Will these Eagles underdogs earn a bigger role in 2022?

The 2022 season will be a very pivotal one for the Eagles, but it may be even more so for two players in particular. Eagles fans had high expectations for the pair of 2020 NFL Draft picks. One of them is former Clemson Safety, K’Von Wallace, and the other is former Temple Linebacker, Shaun Bradley.

Both players have found their way to being key special teams leaders during the 2021 season but we’ve barely seen them on the field for the defense over the last two seasons. Now with a year under the new coaching staff, the clock could be ticking against them to make something happen going forward, or is it?

Special teams aces

History tells us that the Eagles have a high standard for their special teams unit and all roads to key defensive roles run through the unit. Bradley for example played only 6% of the defensive snaps this season but saw an increase in usage on special teams as he played 71% of the snaps. Wallace, on the other hand, played 22% of the snaps on defense and 56% of the snaps on special teams, but he did suffer an injury that limited his season.

The road begins for these Eagles underdogs

The Eagles are lacking depth at both Safety and Linebacker. While Edwards had a stellar season, Singleton was heavily criticized for his missed tackles and lack of ability to cover. Davion Taylor made his way onto the field but that was short-lived due to injury. Bradley should be the next man up but hasn’t received the commitment that the other three have in playing time. 

Many remember how effective Shaun Bradley was during his goal-line stand against the Steelers during his rookie season. He helped the defense stop several run plays as he flexed in victory after each attempt. 

As for Wallace, it seems that the main player in his way could be Marcus Epps. While Epps did improve a bit this season, it wasn’t enough for him to hold down that third safety spot over Wallace. Sure, the injury may have set Wallace back but the opportunity is there for the taking. 

These players are entering a crucial period in the third season where more responsibility could be given while expectations increase. We’ve seen the Eagles have different leaders at both the safety and linebacker position over the last three seasons, could we see another change with Wallace and Bradley leading the charge this upcoming season? 

Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire