Jalyx is one of my favorite types of stories in the NFL — a player from a small school that ostensibly didn’t know when he was drafted. I had watched him in college and loved his fit, but was admittedly surprised when the Eagles drafted him with the 94th overall pick.
With the defensive structure Fangio has in place, coupled with his development and the opportunity ahead, there is a path for Jalyx Hunt to become one of the bigger breakout defenders in the NFL this season.
The raw traits have always been obvious since the 2024 NFL Draft, in which the Eagles selected him in the third round. The explosiveness off the edge, the closing speed, the length, the motor, etc, all of those flashes showed up repeatedly throughout his first two seasons in the league. Including his former DB skills as he led the team in interceptions eptions with three in 2025.
But now comes the part where all of his flashes are about to turn into production.
The biggest reason I believe in Hunt’s leap is simple: he is not the focal point of protection schemes, and his talent has escalated to the level it should be.
The arrival of Jonathan Greenard changes how opposing offenses attack the Eagles' D. Greenard is one of the most underrated edge rushers in football among fans and the media, but he will command attention, snap after snap, from the offensive coordinators he faces. As a result, a lot of one-on-one opportunities will exist for Jalyx, and he has the athletic profile to punish them.
The formula that the Philadelphia defense has been built on should set him up perfectly. The Eagles have built their defensive front around a heavy rotation, rather than relying on one player to carry the load each week for 70 snaps. This alignment should help both the younger and older linemen stay healthy, hungry, and explosive.
“Just keep doing what he's doing. 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. He's had a good progression." - Vic Fangio
Hunt’s fresh legs and late-burst in games will be dangerous when he’s playing fast rather than fatigued. Another year of experience will help him hit another gear as well.
When you turn on the tape from last season, what stands out is how often Hunt was close to racking up sacks. The pressures and disruption were there. Quarterbacks felt his presence and were forced to adjust. He affected their timing, collapsed pockets, and forced movement they didn’t anticipate coming. The next step of the progression is finishing.
If Jalyx continues to increase his snap totals year over year while also remaining consistent in bringing pressure, many of those will start bringing opposing quarterbacks to the ground. Hunt could be flirting with a double-digit sack season in 2026.
In addition to his physical gains, there’s reason to believe that the game is slowing down for him mentally. Year three is usually when it does. Young edge rushers often need time learning how to attack NFL tackles with a plan instead of the pure athleticism that has gotten them by for much of their life. Hunt has started to show more counters, more patience, and better hand usage. Once those little nuances and his technique catch up with his explosiveness, the production usually follows. That is where the Eagles are with Jalyx.
It is hard to believe Jalyx led the Eagles in both interceptions and sacks in 2025, and still hasn't come close to reaching his ceiling. And with all that success, Philadelphia doesn't need Hunt to be a superstar; they just need him to consistently win the favorable matchups he will face. If he does that, he likely will become a household name.
With Jonathan Greenard commanding attention on the opposite side and Philadelphia’s interior line of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo continuing to create havoc, the blueprint is there for Hunt to explode in 2026 and establish himself as one of the NFL’s rising defensive stars and one of the next young pass rushers to become a national name.
As always, thank you for reading!
Follow me on X @DavidNeiszPHL
