Inside Eagles Snap Counts: Reed Blankenship Becoming An Iron Man At Safety

Philadelphia Eagles veteran Brandon Graham had another terrific game, but can the defensive lineman hold up as his snap counts rise?

Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Here’s an analysis of the Eagles’ snap counts following their 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 3.

DEFENSE

Brandon Graham. The veteran played a terrific game and earned 35 snaps. He was pivotal on the fourth-and-one snap inside the red zone after the Saints blocked a punt and set up at Philly’s 27. He also pressured Derek Carr on the Saints QB’s game-sealing interception thrown to Reed Blankenship.

The question is can Graham hold up to his increased snap count? His reps on Sunday were a season-high and the most since the New Year’s Eve game against the Cardinals. They were also the third-most he has gotten since the start of last season. He played 42 snaps on Dec. 10 last year vs. the Cowboys.

Jordan Davis. The defensive tackle played 29 snaps in Week 2 and got another 29 in Week 3. The difference was that he was much better with this week’s 29 than last week’s 29, collecting four tackles to double his season’s output in that category. His early sack of Carr helped set the tone for the defense and was his first since he had a half-sack on Oct. 10 last year vs. the Dolphins.

Aug 1, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) runs drills during a training camp practice at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Reed Blankenship. Once again, the undrafted safety played 100 percent of the snaps (56). He is the only Eagles player to play every single snap this season. His second interception of the season sealed the win, and it was his sixth career pick.

Bryce Huff. His snap count shrank significantly, going from 32 in Week 2 to just 18 on Sunday. The Eagles are going to need him to play better, otherwise defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will keep decreasing his playing time.

Jalyx Hunt. The rookie third-round pick is still waiting for his first defensive rep and the Eagles’ edge rushers - Huff, Josh Sweat, Graham, and Nolan Smith, are still waiting on their first sack. Hunt got nine special teams reps.

OFFENSE

Jahan Dotson and Parris Campbell. The Eagles could very well add Campbell to the 53-man roster and put Britain Covey on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered after just seven snaps in New Orleans. Covey is expected to miss at least six weeks and Campbell, who played 36 snaps (50 percent) has already been elevated from the practice squad twice.

He has only one elevation remaining. He had two catches for 13 yards. Dotson had 63 (88 percent), which was one more than tight end Dallas Goedert. He had two catches for eight yards.

Their roles could increase without Covey and with DeVonta Smith in concussion protocol.

Tyler Steen and Fred Johnson. The two backup linemen played 58 and 54 snaps, respectively, out of 72 the offense got. How good were they? You didn’t notice them much at all. That’s a good thing.

Reed Blankenship. Yes, he’s listed twice, because the safety got three offensive snaps in the Eagles’ victory formation at the end of the game. As if he didn't do enough already, he also had two special team snaps.

More NFL: Eagles Jalen Hurts Stays Poised Despite Turnovers: "You Can See It On His Face"