It’s hard enough replacing Brandon Graham the leader, the mentor, the veteran who always has the time to share his wisdom with anybody who asks.
The Eagles also have to find a way to replace a really good football player.
B.G. is out for the year with a torn triceps, and he wasn’t just here as a cheerleader or trash talker. At 36 and in his 15th season, he was playing some of the best football of his career.
Of 102 edge rushers who’ve played at least 200 snaps this year, Graham’s Pro Football Focus overall grade of 78.6 ranks 19th, his run defense grade of 80.1 ranks seventh and his pressure grade of 71.8 ranks 30th. He's the Eagles' highest-graded defensive lineman on PFF.
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Coming off his best game of the year against the Rams, Graham finishes the 2024 season with 3 ½ sacks, seven quarterback hits, six tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two passes defended.
Now the Eagles have to find a way to replace that production and B.G.’s 28 snaps per game.
Josh Sweat has been giving the Eagles outstanding play. Since Week 4, his 7.0 sacks are tied for 6th-most in the NFL. And Nolan Smith has 3 ½ sacks, six quarterback hits and four tackles for loss during the seven-game winning streak.
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Sweat is playing 63 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps – 39 per game – and Smith is at 44 percent and 27 per game. Those numbers can go up a little but probably not a lot. Not after we saw all the Eagles’ defensive linemen wear down last year under the weight of too many snaps.
Rookie 3rd-round pick Jalyx Hunt has gone from a non-factor early in the season - 17 defensive snaps the first eight games – to part of the rotation with 25 snaps in Dallas and 24 vs. the Rams (but none vs. Washington). He can certainly play more, but while he’s shown promise he’s still a raw, long-term project.
Bryce Huff still has to sit out three more games on Injured Reserve after undergoing wrist surgery. And while he’s been a disappointment, he was starting to show signs of life before he got hurt, with 2 ½ sacks, four QB hits and three tackles for loss in his last six games.
The Eagles could sure use the 23 snaps per game he was playing. But he's not eligible to return until Dec. 22 vs. Washington, and it's no lock he'll be ready by then.
The Eagles on Tuesday were awarded a waiver claim for 1st-round pick Charles Harris, who the Dolphins took 22nd overall back in 2017. Harris has 19 ½ sacks in 99 games over eight seasons with the Dolphins, Falcons, Lions and Panthers, who released him on Monday. How long it will take him to learn a new defense and play meaningful snaps remains to be seen.
The Eagles have three edge rushers on the practice squad, most notably 2021 6th-round pick Tarron Jackson, who spent 2021 through 2023 back and forth on the Eagles’ roster and practice squad and was with the Eagles through training camp this past summer. Jackson has played in 21 games with the Eagles and played four games this year with the Panthers, who released him in October. He’s been back with the Eagles on the practice squad since Nov. 7.
Because of his familiarity with Vic Fangio’s scheme, Jackson might have the best chance to contribute off the bat. He has both game-day elevations available.
Ochaun Mathis, the Rams’ 6th-round pick last year, just signed with the Eagles’ practice squad on Friday after being released by the Patriots. He’s played 85 career defensive snaps with the Rams last year and Patriots this year.
And the Eagles added edge rusher K.J. Henry to the practice squad on Tuesday. Henry, the Commanders’ 5th-round pick last year, has bounced around from Washington to Cincinnati to Dallas. He’s played in 14 games and has 2 ½ sacks, including one for the Cowboys against the Lions last month.
It’s not ideal, but in Hunt, Harris, Jackson, Mathis and Henry, the Eagles do have some options.
There's also Milton Williams, who's an interior lineman but versatile enough to play on the edge. He's played 64 snaps outside out of 295 total snaps this year, according to PFF, and could eat up a few snaps on early downs.
“I feel like we have good options in-house,” Nick Sirianni said Tuesday, before the Eagles added Harris.
“The guys we have, I'm excited about their opportunity. As bummed as I am for Brandon and losing him, I'm excited for these other guys' opportunities – Josh, Nolan and Jalyx. Nolan keeps getting better, Sweaty is having a great year, and Jalyx is seeing an up-tick in his snaps. And we have other options as well, in-house.”
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