OTAs are over but Eagles' defense still raises one concerning question

Two weeks of OTAs are over for the Philadelphia Eagles, as fans get their first glimpse into what the new defensive unit will look like.

The Eagles lost key members to the defense, with linemen like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, and Bryce Huff having departed. Their secondary saw the most change, with Darius Slay, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Avonte Maddox also departing.

Philadelphia enters 2025 as a year of transition on defense, largely a result of the younger starting lineup. It will be interesting to see how well they can play with the young players. A bigger question is being asked about the defensive unit, though.

Eagles still have a big question on the defense's performance in 2025

Bleacher Report writer Matt Holder shared the biggest question for each NFL team after OTAs. Holder's question for the Eagles was how much the defense will regress with the laundry list of players who have departed.

"While general manager Howie Roseman has done a decent job of restocking the cupboard, it does lead to questions about how the unit will perform this fall, especially when it comes to the defensive backfield.

"[Safety] is a concern for the Eagles, who have a few questions at the position heading into the summer," CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr noted from his observations during OTAs in Philadelphia on May 29.

'[Reed] Blankenship has one of the two starting spots, but who will start opposite him? Do the Eagles trust [Andrew] Mukuba enough as a Week 1 rookie starter? Will [Sydney] Brown be consistent enough to earn a starting job?'"

This was a defensive unit that ranked number one in total defense (allowing 278.4 yards per game), number one in pass defense (allowing 174.2 yards per game), and second in scoring defense (allowing 17.8 points per game).

A big part of that was the emergence of young players like Nolan Smith Jr., Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. Their breakthrough performances inspired Roseman and the organization to start getting younger in the lineup and save money on veteran spending.

The draft has been the Eagles' biggest strength over the last three years, with a staggering nine projected starters on defense being selected by Philadelphia since 2022. Philadelphia's only exceptions are Zack Baun, a free agent signing last offseason, and Reed Blankenship, an undrafted rookie from 2022.

The work in the scouting department has paid off, as the team has been able to develop these players into starters. There's going to be bumps and bruises with the defense since they are young and need more experience.

This is all part of the process in Philadelphia, so fans have to trust in Roseman, head coach Nick Sirianni, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to work their magic.