As the Philadelphia Eagles gear up for training camp, one major concern looms large: a lack of depth at edge rusher that could jeopardize their chances of defending their Super Bowl title. Despite capturing the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIX just months ago, the reigning champions are now alarmingly thin at defensive end following several key departures—moves that general manager Howie Roseman has yet to properly address.
Veteran pass rusher, who recorded 43 career sacks over seven seasons in Philadelphia, signed a lucrative four-year, $76.4 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals, where he’ll reunite with former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Meanwhile, franchise icon Brandon Graham, best known for his game-sealing strip sack in Super Bowl LII, retired after 15 remarkable seasons—capping his career with one final championship win over the Chiefs.
Brandon Graham revealed during his retirement announcement that he had re-torn his triceps while playing through the injury in the Super Bowl—an effort that further cemented his legacy in Philadelphia. The Eagles also moved on from underwhelming free-agent addition Bryce Huff, trading him to the San Francisco 49ers for a mid-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Huff, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in 2024, managed just 2.5 sacks over 12 games, falling well short of expectations.
Instead of targeting high-profile free agents to fill the void at edge rusher, Howie Roseman opted for low-risk, budget-friendly signings. The Eagles added former Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari on a one-year, $4 million contract. While Ojulari has totaled 22 sacks in 46 career games, his progress has been hampered by injuries—playing only 7, 11, and 11 games over the past three seasons following a strong rookie campaign. Philadelphia also signed Josh Uche to a one-year, $1.92 million deal with just $1.25 million guaranteed. Uche flashed big-time potential with 11.5 sacks in 2022 for the Patriots, but has managed only nine total sacks across his other four seasons combined.
The Eagles are placing a lot of faith in their young talent to step up. Nolan Smith, the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had a quiet rookie year with just one sack but bounced back in 2024 with 6.5 sacks and led the NFL in postseason sacks with four. Now 24, Smith is poised to enter the season as a starting edge rusher for the first time under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He’ll likely be joined by Jalyx Hunt, who impressed in limited snaps as a rookie and is expected to take on a larger role in the rotation.
When asked about the state of the edge rusher group, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio voiced his confidence in the unit: “Yeah, I’m confident in Nolan. And I think we’ll feel good about Jalyx too, especially with the reps he’s about to get and the development that’ll come with that. He played well for us late last season and got a lot of snaps, as you saw. So I’m confident in those two, and I expect them to keep improving. We’ve also got Uche, Azeez, and a few others in the mix. I think we’re going to be just fine.”
As the Eagles head into training camp, their pass rush group looks vastly different from the one that played a key role in last season’s Super Bowl run. For a team with championship aspirations, the shift from dependable veterans to largely untested players marks a major change in approach.
Whether Philadelphia can defend its title may come down to this retooled group’s ability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks—something that will be essential in supporting what’s expected to remain a high-level defense. In the end, it will be a test of whether Howie Roseman’s strategic bet on youth and upside pays dividends, or if the team will come to regret not being more aggressive in shoring up one of its biggest offseason concerns.