Josh Uche continues defying Eagles fans' expectations with stellar PFF grades

The Eagles have gotten a pretty good ROI on a veteran pass rusher this season, but it might not be the one that they were expecting. After signing both Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche, the Eagles have seen Uche turn into one of the NFL's better edge rushers, while Ojulari has yet to appear in a game.

Uche has performed significantly better since joining the Eagles this March. Pro Football Focus has graded Uche with an 88.6 pass rush grade, a "win" % of 25%, while contributing five pressures against opposing quarterbacks. Going into Week 4, Uche is currently ranked eighth in the NFL among qualified edge rushers, rivaling stars like Trey Hendrickson and Will Anderson Jr.

Uche has fit in well with the other Eagles edge rushers in 2025

The Eagles needed an edge defender to step up with the departures of Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and Bryce Huff. The team took a chance with draft pick Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Ojulari; however, both of those options haven't panned out with "APR" cut during final cuts, along with Ojulari being a healthy scratch the first three weeks.

Uche should see an increased workload as the season moves forward, with Nolan Smith Jr. now on injured reserve and Nakobe Dean a week away from potentially playing. The Eagles will continue to supplement the pass rush with rookie Jihaad Campbell, veteran Za'Darius Smith, 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt, and the possibility of Ojulari making his debut in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Uche set the tone for the 2025 campaign with a strong Week 1 (92.7 PFF pass-rushing grade). He's been mainly used on "passing downs" over the past three weeks. It's unclear if his role will change with the recent injury to Smith.

The Eagles are slated to take on the Buccaneers, who are riding the hot hand of Baker Mayfield. While the Eagles are dealing with the injuries above, the addition of Smith and the emergence of Uche give Philadelphia a decent advantage in containing Mayfield's offense this Sunday.