Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman essentially replaced pass rusher Haason Reddick with a younger and (slightly) cheaper option in Bryce Huff this past offseason.
Come 2025, Roseman could be looking to right a previous wrong, either in free agency or the NFL Draft.
It’s not that moving on from a testy situation with Reddick was the wrong decision. It’s that the team’s projections for Huff, both in terms of role and contract, were widely off-base in terms of his production and usage. Huff’s earning over $1 million per game this season. He’s yet to play more than 33 defensive snaps in a game, and he’s produced just four solo tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first seven games as an Eagle.
With Huff struggling, and veteran Brandon Graham nearing retirement, Trevor Sikkema of PFF went EDGE defender for the Eagles in his latest 2025 NFL mock draft. Sikkema linked Philly to Ohio State star Jack Sawyer at pick No. 24 overall.
Here was his writeup on the selection:
As is becoming tradition, the Eagles are a pretty complete team. They could have their eye on another edge rusher, and Sawyer is different from that of Nolan Smith. The Ohio State pass rusher is more of a true hand-in-the-dirt player who brings a high floor in run defense and pass rushing.
Sawyer projects as the type of player the Eagles envisioned Huff being for them, a complete EDGE defender who can both rush the passer and defend the run. He would also give defensive coordinator Vic Fangio some lineup flexibility, as Sawyer has played both defensive end and linebacker during his Buckeyes career.
One cause for concern? Sawyer’s production this season has come into question. He’s only generated 2.5 sacks in seven games, and most of those games were Ohio State blowouts featuring a ton of obvious passing situations. His pressure grades from PFF are solid (79.1), but there’s some question about whether he’s truly a first-round talent.
The Eagles haven’t drafted a defensive end in the first round since 2017, when they took Derek Barnett No. 14 overall. Given their need at the position, it’s reasonable to project them going EDGE in 2025 if players like Sawyer are available late in the first round.
