Eagles rookie Antwaun Powell-Ryland does not have vine-like arms or track-star speed. What he does bring is non-negotiable. Production, persistence, and pain for quarterbacks. His college numbers don’t whisper, they shout.
Twenty-five and a half sacks. Thirty-four tackles for loss. Six forced fumbles. Two unforgettable seasons at Virginia Tech.
But rewind the tape. Before the accolades. Before the 16-sack season. Before hearing his name called with the 209th pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Antwaun was a quiet, talented figure buried on Florida’s depth chart, waiting for his shot.
The Reset
Originally a four-star recruit from Indian River High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, Powell-Ryland signed with the Gators and spent three years in Gainesville. Despite showing flashes, 4.5 sacks in spot duty and five starts in 2022, his game was caged.
That changed when he decided to bet on himself and return home.
Hokie
From the moment Antwaun Powell-Ryland stepped onto the practice fields in Blacksburg, something clicked. Coaches saw more than just a pass rusher. They saw a leader, a technician, and a relentless motor that refused to quit.
Head coach Brent Pry stated “The thing I love about APR is his fierce, competitive spirit. He never backs down. He’s a technician with his hands. His instincts? Unteachable. He lives in the backfield.”
In 2023, Powell-Ryland erupted for 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles , but that was just the warm-up. He returned in 2024 with unfinished business and rewrote the script entirely.
Forty-three tackles. Nineteen tackles for loss. Sixteen sacks ! Which was the third-most in the nation. Two separate four-sack games. First-Team All-ACC. Dudley Award winner. All-American honors.
He became the first Hokie since 2005 to post double-digit sacks in a season. And by the end, he wasn’t just producing, he was flat-out dominating.
Draft Day
Still, when draft day rolled around, the questions wouldn’t go away. Arm length. Speed. Position fit. Would he win at the next level against NFL-caliber tackles? Would his size and measurements cap his ceiling? Teams hesitated.
The Eagles didn’t.
With their final pick in a defense-heavy draft, Philadelphia took their shot on the relentless edge rusher from Virginia Tech.
For a defense that just lost Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham, they found a high-motor, no-nonsense player with starter traits and special-teams value.
I caught up with his former VA Tech coach, Brent Pry, who shared his thoughts on APR in Philly.
https://twitter.com/PHLEagleNews/status/1919738922701140272
The Fit
In Philly, APR joins a room in flux. There’s opportunity, and Powell-Ryland knows exactly what to do with it.
He’s not a freak athlete, but a 4.69 40, a 36.5-inch vertical, and a 124-inch broad jump at the Combine. The real separator? He’s refined.
APR comes armed with a deep bag of pass-rush moves. Double-hand swipes, rip-and-dips, cross-chops and each set up with patience and deception. His rush plans are layered. His hands are violent. His eyes are disciplined. He knows when to strike and when to counter.
In other words: production meets polish. And in Philadelphia, that’s a dangerous combination.
The Future
APRs’ story is still being written. There’s no grand promise of making a team after being selected in the sixth round. But Antwaun doesn’t need one. He’s been counted out before. It never stopped him.
He has the motor to be a third-down pass-rushing force. He has the IQ and leverage to make the most of every snap. And in a city that loves blue-collar toughness, he’s the type of player Eagles fans will embrace quickly.
As always, thank you for reading!
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Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire
