Eagles Praise Rookie S Sydney Brown: 'He Gives 110 Percent Every Day'

Philadelphia Eagles rookie safety Sydney Brown has drawn some high praise from teammates and coaches throughout OTAs

A little over a month ago, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Illinois safety Sydney Brown in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, he's making a strong first impression as the team is in the thick of OTAs.

Brown is currently taking second-team reps, while Reed Blankenship and Terrell Edmunds on the first team. If he keeps impressing his teammates though, that could change soon. Edmunds in particular sung Brown's praises after Thursday's OTA session.

"He's a hard worker. He doesn't say too much. He's always smiling, but you just know that he wants it," Edmunds said. "He just goes out there and gives 110%. He's willing to learn. He just loves football. You can tell.

"He gives 110 percent every day. He's going to be a guy that's going to be in this league for a while."

While the Eagles are set at cornerback with Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the safety position is less of a sure thing. Both Marcus Epps and C.J. Gardner-Johnson departed in free agency, so the Eagles will be looking for two new starting safeties.

Even with Blankenship and Edmonds taking first-team reps, Brown and others will likely play a big role as well.

Brown hasn't just impressed his teammates this offseason, but his coaches as well. Secondary coach D.K. McDonald also spoke highly of the rookie safety, both on and off the field.

"He loves the game of football," McDonald said. "He does and he works hard at it. He prepares. He asks tons of questions. And that's on top of the skill that he has. His mindset. His growth mindset that he has of wanting to get better.

"He's never pleased with where he's at and those types of things draw you to guys. You know those guys that have that type of mindset, they're always going to work hard and try to improve. And that's what he does everyday." 

Hailing from London, Ontario, Brown was a college standout for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He finished his five-year collegiate career with 319 tackles, 26 passes defended and 10 interceptions. In 2022, he was a leader for an Illini defense that allowed the fewest points and second-fewest yards per game in the country.

With his impressive college career and strong first impression in Philadelphia, it may not be long until Brown makes an impact at the NFL level. 

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