Getty Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, with assistants Tracy Rocker and Dennard Wilson, look on during a 2021 playoff game.
The Philadelphia Eagles suddenly have a heated competition at the weakside linebacker spot. Christian Elliss was the surprise standout at two of the OTA practices open to the working media. He consistently made plays on the ball, including two interceptions (one of them off Jalen Hurts) and a pass breakup.
The 24-year-old has been a perennial practice squad player during his first two seasons in midnight green. Elliss earned the trust of the coaching staff thanks to his great hustle on special teams. Outside of that, he wasn’t expected to do much in 2023 let alone compete for a starting job. That has all changed.
Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds said he’s hearing that Elliss has an “opportunity” to unseat Nicholas Morrow — the leading tackler for the Chicago Bears in 2022 — for the starting spot alongside Nakobe Dean. He’ll have to turn heads all summer to jump up the depth chart, but don’t count him out. Elliss is slowly gathering steam as this year’s Reed Blankenship.
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“The way it was put to me was Elliss has an opportunity,” Mosher said. “Morrow obviously got the first set of first-team reps alongside Nakobe Dean for a reason, but Christian Elliss made plays, and I think if that continues … do I think he can overtake Nic Morrow to start alongside Nakobe Dean? Yes, I think he can, based on how I’m hearing it. But do I think it’s going to happen? Or is it predetermined, or predestined? No. No, I would not say that at all.”
Elliss, who grew up in a famed football family, certainly has the right attitude and pedigree. The only thing he lacks is experience: 29 defensive snaps in 7 games, with an additional 133 special-teams snaps. He has 14 career tackles.
The star of today’s practice was certainly Christian Elliss.
– First-team LB in 7-on-7’s
– Picks off Jalen Hurts for a TD
Strong day for No. 53.
However, the undrafted kid out of Idaho has one noticeable advantage over the competition. He has a much bigger frame (6-foot-3, 231 pounds), compared to Morrow (6-foot, 216 pounds), and knows how to jam his body into tight windows. CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr recorded how Elliss was able to sniff out an interception on Jalen Hurts on June 8:
Elliss — coming off an interception in last week’s open practice — picked off Jalen Hurts during the middle of 7-on-7s. Hurts was looking for Jack Stoll before Elliss jumped the route and took the ball the other way for a score. Earlier in the session, Elliss broke up a pass intended for Stoll when he was facing the first-team offense.
Nakobe Dean Predicted to ‘Explode into Stardom’
Second-year linebacker Nakobe Dean appears to have the starting middle linebacker spot locked up. He was wearing the green dot and calling out the plays at every practice during OTAs. Barring a freak injury at camp, Dean will be the successor to T.J. Edwards.
Second-year linebacker Nakobe Dean is wearing the green dot, serving as the main communicator between the coaching staff and the first-team defense in the huddle.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes the former Georgia standout is set to Explode into Stardom in 2023: “Based on his unanimous All-American campaign for the national championship-winning Bulldogs two years ago, there should be little doubts about the 5’11”, 231-pound linebackers ability to thrive in the pros.”