 tackles, 14 sacks, four quarterback hits, 27 QB hurries, and 45 QB pressures, according to PFF. He accumulated these stats over his freshman and junior seasons since the Ivy League canceled the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sykes transferred to UCLA for his senior season. As a member of the Bruins, he recorded 14 tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits, 12 QB hurries, and 17 QB pressures. All things considered, that's solid production for a player who took a step up in competition, going from the Ivy League.
With that in mind, Vic Fangio is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, meaning he should be able to maximize whatever potential Sykes has. If Fangio is able to get the best out of Sykes in training camp, Philadelphia may have just landed another under-the-radar free agent.