Injuries over the last two weeks have ravaged the Philadelphia Eagles’ pass rush, as they’ve seen Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo go down with triceps injuries and be placed on injured reserve.
Smith Jr. will reportedly be out until Week 8, while Okoronkwo could likely miss the rest of the season. With their pass rush needing reinforcements, the Eagles brought back a familiar face to the practice squad, signing rookie Antwaun Powell-Ryland on Wednesday.
Powell-Ryland was selected in the sixth round of the draft by Philadelphia earlier this year. The former Virginia Tech standout was waived at the end of the preseason in August, but was quickly re-signed to the practice squad. Powell-Ryland opened the regular season with the taxi squad but was released a day after the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Eagles Re-Sign Rookie Antwaun Powell-Ryland After Recent Pass Rush Injuries
The rookie outside linebacker played in all three of Philadelphia’s preseason games in August, with his best performance coming in the finale against the New York Jets. Powell-Ryland had a sack and a forced fumble.
In college, the 6-foot-2, 258-pound edge rusher was known for his ability to get into the backfield and wreak havoc. Over his five-year collegiate career, which began at the University of Florida and ended at Virginia Tech, Powell-Ryland racked up 42 tackles for loss and 30 sacks. In his final year with the Hokies in 2024, he ranked third in all of FBS in sacks with 16 and had 19 tackles for loss.
While the Eagles could use that, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the rookie on the field on Sunday. The next best option to step in for the injured Okoronkwo is Azeez Ojulari, who has been inactive for Philadelphia’s first four games.
Eagles fans have been puzzled about why Ojulari hasn’t seen the field yet, but now the team has no choice but to play him, given the injuries over the last two weeks. If Ojulari can make a couple of plays, it should give Philadelphia’s defensive line a boost.
However, if not. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles make the call to put the rookie on the field as they try to rejuvenate this pass rush.