Opportunity Exists For Eagles Third-Round Pick If He Can Develop Quickly

Eagles have drafted well in the third-round of previous drafts, did they get it right this time?

Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Christian defensive lineman Jalyx Hunt (DL34) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA – Make one mistake early in the draft and it’s remembered forever. Go back four years to the third round of the 2021 draft when the Eagles took a chance on a raw linebacker named Davion Taylor.

Taylor made seven starts in two years then washed out. He hasn’t played a down since 2021.

The Eagles, though, have done well in the third round, bringing in safety Sydney Brown and offensive lineman Tyler Steen last year and defensive tackle Milton Williams in 2021. The jury is still out on linebacker Nakobe Dean, the team’s third-rounder in 2022.

Gong back even further, it’s a round that delivered Rasul Douglas, Isaac Seumalo, and Jordan Hicks. Abd because mistakes are always remembered in the first three rounds, who could forget Josh Huff back in 2014?

That brings us to Jalyx Hunt, a twitchy 6-3, 252-pound, 23-year-old.

He’s not raw like Taylor, whose religious beliefs did not allow him to play high school football on Friday nights and saw his college career begin at a community college. It wasn’t until he was 18 that his mother allowed him to play football, so he transferred to Colorado.

Hunt, though, wasn’t raised in a college football factory. He went to Cornell then Houston Christian. One of the biggest adjustments he talked about after the Eagles made him the 94th overall selection at the end of April was how everything is given to you.

“The most unique thing about me and a lot of small school guys is just the resources,” he said. “Being able to get things and have access to things that you weren’t able to have access to unless you went out and did them on your own, for one, it saves me a lot of hassle.

“Everything is right under this roof, and if I have any questions, I can go ask somebody. The guessing is taken out of it as well. Before this, I had just been doing things that I’ve seen pros do, or what a pro would do. Now I can just ask the question.”

In two years at Houston Christian, after moving from safety to edge/outside linebacker when he hit a growth spurt, Hunt made 133 tackles, 20.5 for loss, 13.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

That kind of versatility is what defensive coordinator Vic Fangio loves – a player who can drop into coverage and rush the passer, too.

If he can post those numbers in the NFL, he will of have been an excellent third-round choice. It won’t happen overnight, though.

Hunt has already admitted to having to raise the bar with his repertoire and technique when it comes to his pass-rush moves. He understands he is being viewed as a project, and he’s cool with it.

“I think the biggest transition is just being able to play consistently at this high level,” he said.

The opportunity to develop quickly should be available on an Eagles roster that looks like it needs more depth at rushing the passer.

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