Eagles draft small-school sleeper Jalyx Hunt after multiple day 2 trades

It was an event filled second night of the NFL Draft for the Philadelphia Eagles. After landing Cooper DeJean in the second round, the Eagles kept on their mission to recoup draft assets, trading back once more and ultimately selecting DE Jalyx Hunt in the 4th round.

Here’s everything you need to know.

The trades

Eagles trade: Pick 78
Texans trade: Picks 86 & 123

Eagles trade: Pick 86
49ers trade: picks 94 & 132

A pair of trades saw the Eagles grab some extra day-3 draft picks at next to no cost. Not only did they move back a few spots and land one of the most impressive prospects in the draft, Cooper DeJean, but they hit copy and paste a couple of hours later, adding another fourth-round selection in the process.

Eagles remaining draft picks

Round 4: 120, 123, 132
Round 5: 152, 161, 171, 172
Round 6: 210

Who is Jalyx Hunt?

Hunt is the very definition of a small-school sleeper. He played his collegiate ball at Houston Christian after starting out as a Safety at Cornell, later transitioning down to the EDGE spot.

It should come as no surprise that he’s a freak athlete, with Hunt posting a RAS score of 9.37 out of 10 and tearing up the agility drills. He was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, combining for 41 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

With the athletic intangibles and experience to play both as a pass-rusher and an off-ball linebacker, Hunt will be able to impact the game from a variety of positions.

The concern is simply one of talent level. After ripping up the turf at Houston Christian, it was clear he was destined for the NFL, but will his traits translate to the next level? Only time will tell. But for a late fourth-round pick, it’s hard to really disagree with the idea of taking a shot on arguably one of the most explosive athletes in the entire draft knowing that he won’t be asked to play a key role right away.

AP Photo/Matt Slocum