Eagles' LB Coach D.J. Eliot Understands His Job Description

New Philadelphia Eagles linebacker coach D.J. Eliot is surrounded by uncertainty, and player development will be key.

PHILADELPHIA - Players don't arrive into the NFL as finished products and one disconnect for many fans is the assumption the work is done in the draft when the card is handed in.

In reality, the heavy lifting has just begun and it’s up to the organization to maximize any prospect in an environment where dozens of stimuli -- both on and off the field -- could affect the outcome both positively and negatively.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, no position has greater uncertainty entering the 2023 season than off-ball linebacker where 2022 third-round pick Nakobe Dean and low-profile free agent pickup Nicholas Morrow are the presumptive starters heading into the summer.

That duo will be replacing T.J. Edwards, who received a big-money deal in free agency from Chicago after overcoming his own undrafted pedigree, and Kyzir White, who reunited with Johnathan Gannon and Nick Rallis in Arizona.

Rallis was the position coach over the past two years in Philadelphia and was replaced by D.J. Eliot, 46, who has spent the past two decades coaching in college, most recently at Temple University as defensive coordinator.

“One day I went down Broad Street, I went right. The next day I went down Broad Street and went left,” Eliot smiled when discussing his move from North Philadelphia to South Philly.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has praised coach Nick Sirianni for his hiring process when it comes to assistant coaches. With Eliot, you get the feeling that a keen understanding of what the role entails is what won the Eagles' head coach over.

The only somewhat proven commodity Eliot has been handed is Morrow and his experience is with the Chicago Bears. Dean, meanwhile, has tremendous upside and was a great player in college at Georgia but the optimism is all projection.

Meanwhile, the reserves: Christian Elliss, Shaun Bradley, Davion Taylor, Kyron Johnson, and undrafted rookie Ben VanSumeren, are all untested at this level.

“Player development is critical,” Eliot said. "... That’s what the role of a coach is, so you have to make sure with every skill that player has that you’re developing a drill that fits that skill then you’re finding the time to work those drills.”

Eliot actually coached Taylor at Colorado and Johnson at Kansas so he’s got a beat on at least a couple of players he hopes to take to another level.

“When you become a football coach, obviously, you love football,” Eliot said. “It’s the main part of what you do all day long. So, you study the game and what you’re looking for is every little type of technique or skill development that may make that player better.”

The top talents like Dean offer a larger margin for error than the lesser ones but there are premium-pick “busts” all the time in the league, an ever-present reminder that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

“How are you coaching it and how are you drilling and when are you drilling it? That’s the plan,” Eliot said. “That’s what player development is. All the things that make a great linebacker are the things that we’re emphasizing this offseason.”

And just as Eliot will evaluate the development of Dean and Co., Sirianni will do the same with his new assistant.

In a production-based business, Eliot understands the bar he has to clear and the challenge has been accepted.

“The role of a coach is to take a player somewhere they can’t go on his own,” Eliot said.

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen