Even the best NFL teams need contributions from little-known players and the Eagles are no exception. These three have been named as the most unappreciated/underrated members on Philadelphia’s roster.
S | Reed Blankenship
Pro Football Focus’ Jonathan Macri identified Blankenship as the Eagles most underrated player with an 87.2 PFF coverage grade, the eighth-best number among 129 qualifying safeties since 2022.
Blankenship came to Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022, appearing in 10 games with four starts as a rookie. He played so well that the team had no problem letting C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who led the league with six interceptions that year, leave for the Lions in 2023.
The Eagles struggled that year, giving up the third-most points (25.2) and second-most passing yards (252.7) per game, but Blankenship arguably had the best season of his young career with 113 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defended.
Read by Reed!
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2024
: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/fYmrdw184S
Playing alongside rookie cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell in 2024, Blankenship pulled down a career-high four interceptions (tied for sixth-most in the league) to help the team hold opponents to a league-low 174.2 yards through the air. His performance led to a one-year, $3.5M contract extension this offseason.
DT | Moro Ojomo
Gennaro Filice, Deputy Editor for NFL.com sees Ojomo, the team’s seventh-round pick in 2023 as a candidate to become the Eagles most underappreciated player in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive tackle may have just 456 NFL snaps under his belt, but he’ll be counted on heavily with the loss of Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams on the defensive line.
According to Felice, Ojomo finished last season with PFF’s second-highest win rate (18.2 percent) among interior defenders with at least 300 pass-rushing snaps, trailing only Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones (18.8 percent).
Ojomo saw 25 snaps and had two tackles, including one for a loss, against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX and should see more success with increased reps next season.
LB | Josh Uche
Can a player be underrated before he plays a game with his new team? Heavy.com’s Owen Crisafulli thinks so, especially on a one-year, $1.9M deal.
Uche operated mainly as a pass-rush specialist after joining New England as a second-round pick in 2020 and had his best year with 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2022.
He’d play in just 22 games over the next two years before being traded to Kansas City where he appeared in only six regular season games. But if the 26-year-old linebacker can regain any of his 2022 form, he’ll be a godsend to a team already down two linebackers.
Nakobe Dean, a third-round pick in 2022 is expected to miss significant time after suffering a torn patellar tendon against the Packers in last year’s playoffs. Jihaad Campbell, the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, had surgery in March to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and is unlikely to see starter’s reps when Philadelphia opens the regular season in September.
Whether Uche proves to be underrated or not, his performance could be critical to the team’s early season success.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!