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The Philadelphia Eagles‘ defensive line has some big shoes to fill.
Following Fletcher Cox’s retirement this offseason, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will likely lean heavily on Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipuloto to make up for the lost production and disruptive snaps the unit became accustomed to getting from Cox.
However, Milton Williams has been a bit of a forgotten man along the Eagles’ defensive line and could be in line for an expanded role in his fourth season since being chosen in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Williams, 25, has produced 6.5 sacks with 108 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and five pass breakups through his first 50 career games.
Williams could develop into a breakout star for the Eagles in 2024 in a new system and potentially expanded role.
“He’s a talented player,” a veteran NFC scout told Heavy, of Williams. “Who is highly competitive and will see a lot of one-on-one situations in which he should win.”
Pro Football Focus’ Zoltán Buday tabs Williams as the most underrated player on the Eagles’ roster.
“Williams has been one of the best rotational interior defenders in the entire NFL over the past two seasons,” Buday writes for PFF. “While his 968 snaps over that period rank just 64th at the position, his 73.2 PFF overall grade places 32nd. Williams was playing the best football of his career before an injury in 2023, with his 77.6 overall grade between Weeks 5 and 11 ranking 14th among interior defenders.”
Not everyone, though, is convinced that Williams of Williams’ upside.
“Although he started 11 of 12 games including the playoff loss last season,” NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger told Heavy. “He doesn’t seem to do much. He looks like a rotational player to me. But, in Vic Fangio’s scheme, you have to defeat one-on-one blocks. Christian Wilkins did have the best year of his career in Miami [playing for Fangio].”
Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus points out that over the past two seasons, Williams has added 36 quarterback pressures over the past two seasons.
There might not be a player along the Eagles’ defensive line who stands to benefit more from Cox’s departure than Williams, who should inherit more snaps and has the versatility to line up along the interior or at defensive end.
Cooper DeJean Reveals His Role
Eagles first-round pick Cooper DeJean has been hailed as one of the more versatile defenders in this year’s draft class.
As Pro Football Focus points out, DeJean played 630 snaps at cornerback, 23 in the slot, and 23 as a box safety last season for the Iowa Hawkeyes, before being chosen by the Eagles with the No. 40 overall pick.
During the Eagles’ rookie minicamp, DeJean revealed that at least for now, he’s taking snaps on the boundary and inside.
“I really talked all three positions with them, how I worked mostly the nickel and corner position at rookie minicamp,” DeJean told the Up and Adams Show Thursday. “But there’s been talks about safety during the pre-draft (process), and returning as well.
“Wherever they put me, I’ll be excited. I’m excited for the opportunity to start at the corner position … that’s where I’m starting out, the nickel and corner position, yeah”
DeJean produced 41 total tackles in Iowa City last season, while intercepting two passes and breaking up five more, and could push for immediate playing time as a rookie in Philadelphia’s revamped secondary.
Eagles-Patriots Discussing Joint Practices
Joint practices have become all the rage among NFL head coaches, with many preferring the work that can be accomplished during the workouts rather than under the watchful eye of televised preseason games.
According to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo have begun planning to hold joint practices this summer.
If the Eagles and Patriots play in the preseason, which they frequently have in the past, Reiss reports that Mayo would make the practices with Philadelphia the only ones New England participates in.
“Word is that Mayo prefers just a single practice,” Reiss writes. “In part to limit fighting that can sometimes become prevalent on a second day.”
The Eagles and Patriots last met in the preseason in 2021, when the teams held joint practices at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia.
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