Eagles defender poised to avoid Bryce Huff's nightmare struggles as breakout star

In the post-Bryce Huff world now for the Philadelphia Eagles, they will be looking for one of their young edge rushers to step up in his place.

The Eagles finalized a trade with the San Francisco 49ers that includes Huff, and Philadelphia will pick up either a 2026 fourth- or fifth-round pick, pending a physical. It ends what was a rough one-and-done year for Huff, who struggled to stay on the field with his wrist injury and others outperforming him.

Now entering the 2025 season, the Eagles have been fortunate to have youthful talent that is ready to be the top player. Nolan Smith Jr. has already proven this after two years of improvement. One other guy, though, is prepared for his time in the spotlight and could be the breakout star of the 2025 season.

Former third-round pick ready to be the next great Eagles edge rusher star

Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine shared a list of the top candidates to be the breakout stars of the summer. Ballentine likes Eagles edge rusher Jalyx Hunt to take that role and run with it.

"The Eagles lost a lot of pass-rush firepower this offseason. Milton Williams was an interior player, but he was a productive pass-rusher. Josh Sweat left in free agency. Bryce Huff struggled, but he's still one less pass-rusher on the roster after Philly traded him to San Francisco.

That leaves a fairly large vacuum for a player like Jalyx Hunt to step into. He played 25 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie with 1.5 sacks, but he played his best football in the postseason with another 1.5 sacks.

Philadelphia has always been adept at building a dominant pass rush. It's hard to believe it wouldn't have been more aggressive if it didn't believe Hunt has big things in store for 2025."

The Eagles selected Hunt in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, as he only made one start of the 16 games he appeared in. He finished with 21 tackles, three quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, one pass deflection, and one tackle for loss.

Hunt shined the brightest when it counted the most in the postseason as he racked up 10 tackles, three quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. He played a key role in the Super Bowl, pressuring Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after getting two tackles, one quarterback hit, and a half sack in the win.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has found a guy in Hunt who is a better fit for the scheme than Huff was. Hunt looked the part as he has great athleticism off the edge that can make him a dangerous player on defense. He has previously told the media that he is focused on the technicality of the position to set himself apart from the rest and match the great pass rushers in the league.

Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche are Hunt's most significant competitors at the position. Based on Hunt's experience in Fangio's defense, he will have the edge and the best chance to explode in 2025 as a potential star in the NFL.