August 18, 2024
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
The Eagles' offense and defense line up for a rep during their open training camp practice at the Linc on August 1, 2024.
The happiest man at Eagles practice Sunday?
Vic Fangio, and it's not even close.
We typically give a pair of game balls out after each training camp practice. But today we're going to give the award to every single defensive player on the Eagles. They were dominant. It was impressive.
It was hard to keep track of all the footballs hitting the turf, and no one was immune. Jalen Hurts had a rough go of it. Kenny Pickett looked uncomfortable. And even QB3 darling Tanner McKee made some big mistakes.
Left and right, players on all three units (first, second and third team defenses) were making plays.
Nakobe Dean was all over the field — pressuring the quarterback and breaking up passes.
Fringe roster linebacker Ben VanSumeren had an interception on a pass tipped by Zack Baun at the line of scrimmage. Oh, and Baun had a sack.
Josh Sweat, entering a contract year, made two sacks.
Brandon Graham looked 10 years younger pressuring the quarterback, while the youthful tandem of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis made their presence felt more than once.
And in the biggest highlight of practice, McKee saw a pass he intended for Britian Covey picked off by journeyman defensive back Parry Nickerson. The 29-year-old is fighting an uphill battle to make the roster, after stints with seven NFL teams. He ran a 4.32 40-yard-dash out of Tulane and showed his speed on the play — returning the pass 98-yards from just outside the Eagles defensive end zone for a touchdown.
The first team defense as a unit had a six-play stretch that was pretty impressive with Hurts under center in the middle of practice:
• Incomplete pass
• Jalen Hurts fumble
• A "sack"
• Another Hurts fumble
• Incomplete pass
• Incomplete pass
Interestingly, the Eagles' defense has been the best unit in the preseason so far — a stat that means literally nothing, as they faced an awful Patriots offense last week and a Ravens offense that sat all their starters a week prior. Still, they've allowed an NFL fewest 161.5 yards per game in their first two and the secondary has allowed just 86 passing yards per game.
"I like our guys. I like our guys as individuals," Fangio told reporters before practice. "They're all good guys. I like the unit. I love working with them. Time will tell on that. We haven't played real games yet, and that opener against that offense is going to be very challenging."
There are a ton of unknowns and an entire season is ahead. Still, the defense won the day Sunday.
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