The Philadelphia Eagles had one of the most dominant defensive fronts in 2022. They had over 70 sacks as a team and four players had double-digit sacks. As with any good team, they lost good players, especially on the defensive line. However, they shouldn’t skip a beat in 2023. One NFL exec said that the Eagles’ defensive line is “ridiculous”.
Philadelphia Eagles Have A Dominant Defensive Front
While they did lose some pieces, they also gained some great young talent. Jalen Carter fell to ninth overall in the draft and the Eagles happily scooped him up. Then, fellow Georgia teammate Nolan Smith also fell giving them another good edge rusher. One NFL exec had this to say about the unit.
“I was looking at that group earlier (in the offseason) and counted 16 or 17 NFL players. It’s ridiculous,” a rival NFC executive told SI.com’s Eagles Today.
The ability of the organization to find this much talent is unprecedented. The Achilles heel of so many lines is the lack of depth. The Eagles will be able to rotate quality players throughout the game in order to keep legs fresh.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70003814/1346782210.0.jpg "Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Front Called \"Ridiciulous\" By NFL Exec 2")
Clear NFC Favorites
The Eagles are clear NFC favorites. Jalen Hurts and the rest of the offense looked elite last year and have tweaked things to make the unit even better. Defensively, the team has one of the best units in the whole league in their defensive line. While they lost some other pieces, if they can rush the quarterback, those deficiencies will be covered up. The rest of the conference is weak overall with only the division-rival Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers being real contenders for the crown.
The Philadelphia Eagles will lean heavily on their defensive front this year. Expect a lot of quarterbacks to be on the ground thanks to this group in 2023.
