Eagles analysis

Eagles getting a ton of rookie contributions on this trip to Super Bowl

Unlike 2017 and 2022, the Eagles in this Super Bowl season have been getting major contributions from their rookie class.

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“HOW ABOUT THAT DEFENSE!” Well said, Cam Jurgens. He and his teammates describe what has made this Eagles’ defense so good not only in the playoffs, but all season long.

In the first three seasons under head coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles just didn’t play rookies all that much.

That has changed this year.

And as the Eagles prepare to head to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, they have gotten this far with a ton of contributions from the Class of 2024.

“We don't care who is contributing,” Sirianni said after the NFC Championship Game win. “… But with that being said, we've gotten great contributions from our rookie class. That's a tribute to Howie (Roseman) and his staff, of all the work they put to get the right type of guys in, first and foremost.

“Talent only gets you the first part. You’ve got to have something else to get to where we are right now.”

During these playoffs, the Eagles have gotten contributions from seven different rookies or first-year players on offense and defense. In total, the Eagles have gotten 486 offensive/defensive snaps from their rookie class in the three playoff games this year. That is way more than the last two times the Eagles made a Super Bowl run. In fact, it’s more than triple the amount of snaps the Eagles got from their rookie class in 2022 in the playoffs in the same amount of games.

Take a closer look:

2024 (3 games): 486 total snaps from rookies

Offensive snaps (49): Johnny Wilson (31), E.J. Jenkins (11), Will Shipley (7)

Defensive snaps (437): Cooper DeJean (203), Quinyon Mitchell (150), Jalyx Hunt (80), Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (4) 

2022 (3 games): 153 total snaps from rookies

Offensive snaps (34): Grant Calcaterra (23), Cam Jurgens (9), Britain Covey (2)

Defensive snaps (119): Reed Blankenship (56), Jordan Davis (45), Nakobe Dean (9), Josh Jobe (9)

2017 (3 games): 196 total snaps from rookies

Offensive snaps (112): Corey Clement (61), Mack Hollins (48), Nate Sudfeld (3)

Defensive snaps (84): Derek Barnett (83), Nathan Gerry (1) 

Back in 2017, those rookie contributions came up huge in the Super Bowl LII win. Clement had the game of his life in the Super Bowl and Barnett recovered that Brandon Graham strip sack.

But this season, the Eagles have gotten a lot from their rookies throughout the playoffs and throughout the season. Most of those contributions have come on the defensive side of the ball. 

It obviously starts with their top two draft picks, Mitchell and DeJean. Those two have been starting together in the secondary for most of the season and have helped transform the defense into the No. 1 unit in the NFL. Mitchell and DeJean were both named as finalists for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award this season. After not having an interception all year, Mitchell has two in the playoffs, while DeJean continues to play at a high level in the slot.

Just those two alone have played more snaps than the entire rookie classes from 2017 and 2022 and that’s even with Mitchell’s missing most of the Rams game with a shoulder injury. 

During these playoffs, Mitchell has been incredible. According to NextGen Stats, Mitchell has given up just 5 catches on 15 targets for 24 yards with 2 interceptions and 4 pass breakups. His passer rating allowed is 2.8! DeJean has been solid too, giving up 10 catches on 15 targets for 97 yards and an opposing passer rating of 84.6. DeJean has 15 tackles and 3 pass breakups.

But it goes beyond those two.

Third-round pick Jalyx Hunt was thought to be a raw prospect when the Eagles drafted him this spring; he was playing safety a Cornell a few years ago. But the rookie edge rusher worked his way into the rotation and got more snaps in the NFC Championship Game than Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff. Hunt was good in the regular season but he has been even better in the playoffs:

Hunt in regular season: 16 games, 1 1/2 sacks, 21 tackles, 3 QB hits, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 1 PD, 9 pressures (pressure rate of 7.4%)

Hunt in playoffs: 3 games, 1 sack, 8 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1 TFL, 5 pressures (pressure rate of 11.1%)

While those three have accounted for most of the snaps, Shipley made the most of his 7 snaps on Sunday, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game. Wilson has been blocking his butt off on offense. Jenkins isn't technically a rookie but he is a first-year player and has been contributing. And Trotter and the whole group have been giving big-time special teams snaps all season.

“I’m not even thinking about rookies, who's a rookie, who is not,” Sirianni said, “because they're playing like vets.”

The Eagles are going to need one more big game from them in less than two weeks.

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