Analyzing the Philadelphia Eagles’ Middle Linebackers

The Eagles are loaded at linebacker going into training camp. A lot of players are going to be fighting for spots to make that final 53-man roster. This article will specifically be analyzing the three middle linebackers the Philadelphia Eagles have on their depth chart. These players include T.J. Edwards who has really stood out the past two seasons as a solid starter for this Eagles team. Furthermore, rookie Nakobe Dean is another player that is behind Edwards. He has a lot of hype surrounding him as he was a beast at Georgia. The Eagles round off this position with Shaun Bradley, who has been on the Eagles for two seasons and mostly plays on special teams.

T.J. Edwards

It is likely that the Eagles will be starting Edwards going into Week 1 of the regular season. He was undrafted coming out of Wisconsin in 2019. The Eagles decided to give him a shot and Edwards has made the most of that opportunity and has really left other NFL teams kicking themselves by not taking this stud linebacker. He is a player that can make tackles when teams decide to run the ball and he can fall back in coverage when teams decide to pass. In 2019, Edwards did get the opportunity to play in 16 games during his rookie year, as he racked up 30 total tackles. During the following season in 2020, Edwards improved on those numbers in a huge way. He tripled his total tackles with 70 and added two sacks and two forced fumbles. He played in 12 games that season.

Edwards went off in 2021 and vastly improved on his numbers once again. He had 130 total tackles, one sack and one interception. Edwards is a linebacker that does not get a lot of media coverage, but he is as good of a linebacker than any other player in the league. In addition, Edwards will be a crucial player in the Eagles’ run-stopping ability in 2022 and it is very possible that he will get his first pro bowl bid after the 2022 season is over.

Nakobe Dean

Philadelphia might have had one of the biggest steals in the draft when they took Nakobe Dean in the third round. He was expected to be a first-round draft pick, but teams were wary of taking him because of a pectoral issue he suffered from. In his final year at Georgia, Dean had 72 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions. Dean is great at rushing the quarterback, and with that comes good speed.

Photo courtesy of Rich von Biberstein/ Getty Images

Dean will definitely earn a roster spot on this Eagles team unless things go seriously wrong during training camp. The question is where will Dean be placed on the depth chart when the season starts? Do the Eagles go with Shaun Bradley in that second spot, who is a player that has experience in the league already or do they go with Dean who has high expectations? This just all depends on how Dean does in training camp and during the preseason.

Shaun Bradley

Unfortunately for Bradley, there is a lot of talent in this position group. He was drafted out of Temple in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft. The Eagles primarily use him on special teams and has really excelled in this position. Bradley racked up a team-leading 11 tackles on special teams in 2020. Recently in 2021, he led the team again in tackles on special teams with 19. The Eagles more than likely will keep Bradley in this role going into 2022. There is no reason to stop a good thing that the Eagles have going with Bradley. However, if Dean underperforms Bradley could take some snaps this coming season.

This concludes analyzing the Philadelphia Eagles middle linebackers.

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers along with Matthew!