Eagles Preseason Standout Predicted to Lose Battle for Starting Job

After one preseason game, Philadelphia Eagles rookie safety Sydney Brown left quite an impression.

Despite Brown’s strong debut in the preseason, though, Jake Rill of Bleacher Report predicted it would be fourth-year vet K’Von Wallace who would secure the starting safety role opposite Blankenship.

In Philadelphia’s 20-19 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Brown led the team in tackles with nine (all solo), earning a solid 73.3 overall defensive grade from PFF. Reed Blankenship was the only safety for the Eagles in street clothes during the first preseason game, a strong indicator he’s the team’s only guaranteed starter at the position.

Brown has been competing with Wallace and free agent addition Terrell Edmunds for the other starting spot alongside Blankenship, and as of August 15, both Edmunds and Wallace were ahead of the rookie on the depth chart.

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Brown Is Taking Snaps With 1st Team Heading Into 2nd Preseason Game

While Brown, a third-round pick for Philadelphia this year, opened eyes with his play during the Ravens, Wallace also played well. He finished with five tackles, a forced fumble and an even more impressive 90.4 overall grade from PFF, which ranked fourth amongst all safeties for the week.

That and his experience have Rill picking Wallace over Brown to start.

“Brown had a team-high nine tackles in the preseason opener, while Wallace had five and Edmunds had two (including a sack). All three are surely going to make the 53-man roster and have an opportunity to be solid contributors in the upcoming season,” Rill wrote on August 14. “But Wallace is standing out in camp, and the 26-year-old could beat out Edmunds and Brown for a larger portion of playing time. Anything could still happen in this competition over the next few weeks, but Wallace continues to impress.”

Wallace played in all 17 games for the Eagles last season, starting one. He played just 15% all of the team’s defensive snaps, with his role primarily coming on special teams, where he was on the field for 71% of Philly’s snaps. He finished with 28 total tackles (one for loss) and two pass breakups. A 2020 fourth-round draft pick out of Clemson, Wallace has never served as a full-time starter at safety, so the battle between he and Brown will be an intriguing one moving forward.

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Brown Will Still Figure Into Rotation Even if He Doesn’t Start

Brown looked speedy, instinctive and capable against the Ravens, and if that play continues, it’s only a matter of time before defensive coordinator Sean Desai finds ways to get him on the field, whether it be in three-safety sets or more reps.

“I always play fast. I’m trying to process things mentally as fast as I can,” Brown said, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “If you think a minute before you play and miss that minute, you’re going to miss that opportunity. I try to pull the trigger on the gun and leave no regret and just move on to the next play. If something doesn’t go my way, I just move on to the next play and the next time.”

There’s also still time for Brown to win the starting job, and the rookie isn’t shying away from any of the competition.

“There’s a lot of competition, a lot of guys that played some really good football,” Brown admitted, adding: “I’m still improving. I haven’t done anything here. I gotta prove myself in these preseason games and take it week by week.”

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