Eagles best position group
by Ken Fernando
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s Superbowl due to the overall talent in their roster. Their draft picks, free agency signings and trades have made them the envy of all teams. Picking the best position group would be a task but let’s go over them one by one.
OFFENSE
Skill Positions: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert
Jalen Hurts is one of the most discussed quarterbacks due to varying opinions on him. In terms of a passer, he threw for just 2,903 yards with just 18 TDs and 5 interceptions. His rushing, however, is among the best. He rushed for 630 yards and 14 TDs with some help from the “Tush Push”. His production was about the same in the postseason where he threw for 726 yards and 5 TDs with 1 interception. In terms of running the ball, he had 194 rushing yards and 5 TDs. He had a 3 TD rushing game against the Commanders in the NFC Championship game. His reputation and past performance puts him in the top 10 of QBs today.
A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are as good a trio of WRs and TE in the NFL. Brown was still his WR1 self with over 1000 receiving yards and 7 TDs. He did receive some criticism however for reading a book in the sidelines during a game and constant arguing with Hurts for not getting the ball. DeVonta Smith was a consistent number 2 for the Eagles as he had 68 receptions for 833 yards and 8 TDs. Dallas Goedert missed some games due to injury but was still a solid contributor to the team in the passing game and rushing game. He caught the ball 42 times for 496 yards and a couple of TDs.
The last player to be mentioned is the most polarizing one of them all. Saquon Barkley had a career year after signing with the Eagles in the previous offeseason. He rushed for 2005 yards and 13 TDs, though he would have a bigger number if the “Tush Push” wasn’t done. His season was full of memorable moments such as the backwards hurdle which is now the latest cover of Madden. His best game came against the LA Rams where he ran for 255 yards and 2 TDs. He rushed for over 100 yards in 11 games. His presence was felt even more in the postseason. He rushed for 119, 205 and 118 yards in the NFC Playoffs. His 205 rushing yards against the Rams included 2 TDs where he ran for the game winning touchdown in the snow. Against the Commanders, he ran for 3 TDs and cemented one of the greatest rushing seasons of all time. A dominant season by Saquon Barkley.
Offensive Line: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton, Lane Johnson
The biggest cheat code in the NFL is the heavily-scrutinized “Tush Push” or “Brotherly Shove”. NFL teams complain about it as the Eagles seem to be playing 1st and 9 instead of 1st and 10. Teams try to emulate it but cannot replicate it due to the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles have the best and biggest offensive line in the NFL. Their size and mobility makes them difficult against the pass rush. The Eagles were 2nd in rushing yards per game average with 179.3 and got even better with 227.7 rushing yards per game in the playoffs. Dickerson, Johnson and Jurgens garnered Pro Bowl selections this past season due to their performance.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, Milton Williams
As big as the offensive line was, the defensive line was just as big. As a unit, they combined for 17.5 sacks but they showed up in the playoffs in critical plays. In the 4th quarter, Jalen Carter sacked Matthew Stafford in the red zone in the NFC Championship Game to force a 4th down with 1 minute left. In the Superbowl, the Eagles D-line stuffed the Kansas City Chiefs making it impossible for Mahomes. The duo of Carter and Davis will only get better as they get older. Jalen Carter was named to the Pro Bowl for his efforts.
Linebackers: Zach Baun, Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat, Nakobe Dean
The linebackers of the Eagles may be the most underrated unit of the team. Zach Baun signed in the offseason and had a career year. He had 151 tackles and 3.5 sacks in the regular season. In the Superbowl, he had an interception that gave the Eagles momentum. He was rewarded with his first Pro Bowl Selection, AP First Team All-Pro and 5th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Nolan Smith was all over the field with 42 tackles and 6.5 sacks which was 2nd on the team. Josh Sweat led the team with 8 sacks in the regular season. Nakobe Dean had 128 tackles, which ranked 2nd on the team. This group of linebackers will terrorize the NFL for years to come.
Defensive Backs: Reed Blankenship, Cooper DeJean, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Quinyon Mitchell, Darius Slay
The five DBs mentioned are as good a unit as the NFL has on defensive backs. They were ballhawks all over the field throughout the season. The five combined for 283 tackles and remained healthy throughout the season. Reed Blankenship had 78 of those tackles. CJ, Quinyon and Slay each had 12+ passes deflected. CJ led the team with 6 interceptions and Reed had 4. One of the most memorable moments of the Super Bowl was when Cooper DeJean picked off Patrick Mahomes and ran it in for the TD.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Jake Elliott
Jake Elliott has been on the team since the 2017 season and has been known as one of the solid kickers in the NFL. He missed just one extra point in the season going 47 out of 48. However, he struggled from field goals as he was successful on 28 out of 36 field goals. Elliott was a different animal in the postseason as he hit 91% of his field goals. He set a Superbowl record by scoring 16 points as he won his 2nd Superbowl.
Punter: Braden Mann
Braden Mann has the luxury of being the Eagles’ punter as the offense is one of the best in the sport. He only punted 54 times which ranked 24th in the NFL. He was above average when he punted as the ball averaged 48.8 yards.
Returners: Kenneth Gainwell & Cooper De Jean
Kenneth Gainwell returned 18 kicks and gathered 456 yards from the kickoff. Even though he ranked 12th in total yards, he only averaged 25.3 yards per kickoff return and his longest was 36 yards. He was below average compared to his contemporaries. Cooper De Jean appeared in 16 games as the punt returner for Philadelphia. He was one of the most consistent punt returners as he averaged 10.1 yards per return.
As deep as a team the NFL has, the Eagles best unit has to be their Offensive Line. With how the game operates, the Eagles’ offense has been unstoppable especially on the run. Without the dominant offensive line, the Eagles may not have won it all.
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