Jordan Mailata wasn’t shy about praising defender after one training camp practice

One day of training camp is in the books, and Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata is already singing his praises for one of the Eagles’ young defenders.

Mailata met with the media after the first day of training camp, discussing the play of edge rusher Jalyx Hunt. He gave credit to the second-year defender for his performance on the field and compared him to an elite pass rusher in the same division.

"Oh man, he’s going to be special, man… His burst. He has tendencies like Micah [Parsons], just to be able to cut on a dime like that… How did I go from Josh Sweat to Jalyx? It's crazy! I'm like, 'Howie, give me a break for one year, Jesus!' Jalyx is going to be a star.”

Hunt is going to end 2025 exactly like how many fans believe he will

This offseason, Hunt has been a popular name for breakout star of 2025 for the Eagles, especially after the team traded Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers. Hunt had a solid rookie season with 1.5 sacks in the regular season and then again in the postseason as a backup.

Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham are also gone, which leaves the edge rusher jobs to Nolan Smith Jr. and Hunt. Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche could also be in the running to start but based on Smith and Hunt’s experience in Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense, they should be the favorites.

Smith already looks like a potential star after finishing second on the Eagles last year in sacks with 6.5. Hunt will be the one focal point in the development stages of training camp.

Of all the Eagles on the roster, there might not be a more important player on the roster than Hunt. While defenders like Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean are big name players, Hunt is necessary to the Eagles’ success in 2025.

The Eagles will be leaning on young players on defense to develop into starters. Hunt is one of them, and one that must adapt quickly. Otherwise, the Eagles could be in trouble on defense.