Getty Daeshon Hall, right, has three sacks this preseason and a ton of QB hurries.
There are few things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, Nick Foles being generously endowed … but here is one more. Daeshon Hall is a lock to make the Eagles’ final 53-man roster as the cutdown deadline rapidly approaches.
Right now, the Eagles are looking at keeping five defensive ends: Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Daeshon Hall and Shareef Miller. But don’t be completely surprised if Josh Sweat makes it. Barnett comes with bubble wrap as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.
Hall, who has three sacks in three preseason games, has blossomed into a budding star over the past two months. The 24-year-old edge rusher isn’t going to blow anyone away with his speed, but Hall has worked hard on his technique and out-classed everyone he’s competing against in that department. He might have one of the best rip moves on the entire defense, or at least among those guys playing this preseason.
In addition to the three sacks this summer, Hall has two forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries and four tackles for loss. Hall was originally a third-round pick out of Texas A&M where he played opposite Myles Garrett. The Browns took Garrett No. 1 overall in 2017 and Hall got lost in his shadow. Not anymore. His stellar play has earned him a spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster. Pro Football Focus named him the best pass-rusher of the preseason.
“I knew I had it, but everybody goes through a different journey,” said Hall. “My journey was just a little slower. It’s picking up now, I feel good about it, and thank God it’s picking up. I’m just trying to be the best version of me.”
#Eagles DE Daeshon Hall was around the ball a lot on Thursday night. Made plays in the run and pass game. Liked him coming out of Texas A&M, where he played opposite @MylesLGarrett. Uses his hands well and seems to have a plan of attack when he steps on the field #FlyEaglesFly
Josh Sweat Needs Monster Game Against Jets
Josh Sweat was a player high on a lot of preseason watch lists, especially among his own teammates. He drew comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney and was pegged as a breakout star for 2019 by ESPN. It hasn’t exactly gone that way for the second-year defensive end.
It hasn’t been a complete dud of a preseason. Sweat made a few nice plays in the preseason opener against Tennessee, collapsing the pocket a setting up a sack for Daeshon Hall, while playing mostly against first-teamers. However, he has seemed to regress and there is a logjam at the position. Sweat appears to be the odd man out unless he delivers a drool-worthy performance Thursday night in New York.
Shareef Miller Should Make Final 53-Man Roster
Another guy fighting for that fourth spot in the defensive-end rotation is Shareef Miller. The rookie out of Penn State has impressed with a dizzying spin move this summer en route to two sacks in three preseason games. Against Jacksonville, it was downright frightful as he put the left tackle on skates and wrapped up Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew.
There has been recent talk of the Eagles possibly keeping Josh Sweat and Daeshon Hall and trying to slide Miller over to the practice squad after he clears waivers. No chance of that happening, sorry. First, Miller was a fourth-round pick and teams tend to hold on to those guys. Second, 6-foot-5, 260 pounders with spin moves like that don’t grow on trees. If the Eagles cut him loose, another team will scoop him up. They won’t make that mistake. He’ll be on the 53-man roster.
Shareef Miller has made plays this summer as well, and while he hasn’t gotten the buzz of Hall or Sweat, you can see flashes of why the #Eagles liked him out of #PennState this spring as he’s making plays on the other side of the LOS #FlyEaglesFly
“Coaches always say, when you get the quarterback depth, then counter back with a spin or something like that,” said Miller, via NBC Sports. “That’s what I did. I don’t really work on spin. I don’t really like spinning. I just felt it and I did it and it worked.”
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Daeshon Hall Lock to Beat out Josh Sweat on Eagles Roster