The Philadelphia Eagles Secret Superstars
Two Eagles with big potential this season
Greatness can always fall victim to circumstance. Crowded rosters, overlooked skillsets, miscalculations of potential. Even the clearest diamonds go through the rough. But all it takes is one opportunity for someone to show what they can really do. Think Steve Young, Jeremy Lin, Willie Beamen, that snowman from Frozen, or Peter Parker when he got bitten by that spider (yes, I saw Spiderman the other day; why do you ask). Circumstances can be beyond our control, but true greatness lies in taking advantage of the opportunities given to you (writing that down for a self-help book one day).
The Philadelphia Eagles, for all intents and purposes, are stacked. Loaded. Brimming with elite athleticism, skill, and pure uncut grade-A moxie. They’re not like “Los Angeles Rams potential greatest d-line of all-time stacked.” But despite losing A.J. Brown and his Twitter fingers, they are still an extremely talented team at most positions. Still with that wealth of talent, the Eagles have a couple of players with untapped potential. Diamonds in the rough. And as more and more opportunities present themselves, the greatness of those players is starting to shine through.
This year, two players are slated to take the next step. And if they do, it will have ripple effects across the entire team. So who are the Eagles’ two secret stars?
The Swagger of Jalyx Hunt
It’s natural law that if your name ends in an “x” you’re guaranteed to excel at hitting quarterbacks (see: Crosy, Maxx). Entering his third year in the league, Jalyx “Big Pimpin’” Hunt has already started to make his mark on the league (including when he answered his draft day phone call from Howie Roseman like this).
Despite being thought of as a raw prospect who would take time to develop, Jalyx’s elite athleticism, intelligence, and overwhelming swagger have his hype train ahead of schedule. The former Cornell safety turned Houston Christian defensive end adjusted to the NFL quickly.
Last season, we saw a glimpse of Hunt’s potential as he had several SportsCenter Top Ten-worthy plays. There was his Pick 6 against the ghost of Carson Wentz and the Vikings, his two sacks against Josh Allen and the Bills in Buffalo, his forced fumble against the Chargers, his interception against Chicago where he batted the ball at the line of scrimmage and right into his own hands, and his agile diving interception in front of Deebo Samuel against the Commanders. Homie is a certified baller.
As Eagles legendary defensive end Brandon Graham said via NBC Sports Philadelphia, Hunt is “somebody that caught on real quick…You see his regimen of what he’s learned from the first year, watching other people, Sweaty [Josh Sweat], me, all the guys in front of him. And then you just seen him applying it the way he does it.”
Hunt has the underrated ability to improve year after year. In 2024, he played 24.6% of snaps in the regular season, and logged 1.5 sacks, 21 tackles, and 3 quarterback hits. In the Eagles’ Super Bowl postseason run that same season, Hunt saw his snaps jump to 37.9%, and he logged 1.5 sacks, 10 tackles, and 3 quarterback hits.
After the departure of Josh Sweat following the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, Hunt’s snap percentage jumped to 61.5% in 2025. With increased playing time, Hunt hooped. He logged 6.5 sacks, 52 tackles, 3 interceptions (including the Wentz pick-six), and 2 forced fumbles.
Last year, Hunt became the first Eagle ever to lead the team in interceptions AND sacks in a single season. He was also 8th in the league in quarterback knockdowns and tied with his 2024 draft classmate Laiatu Latu of the Colts for 1st in the league in interceptions by an edge or outside linebacker.
Jalyx’s background as a safety at Cornell before converting to a defensive end at Houston Christian gave him experience both rushing the passer and dropping into coverage, making him a chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
So far in training camp, Hunt has been showing out despite the absence of his newly acquired co-star defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who’s out with a pectoral injury. When asked if Hunt is ready to take the next step, Fangio (a man who doesn’t really compliment anyone) went out of his way to add some fuel to the hype train.
“Yeah, I am looking for that,” Fangio said of Hunt back in a May press conference. “He’s very capable of it….He’s had a nice progression. I see him growing his game in all aspects. I think he can and will rush better. He’ll play the run better. It’s just the natural progression…Yeah, I think he’s just ready to keep getting better and better.”
The Birds are hoping that they can add Jalyx to a list of defensive difference-makers they’ve drafted in the third round in the modern era, including Nakobe Dean (2022), Milton Williams (2021), Jordan Hicks (2015), Bennie Logan (2013), Derrick Burgess (2001), and Jeremiah Trotter (1998). We’ll see if Big Pimpin’ can make a big mark on the league this year.
Untapped Potential of Tank Bigsby
Honey Badger. Sweetness. The Fridge. There’s nothing like a man who plays football like his nickname.
After Week 1 last year, Howie Roseman pulled the trigger on a trade for Jacksonville running back Tank Bigsby. The Eagles initially claimed the move was for Bigsby’s kick return ability (which was weird because that wasn’t Bigsby’s calling card), but once they came to their senses, they handed Bigsby the rock, and he showed what he can do.
Tank entered the league in 2023 as one of the top 10 rushers in Auburn University history. His reward was being drafted by the dysfunctional Jacksonville Jaguars and our old friend (certified ball-knower) then-head coach Doug Pederson. Bigsby entered a crowded Jaguars running back room dripping with potential.
In 2024, he showed what he could do, running for 766 yards and 7 touchdowns at 4.6 yards per carry. His play was on par with backs like J.K. Dobbins and Jordan Mason, who got the chance to start with new teams in 2025.
Bigsby also boasted 168 carries in 2024 to Travis Etienne’s 150 despite starting 1 game. But issues with fumbles, a crowded backfield, and a new regime under Liam Coen forced Jacksonville to trade Bigsby to Philly for 5th and 6th-round picks last year.
Tank didn’t get a touch until Week 7 against Minnesota, taking his first handoff for 11 yards. Despite low usage (thanks to offensive playcalling that resembles a flaming trash can), Bigsby averaged a league-high 5.9 yards per carry (#1 for backs with at least 50 carries). He had 58 touches for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite his absurd efficiency, the Eagles’ struggling running game failed to give Bigsby opportunities.
After his single carry in the Minnesota game, Bigsby had a stellar performance against the New York Giants the next week, taking 9 carries for 104 yards. After that, he only saw 9 attempts over the next 5 games, including a 4-carry, 34-yard game against Detroit.
In the 16 games he was available for the Eagles, Bigsby received over 4 carries in just 5 games. Last season, Barkley had 280 carries to Bigsby’s 58. That’s a stark contrast to the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl run when backups Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley saw 75 and 30 attempts in the regular season, respectively.
Now Tank will never overtake All-World superstar Saquon Barkley. But Barkley’s usage in his two seasons in Midnight Green is through the roof. He has the most touches for a back in the league in the last two years. Unlocking Tank could take some of those touches off Barkley’s plate to keep him fresh throughout the season as Saquon approaches 30.
This year, Philly will look to maximize their rushing attack in Sean Mannion’s offense. The new offense, which utilizes an outside zone running attack, is the perfect fit for a decisive, one-cut, downhill runner like Bigsby. And so far in camp, Tank’s been showing out.
As Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia said at the start of camp, “For the second straight day, I’m going to say it: Tank Bigsby just brings so much juice. It’s fun to watch him play.” Bigsby has been getting involved in the passing game and has shown his ability as a capable pass protector (see this highlight where he bodyslams Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner or this press conference where he promises to protect Jalen Hurts with his life).
Nick Sirianni spoke highly of Bigsby, saying, “That’s Tank Bigsby, he is constantly running to the football, he is constantly doing everything he’s supposed to do.” All signs point to Tank time, and once the Tank gets rolling, he’ll be hard to stop (okay, I’m out of tank puns).