When NFL teams do great things, as the Philadelphia Eagles have this season, they'll typically get added help from unexpected places. Here we'll list 10 surprise players who helped the Eagles get to the Super Bowl.
• LB Nakobe Dean: The Eagles' linebacker position went from horrifyingly awful in 2023 to a strength in 2024, due to the unexpected greatness of Zack Baun, and the development of Dean, who had 128 tackles, three sacks, four pass breakups, and a game-sealing INT (against the Jaguars Week 9) before a patellar tendon tear ended his season. Dean's instincts kicked in this season, and he played fast and physical.
• LB Oren Burks: After Dean went out, the linebacker position became a concern, but Burks has played well in the playoffs, as he has 20 tackles, a sack, and a pair of forced fumbles that were recovered by the Eagles. Burks was something of an afterthought throughout training camp, as he sat out most of the summer with an injury, but he made the team, contributed on special teams all season, and was ready when called upon to play in the regular defense.
• iDL Moro Ojomo: Ojomo is essentially the No. 3 interior defensive lineman in the pecking order behind Jalen Carter and Milton Williams. He is playing around a third of the team's defensive snaps, and has been effective both as a pass rusher and run defender. He got his first ever NFL sack in the Divisional Round against the Rams.
• RG Mekhi Becton: After a disappointing start to his career with the Jets, Becton signed with the Eagles and embraced a position change from OT to OG. He entered training camp in a competition with Tyler Steen for the starting RG job, which he very quickly won. Throughout the season, Becton has been a brute force on the interior, who has been particularly effective in the run game.
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• C Cam Jurgens: Jurgens took over for arguably the best center in NFL history, and the Eagles' offensive line never missed a beat. Jurgens made the Pro Bowl in his first season starting at center, and was a warrior against the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game, playing through a back injury after Landon Dickerson went down.
• CB Cooper DeJean: DeJean has been a massive upgrade at the slot corner position over the assortment of slot corners the Eagles were forced to play a season ago. He somehow fell into the second round of the 2024 draft, where the Eagles happily traded up to get him, and he hasn't disappointed. DeJean, along with the linebackers, have made the middle of the field a harsher place for opposing offenses to try to operate.
• CB Quinyon Mitchell: Mitchell was of course a first round pick, and with that comes high expectations, but Mitchell surpassed even those, playing at a high level immediately as a rookie. He has taken his game to the next level in the playoffs, picking off Jordan Love and Jayden Daniels, and generally locking down opposing receivers lining up opposite him, most notably Terry McLaurin in the NFC Championship Game.
• EDGE Nolan Smith: Smith went from playing in the final preseason game this summer with a bunch of guys destined to be cut, to one of the most important players on the defense. He finished the season with 6.5 sacks, all of which came after the bye, and he leads the NFL in postseason sacks, with four. Beyond the pressure he has generated on the quarterback, he has put to bed some concerns about his size, as he has been one of the most physical players on the team.
• LB Zack Baun: When the Eagles signed Baun, he thought he was coming here to be part of the edge rusher rotation, probably just hoping to carve out at least a small role in the defense. Instead he became a starting off-ball linebacker, and is a nominee for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. On the season he had 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four pass breakups, and an INT. In three playoff games, Baun has 26 tackles, an INT, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. He's been a star.
• RB Saquon Barkley: And finally, there's Barkley, who was always a great player, but has turned into a superhero in Philly who is likely to break the all-time record for rushing yards in a single season (regular season + playoffs). He is just 29 yards behind Terrell Davis, who rushed for 2,476 yards with the Broncos in 1998. Barkley has run for over 100 yards in 14 games, and he has consistently broken off long TD runs all season. He has 7 (!) TD runs of over 60 yards this season, including three in the playoffs. He won't be voted MVP of the league, but he should be.
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