NFL Draft need spots for 2024: Linebacker off the ball……..
and the boards of each team are informed by this. The Philadelphia Eagles are no different, therefore I’ve gone ahead and chosen five position groupings that, coming into the 2024 campaign, might use some reinforcements from the collegiate ranks.
Under Howie Roseman, the Eagles have built a strong, skilled defensive line by starting players deep in the trenches rather than emphasising the inside linebacker position. Even though the Birds have had a lot of successful teams as a result of this, ignoring a certain position group for years on end ultimately catches up to you. The Eagles’ “catching up” was never more evident than it was last season, when their ILB output was below replacement level.
Shaq Leonard (who the Eagles signed before the season to try and improve the position), Zach Cunningham, Shaun Bradley, Nicholas Morrow, and all four of them are unrestricted free agents going into the offseason. Though I wouldn’t be shocked if Leonard returned, I can see them giving Cunningham and Morrow another opportunity.
The Eagles should think about all three of these linebacker alternatives (not just the first round!) when their time comes to use the position. (The player’s college bio provides all measurements.)
39 games (26 starts); 29.5 TFL; 13 sacks; 4 interceptions; 14 passes defended; 3 forced fumbles; 2 touchdowns are career totals.
Bio: You mean Trotter Jr.? I wonder whether his dad was a ballplayer as well? Trotter Jr.’s father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., played in the NFL for 12 years, spending a large portion of that time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia native Trotter Jr. assisted in leading St. Joe’s Prep to two consecutive 6A state championships. As a senior, he was regarded as the best player in Pennsylvania and among the best in the nation. As a sophomore and junior, the standout linebacker was recognised by numerous publications as an All-American and was also named a nominee for the Butkus Award.
Report on scouting: Over the past three years, I’ve watched a lot of Clemson games as a Hater, hoping for Dabo Swinney’s resignation. As a result, I’ve witnessed a lot of Trotter Jr. play. Although he is not the ideal size for the inside linebacker position, his athleticism and ability to analyse plays more than make up for it. Like his father, Trotter Jr. has the strength to take down opposing ball carriers, but he also has the ability to be sucked up by larger, more physically powerful offensive lineman. His stature, meanwhile, can also work in his favour because it allows him to elude detection by hiding behind the first line of defence before materialising in the opening to stop, seemingly by magic. Additionally, he is strong in
Career stats: 8.5 sacks, 30 TFL, 5 interceptions, 18 passes defensed, 6 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, and 369 tackles (199 solo) in 51 games (39 starts).
Bio: A native of North Carolina, Grey attended college close to home. In his final two seasons, he was named to the First Team of the ACC. He also received a few nominations for the Second Team All-American as a junior and advanced to the Butkus Award semifinals as a senior. He was one of two players to record 120 or more stops during his senior season, and he finished second in the ACC in tackle totals. He was named UNC’s Defensive MVP as a junior and was selected by William Fuller, who spent three seasons playing for the Eagles in the 1990s.
