Philadelphia Eagles snagged a huge steal in the NFL Draft who's putting in work at rookie minicamp and has history with Quinyon Mitchell

The Philadelphia Eagles now firmly have the target on their back following their dominant 40-22 Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs this past season. General manager Howie Roseman has done a tremendous job building up the Eagles over the last several years, and that continued this offseason. They managed to put together another outstanding 2025 NFL Draft haul, especially on the defensive side of the football.

It is easy to get excited about players like linebacker Jihaad Campbell (Alabama) and safety Andrew Mukuba (Texas), but that isn't where the positivity stops. Of the ten draft picks the Eagles made this past April, six of them went to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his talented unit. The talent didn't stop flowing during that three-game stretch either. 

In the undrafted free agency crop, the Eagles managed again to attract a lot more overall talent. One of the more underrated pickups was former Toledo safety Maxen Hook, who many believed was a draftable football player. A very experienced safety, Hook was outstanding during his career with the Rockets. He ended his time there with 356 total tackles, seven interceptions, 15 pass breakups, eight tackles for loss, and two sacks.

At 6-0.5 and 202 pounds, Hook brings a really high floor as a football player. He is especially good in the run game, playing with violence and physicality. Hook was asked to do most of his work in the box for Toledo, but also has experience playing from depth as well. There is some solid upside for Hook as a short zone defender, and in man coverage against bigger slot receivers. If nothing else, Hook could earn a roster spot just based on his special teams impact. 

There is also a huge need for depth at the safety position right now. The Eagles shipped Chauncey Gardner-Johnson off to the Houston Texans this offseason, and Sydney Brown has been mostly a disappointment since being drafted a couple of years ago. Reed Blankenship will be a dependable starter on the back end, but there isn't a clear answer next to him.

While it is unlikely Hook earns substantial playing time as a safety in 2025, there is developmental hope for the future. The Philadelphia secondary is one of the more talented in the NFL with young stars Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean making a ton of plays last year as rookies. The last time Mitchell and Hook were both in the same secondary, they were a pretty dynamic duo for Toledo in 2023. 

Hook has received positive early remarks, and has a very strong chance for making the Eagles roster in 2025. He will be a role player early if he does, but there should be some excitement for what he can become in the future.