Over the last 2 years, the Philadelphia Eagles have handed out approximately $150 million in contracts for edge rushers not drafted by the franchise.
That money went to a 3-year, $51.1 million free-agent contract for Bryce Huff in 2024 and a 4-year, $98 million contract extension for Jonathan Greenard in 2026 after a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
In the end, it’s a player making less in 2026 than both Huff and Greenard earned in a single game who might end up defining the position — 3rd-year edge rusher Jalyx Hunt.
Hunt, 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, was a 3rd-round pick (No. 94 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, won a Super Bowl as a rookie, and became the 1st player in franchise history to lead the Eagles in sacks and interceptions in 2025.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman singled Hunt out as a player who could be a household name by the end of this season during an appearance on The 33rd Team’s NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov.
“Who’s a player on the Eagles who could become a national natme
“(Hunt) is really impressive,” Berman said during an appearance on The 33rd Team’s NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov. “He has the frame. He has the athleticism. I think the tools are matching up to that right now. He’s just at the point in your career where you’re seeing it all come together. He’s been an absolute menace in terms of rushing the quarterback … now, can he go from a 6.5-sack player to a double-digit sack player? I think the talent’s there for him to do that.”
Trade Rumors for Jalyx Hunt in Offseason
ESPN’s Seth Walder predicts that Hunt and another high-profile Eagles edge rusher will be elsewhere 1 year from now.
“The Eagles will trade Jalyx Hunt or Nolan Smith Jr. ahead of the 2027 season,” Walder wrote on August 17. “They will be entering the final year of their deals and are the second- or third-best pass rusher on the Eagles, in some order, with Jonathan Greenard aboard. Trading either player could net Philadelphia draft capital going forward — and save some money if it’s Smith.”
The Eagles have made 2 major trades at edge rusher over the last year. They traded with the Miami Dolphins for Jaelan Phillips midway through the 2025 season, but he left in free agency for a 4-year, $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
In April, the Eagles traded for Greenard.
Jalyx Hunt Predicted as Breakout Star for Eagles
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton also believes Hunt is on the verge of a breakout season in 2026.
Hunt, a 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 94 overall), won a Super Bowl as a rookie and became the 1st player in franchise history to lead the Eagles in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (3) in the same season in 2025.
“Jalyx Hunt is a sleeper breakout candidate,” Moton wrote on July 21. “He’s not guaranteed a lead role on the edge. The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings and exercised the fifth-year option in Nolan Smith Jr.’s rookie deal. However, both Greenard and Smith missed five games because of injuries last season. Also, Hunt has more upside than the former, who turned 29 in May, and showed more promise than the latter in the previous season. Comparing early numbers, Hunt has made more strides than Smith as a pass-rusher. He also forced a few turnovers last season, recording three interceptions. Between 2024 and 2025, Hunt saw his snap count on special teams drop from 56 to 23 percent. As an emerging edge-rusher, he could lead the Eagles in sacks for consecutive seasons.”
Eagles Defender Predicted to Become ‘Household Name’ in 2026