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This offseason has been filled with changes to the Philadelphia Eagles' defense, with players departing and younger talent taking over the reins.
The Eagles traded away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson while losing multiple other key pieces to free agency. Players like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and Oren Burks took their talents elsewhere.
Philadelphia used its first five picks of the 2025 NFL Draft to select defensive players who can either start or be in the rotation in year one. The Eagles' first-round pick, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, was a steal and expected to make an impact in year one. One other player selected after Campbell could make a similar impact.
Who outside the first round can the Eagles lean on to make an impact in 2025?
ESPN draft analyst Field Yates looked at all the draft picks outside the first round to see which ones would impact offense and defense most. Philadelphia's second-round pick, Texas safety Andrew Mukuba, was ranked ninth among rookie defenders, as Yates saw that Mukuba could find the field with Gardner-Johnson no longer there.
"The Eagles' remodel of their secondary continued into the draft, as they used the final pick of the second round on the instinctive, pro-ready Mukuba. I love his football IQ, and while Mukuba has a smaller frame for a safety (he was only 186 pounds at the combine), he packs a lot of power as a physical tackler. His versatility to play in the slot a little bit should only increase early playing time."
Mukuba showed off his play-making abilities as he was tied fourth in the nation with five interceptions last season. He was named as a third-team All-SEC selection with the Longhorns as he added 69 tackles, seven pass breakups, four tackles for loss, and one forced fumble in 15 games.
At safety, the Eagles will at least have Reed Blankenship hold his spot in the starting lineup and look to take a bigger leadership role with the unit. Mukuba will compete with Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum for the other starting spot held by Gardner-Johnson last year.
Brown is expected to be the front-runner for the job as he has more experience in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system. Mukuba could develop and find more playing time throughout the season, as there are high hopes he will be a starter on defense.
The second safety position will be the most talked-about position battle in training camp, as Eagles fans will be eager to see if Mukuba can become the guy the team hopes he will be in 2025.
More must-reads:
- Cowboys' Jerry Jones provides ominous injury update on CeeDee Lamb
- Patriots have Drake Maye concern after comments by Steelers LB T.J. Watt
- The 'Multiple 30-TD pass NFL seasons' quiz
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Steelers' Once Promising Third-Year Defender Could Be Relegated On The Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the 2025 NFL season with a 2-1 record, however there are some things that need to be figured out. The defense is shaky at best despite forcing five turnovers in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots in Week 3. The group still struggles to get off of the field on possession downs, and stopping the run has been an issue throughout the first three weeks of the season. A lot of that starts with the front seven and the interior defensive line. Pittsburgh has been banged up in that area, but some healthy contributors returning could shake up the lineup. Pittsburgh was able to see the regular season debut of Derrick Harmon on Sunday. The organization selected Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he suffered a sprained MCL in the preseason finale which kept him on the sidelines throughout the first two weeks of the regular season. He made an impact while serving in a limited role on Sunday against New England as he recorded a sack and two total tackles, and he is expected to help the run defense in the near future. Team insider Mark Kaboly spoke about the interior defensive line after the game on Sunday on the most recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, and he believes there will be two rookies starting in that area very soon. "They made some moves there, and it was able to help them out," Kaboly said. "That's a definite difference in what they were able to do. And I think it's just a matter of time until Yahya Black, Derrick Harmon and Cam Heyward's your one, two and three across the front. It's just a matter of time." Currently, Cam Heyward and Yahya Black are the starting defensive tackles for Pittsburgh while Keeanu Benton has been the starting nose tackle. That is the part of the lineup that will be shuffled, as Benton will likely switch to being a rotational piece, while Harmon enters the starting lineup. He will likely takeover the duties at defensive tackle, while Black shuffles to nose tackle. Benton was expected to take a leap forward going into his second season in 2024, but that didn't necessarily happen. He has made some big plays for Pittsburgh, but he has not been the consistent force that the organization had hoped he would be to this point. There was hope he would improve once again during the 2025 season, but if anything, the third-year pro has shown some regression since his rookie season. Moving to a rotational role where he can fill in at both defensive tackle and nose tackle might be best for Benton at this point. He doesn't necessarily have the size to be a true nose tackle in the NFL, so the coaching staff in Pittsburgh has seemingly been setting him up for failure a little bit in that regard. He would likely play better at defensive tackle, which is something the coaching staff could find out if the starting defensive line gets shuffled. Steelers Need To See Keeanu Benton Step Up No matter what role he is serving, Benton needs to play better moving forward. The interior defensive line is a key part of stopping the run, and Pittsburgh has struggled to do that. It is going to be hard to win meaningful games if that problem persists, especially against the better teams in the NFL that show up on the schedule later in the year. Benton needs to show some signs of progression, whether that be as a starter, or as someone who rotates in with the starting lineup throughout a game. Benton can still have a future in Pittsburgh, but he is going to need to improve in 2025 while setting himself up for success in 2026.
Green Bay Packers, Micah Parsons see another Dallas Cowboys offensive starter ruled out for Week 4
The Green Bay Packers are coming off of a frustrating and humiliating loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Going into the game, many expected Green Bay to win easily, but they fell 13-10 in what was one of the worst games in Matt LaFleur‘s tenure as head coach. It was, by far, the offense’s worst game of the season, and the special teams was its usual disappointing self. The Packers defense, though, performed admirably once again, allowing 13 points on short fields. Rashan Gary had two sacks, giving him an NFL-leading 4.5 on the season. Micah Parsons, as has been his norm since arriving in Green Bay, was a wrecking ball, drawing double-teams and penalties while still generating pressure on the quarterback. And as the Packers look to get back to their winning ways, they look ahead to Week Four and a Sunday night showdown with Parsons’ former team, the Dallas Cowboys, who will be without multiple key offensive players. Micah Parsons the Green Bay Packers defense will face a depleted Dallas Cowboys offensive line It is yet to be seen what the Packers offensive line will look like when they play Dallas this upcoming Sunday night. Zach Tom only played one snap against Cleveland before leaving with his oblique injury and Aaron Banks left later in the game with a groin issue. Unfortunately, Green Bay’s depth on the offensive line was not good enough to overcome the formidable Browns defensive front, who made life miserable for Jordan Love all game long. But this Sunday, the Packers will not be the only team taking the field in Dallas with injuries on the offensive line. The Cowboys, too, will be without two of their own starters after rookie Tyler Booker was revealed to have suffered a high ankle sprain: Booker suffered a high ankle sprain to Dallas’ blowout loss to the Chicago Bears. While he finished the game, he is going to be out for the next 4-6 weeks. Additionally, the Packers will not have to worry about All-Pro Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who will also be out for multiple weeks with an ankle sprain. Much has been said lately of Parsons returning to Dallas for the first time since the trade. And, given how beleaguered the Cowboys offensive line is, he could be in for a big game.
Rangers forward in a fight for his future amid new competition
The New York Rangers are preparing to start a transitional season, following the arrival of new head coach Mike Sullivan and some important adjustments to the squad. Among the players facing a decisive season is Brennan Othmann, a left winger who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. Othmann, 22, is entering his third and final year of his contract with the Rangers, but his expiring deal is not the only reason why he will have to prove himself this season. The Canadian has had difficulties meeting the high expectations around him and although he may no longer have time to establish himself as a top-six forward, this is the best time to establish himself in a lower role. Othmann's clock is ticking as competition for roster spot grows Last season, he only recorded two assists in 22 games with the Rangers, but tallied 12 goals and eight assists in 27 games with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. In any case, now Othmann is facing heavier competition within the squad. Both Gabe Perreault and Carey Terrance have left good impressions during preseason camps, and with both having multiple years left on their contracts, the possibility that Othmann's days on the team are numbered increases. That said, the New York team needs depth, especially in the bottom-six, and Othmann must react and respond. He has the necessary grit and physicality, and if he manages to establish himself there, he could become a solid player within the bottom lineups.
Chiefs' Andy Reid addresses latest sideline incident involving Travis Kelce
A familiar scene played out at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night when Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a heated sideline exchange with head coach Andy Reid in the second quarter of the club's 22-9 win over the New York Giants that improved the Chiefs to 1-2 on the season. Following the victory, Reid suggested his relationship with Kelce is just fine. Andy Reid downplays latest Travis Kelce incident "Don’t make too much of it," Reid said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s a passionate guy, and I love that part. I’ve been through a lot of things with him, so that’s all part of it. I love that he loves to play the game. That’s what I love. It’s an emotional game, so I’ll take it." Kelce went viral during the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII win in February 2024 when he angrily confronted and bumped Reid after the future Hall of Famer was not on the field for a red-zone play that resulted in a Kansas City turnover. Kelce later revealed that he and Reid "kind of chuckled about" that particular moment, and the 35-year-old then vowed last September that he would avoid such in-game outbursts. Kelce had a rather unspectacular performance against the Giants, as he recorded four receptions for just 26 yards. Andy Reid OK with Travis Kelce's passion "I love Travis' passion, so I’m OK with that," Reid added. "We didn’t have enough of it in the second quarter. We weren’t where we needed to be. He knows when to back off the pedal, and he knows when to push it too. That’s part of what I love about him. The guy’s all-in. Just sometimes, I have to be the policeman. He was all-in. He was all-in. Listen, he’s an emotional guy." Kelce may be in the early stages of his final season as an active player after he and entertainment superstar Taylor Swift announced their engagement in August. Thus far, he has tallied 10 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown for the ongoing campaign. Perhaps Sunday night's events will prove to be a positive for a Chiefs team that looked more like pretenders than contenders over the bulk of the season's first three weeks. Kansas City next hosts the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 28. 1-1 Baltimore welcomes the 1-1 Detroit Lions to M T Bank Stadium for a prime-time showdown on Monday night.
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