The Philadelphia Eagles have made plenty of changes this offseason, and one of the biggest has been in the edge rusher room. Nolan Smith Jr. will look to build off a breakout season last year, and Jalyx Hunt will look to make another leap after a strong rookie season. But the biggest storyline may have been the departure of Josh Sweat.
After leaving for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency to reunite with former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles have a massive hole to fill for a player that recorded 43 sacks in his seven seasons in Philadelphia. But in the first week of training camp, the Eagles seem prepared to fill the void, and veterans are making it clear that Sweat won’t be missed.
Jordan Mailata Praises Eagles Second-Year Edge Rusher Jalyx Hunt
The comments come from ESPN’s Tim McManus, who has been keeping a notebook on all the rumblings coming from Eagles training camp. While the camp is in its first week, there have already been some notable comments, including ones from offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, who praised Hunt when speaking to reporters on Thursday.
“Oh man, he’s going to be special,” Mailata said of Hunt via NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro. “He’s going to be special, man. His burst, he has tendencies like Micah [Parsons], just to be able to cut on a dime like that. I’m so proud of that guy, the way that he works. How do I go from Josh Sweat to Jalyx, man? It’s crazy. I’m just like ‘Howie [Roseman], give me a break for one year! Jesus! Jalyx is going to be a star, man. And I’m glad I get to go up against him because I know if he’s giving me hell, he’s going to give everyone else hell.”
Mailata’s glowing review may not be a slight on Sweat, but it definitely shows how good he believes Hunt can be.
A third-round pick out of Cornell, Hunt had 21 total tackles, including a tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection, and two forced fumbles during the regular season. But he got stronger as the year went on and logged 10 total tackles with 1.5 sacks in the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus also credited Hunt with a 9.7% pressure rate and a 10.5% pass-rush win rate last season, providing a steady foundation for what could be a breakout campaign.
Sweat was still a productive pass rusher, logging a pass-rush win rate of 14.2% last season. But his departure, combined with the trade of free-agent bust Bryce Huff, are two signs that the Eagles have plenty of confidence in Hunt.
With one of the team’s leaders comparing him to one of the top edge rushers in the league, Hunt has high expectations and could make Eagles fans forget about Sweat this season.