5 breakout stars to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021
4. Eric Wilson, LB
As injuries to Anthony Barr early and Eric Kendricks later thinned the Vikings’ linebacking corps last season, Wilson stepped into a big role (96 percent of the defensive snaps). He finished with a team-high 122 total tackles, with three sacks, three interceptions, eight tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and eight pass breakups. With the Vikings ultimately unable to retain him, the Eagles swooped in and signed him.
A black mark for Wilson in 2020 was 17 missed tackles, which helped deplete the grade Pro Football Focus gave him as a run defender. But he was a top-end coverage linebacker based on his PFF grade, and that’s something the Eagles can use. PFF graded him out well overall in 2019.
New #Eagles LB Eric Wilson had 122 tackles (60 assisted - 3rd most in league), he was PFF’s 27th highest graded LB in coverage (65.5) but was 85th/99 against run (38.3). Eagles desperately needed a LB who can cover, they got one in Wilson pic.twitter.com/jLzvJX0Yql
— Chris Infante (@Infante54) April 7, 2021
Heading into December, #Vikings players who rank in the top 10 at their position in @PFF grade are:
— PFF MIN Vikings (@PFF_Vikings) November 29, 2019
Kirk Cousins 4th
Dalvin Cook 7th
Anthony Harris 6th
Harrison Smith 9th
Jayron Kearse 1st
Eric Kendricks 2nd
Eric Wilson 10th
Danielle Hunter 9th
Britton Colquitt 4th#SKOL pic.twitter.com/mShfGv8sPc
Wilson will have an opportunity in front of him again in 2021, this time without injuries around him to push him into playing nearly every snap. The Eagles need him to have a full-on, all-around breakout as their best linebacker.