May 30, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
What tricks does Eagles DC Vic Fangio have up his sleeve for 2026?
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio already broke major news last week when he said not only would he be coming back to preside over the defense for a third season with the Eagles but that he's got "at least" two more years of gas left in the tank.
On Wednesday, one of Fangio's top lieutenants might've let another cat out of the bag. After the conclusion of the first OTA that was open to the media, All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun went to the podium and said he feels as if Fangio is "taking things to the next level this year."
Here is the whole Baun quote:
"He says he's reverse aging. That's funny. Same old guy, same guy. I feel like he's taking things to the next level this year, in terms of he knows we are comfortable, we know our scheme, he knows us, he knows what what we're capable of from a knowledge aspect. I think it's cool that he even within his own scheme he continues to develop and tweak and change to the personnel."
That sure sounds like Baun is hinting that Fangio, who turns 68 in August and has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, has some new tricks up his sleeve for 2026.
To Baun's point, Fangio should be very comfortable with his personnel, and vice versa. The Eagles are only likely to have two new starters on defense, cornerback Riq Woolen and edge defender Jonathan Greenard.
Fangio last week said he watched plenty of tape on Woolen and gushed about the former Seahawks cornerback in his first press conference since the end of last season. Greenard is a Pro Bowler who should have no issue rushing the passer in Fangio's scheme.
Even several key rotation pieces and backups – DT Moro Ojomo, EDGE Nolan Smith, S Marcus Epps, DB Michael Carter II – are holdovers who already have experience in Fangio's defense. This comfort should allow Fangio to get more creative and build off the foundation that he began to put down in 2024, when the Eagles won the Super Bowl mainly on the backs of several promising rookies and second-year players.
Fangio already made some tweaks last season. He played more man coverage than he did in 2024 and earlier in the season was blitzing a higher rate than his typical average, before the team traded for Jaelan Phillips.
Fangio also traveled Quinyon Mitchell on the opponent's best receiver several times, something he has only occasionally done in his career as a defensive play caller.
What adjustments could Fangio have in mind for 2026? We took our best stab:
Cooper DeJean at safety: Fangio already spilled the beans on this move. DeJean will be the safety on base downs, which in the past has been about 25 percent of the snaps. But with the Eagles having more depth at nickelback than safety this season, Fangio could opt to play DeJean at safety even in some nickel packages, especially if the Eagles have injuries at safety.
DeJean slot blitzing: What makes the All Pro DeJean great is his ability to carry out so many different assignments. He's an effective blitzer from the slot, but Fangio hasn't blitzed much and last year would send LB Nakobe Dean as a second-level rusher more than anyone else. With Dean gone, DeJean being a slot blitzer, or a fourth rusher in a SIM pressure, could be an option.
More man defense: Fangio's trademark is zone, but with the long-armed, 6-foot-4 Woolen paired with Mitchell and DeJean in nickel, the Eagles arguably have the best trio of corners in the NFL. Having three sticky corners could give Fangio more reasons to force the issue with man defense.
Higher blitz rate: The Eagles last year finished with a 17.1 blitz percentage, second-lowest only to the Bengals. And that's after having a higher-than-usual blitz rate through the first eight weeks. Fangio would prefer not to blitz very much, but with the coverage ability of his corners, he'll have the ability to take more chances if he wants, especially if his pass rush isn't getting home or against QBs known to buckle under extra-man pressure.
Creativity in the front seven: How about a Joker? Fangio has four legit edge rushers in Greenard, Hunt, Smith and Arnold Ebiketie along with a strong pass rusher in off-ball LB Jihaad Campbell, who played the edge in college before moving off the ball. He has three interior linemen who can rush the passer. Nolan Smith, Campbell and DeJean are versatile players who can move around the defensive front and rush from different alignments while linemen drop to create post-snap confusion for the offensive line and QB.
Any of these wrinkles could make the Eagles look a little different, and perhaps more effective, in 2026 as Fangio's counterparts on offense will surely try to devise ways to counteract what he's been doing with the Eagles for the past two seasons.
Any of these could help the Eagles get to that next level.
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