The Philadelphia Eagles added speed and depth to the linebacker position during the 2020 NFL Draft but their most important player could be an undrafted free signee from the 2019 class.
T.J. Edwards is an emerging presence on the Eagles roster and a thumper who’s sure to have a role in Jim Schwartz’s versatile and aggressive defense.
Edwards was a special teams dynamo for the Eagles in 2019, but Pro Football Focus is banking on Edwards taking the next step and having a breakout season in 2020 as the team’s middle linebacker.
Arguably the least proven player on the list, T.J. Edwards nevertheless earned an 86.6 overall PFF grade as a rookie, which would rank him among the best linebackers in the game if he played more than just 112 total snaps. Why this is interesting, though, is that he had back-to-back seasons with a grade above 90.0 in his final two seasons at Wisconsin before going undrafted due to mediocre measurables and athletic profile. His NFL preseason grade was also consistently good, meaning Edwards has been an exceptionally productive linebacker at every level we have seen. He also excelled in coverage — unusual for a player with athletic limitations. He has a real shot to start for the Eagles this season and could be one of the surprise breakout players in 2020.
Edwards will compete with Nate Gerry, Davion Taylor, Alex Singleton, Jatavis Brown, and Duke Riley.