The Eagles have kissed a few frogs hoping they would turn into linebacker princes throughout their history.
Who could forget Davion Taylor, who was a third-round pick in 2020 and now toils for the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League? Zac Brown, L.J. Fort, Eric Wilson, Nate Gerry…gone but, somehow, not forgotten.
The Eagles’ linebacker room has undergone a rebirth thanks to Vic Fangio, who values strong linebacker play. It makes his defense hum. He has helped make Pro Football Hall of Fame players out of Kevin Greene, Rickey Jackson, Ray Lewis, Sam Mills, and Patrick Willis while helping Pat Swilling earn the 1991 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Fangio nearly got Zack Baun to the finish line as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, but couldn’t quite get him there. Still, Baun was among the five finalists. Maybe this year.
Fangio’s influence with general manager Howie Roseman runs deep. When was the last time the Eagles selected two linebackers in the same draft class?
They did this year, picking Jihaad Campbell in the first round – making him the first linebacker the organization selected in that round since Jerry Robinson 46 years ago – and followed that up by selecting Smael Mondon, Jr., in the fifth round.
Campbell will likely be a hybrid pass rusher and linebacker, but he’s a linebacker for now and could eventually settle there. Fangio will figure that out.
Meanwhile, don't bet against Mondon having an impact on defense at some point this season. Chances are strong that Fangio will use him there somewhere along the line this fall.
This may be the best group of linebackers the Eagles have assembled, and there have been some good groups. Outside linebackers don’t count in this mix.
You could trace the best groups in the seasons that the Eagles went to the Super Bowl. They’ve been to five and are 2-3 in them. This is what those LB rooms looked like in those Super years:
1980: Bill Bergey, Jerry Robinson, Frank LeMaster, John Bunting (starters); Reggie Wilkes, Al Chesley, Ray Phillips (top reserves).
2004: Jeremiah Trotter, Mark Simoneau, Dhani Jones (starters); Ike Reese, Keith Adams, Nate Wayne (top reserves).
2017: Nigel Bradham, Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks (starters); Bryan Braman, Najee Goode, Kamu Grugier-Hill (top reserves).
2022: T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White (starters); Nakobe Dean, Shaun Bradley (top reserves).
2024: Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean (starters); Oren Burks (top reserve).
Could 2025 deliver another Super Bowl with the additions of Campbell (when he is healthy) and Mondon to go with Baun, Dean (when he is healthy), and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.?
