The Philadelphia Eagles were able to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history this past season, and a big factor in that was the spectacular play of their defense.
But in a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport ranking the top defenses in the NFL after the 2025 Draft, the Eagles are not at No. 1. In fact, they are in second place behind the Denver Broncos.
The Eagles lost a number of big names in free agency, including edge-rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams. But Philly already had potential replacements for those players in-house in youngsters Nolan Smith Jr.,” Davenport writes. “The Eagles used their first five draft picks in 2025 on defenders, and with that influx of young talent and one of the league’s best defensive coordinators in Vic Fangio, Philly’s defense should once again be among the best in the NFL.”
The Eagles used their first-round pick in this year’s draft to grab Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who many consider to already be one of the steals of the draft.
The team did lose a bit of veteran edge rushing help in Josh Sweat, which was the one part of the team’s defense that was not elite, as they were in the middle of the packs in sacks in 2024. But adding guys like Campbell and having someone like Nolan Smith Jr. ready to step up is a great sign for the champs.
That is surely the view of Eagles fans who view anything but No. 1 as a shocker.
The Eagles are definitely being viewed as the team to beat heading into the 2025 season, and the defense will be looking to uphold their reputation as one of the scariest in the league.
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