The Philadelphia Eagles took their fans to the top of the NFL mountain last season by defeating the Chiefs to bring a Lombardi Trophy back to the City of Brotherly Love. Now, the challenge for Jalen Hurts and his teammates is trying to defend that Super Bowl trophy. Eagles fans can expect a lot of twists and turns to occur between now and the postseason.
The good news in Philadelphia is that the 2025 roster still features a lot of high end talent on both sides of the ball. Offensively, running back Saquon Barkley can still set the tone with his dynamic runs out of the backfield. Combine that with the receiving talent of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and it's easy to see how Jalen Hurts can continue to trigger an efficient offense.
On defense, young talent can be found all over the two-deep for coordinator Vic Fangio. He has a number of pass rushers at his disposal which is keyed by one of the most ferocious front-sevens in the NFL. Young defensive backs like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean take advantage of that pressure to force turnovers in the secondary.
The Eagles have plenty of players they can confidently rely on this season but these three bold predictions might go against some of those expectations. Fans in Philly should keep a close eye on these predictions as indicators of how their 2025 campaign will unfold.
1. Nolan Smith will notch double-digit sacks
It might surprise lots of fans to know that Philadelphia did not have a single defensive player tally double-digit sacks last season. The pressure they heaped on opposing offenses was very much a community effort by Fangio's defense.
Nolan Smith was second on the team with 6.5 sacks and this is the season where he should be poised to take a significant step forward. It's important to note that the Eagles' scheme asks him to do more than just rush the passer, but he still has the explosiveness to do so efficiently.
Smith will no be offered the volume to lead the league in sacks but his total will be buoyed by just how much he's asked to stay on the field. That volume of snaps should lead to a natural uptick in pressures and sacks for the explosive linebacker. Breaking the 10-sack mark should be an achievable goal for one of the defense's most talented young players.
2. A.J. Dillon will amass over 150 rushing attempts
Barkley and Hurts led the Eagles in rushing attempts last year in what proved to be a successful formula for the offensive's collective success. That volume of carries also exposed two of the team's brightest starts to a lot of hits from opposing defenders.
That's a big reason why it made so much sense for the Eagles to find a bruising backup running back to support Barkley in 2025. A.J. Dillon missed last year due to injury but should be good to go when Week 1 rolls around. If he stays healthy, he can soften up opposing defenses with his bruising running style between the tackles.
That can help take pounding away from both Barkley and Hurts. Philadelphia needs both stars to be healthy when the playoffs come around. Dillon absorbing at least 150 carries during the regular season could do wonders for the Eagles in the postseason.
3. Dallas Goedert will lead the team in receptions
Brown and Smith give the Eagles one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. Sometimes that takes away from just how good Dallas Goedert is for this offense from his tight end position.
Goedert only had 42 catches last year but he also only played in ten regular season games. The prediction here is that he'll be healthier this year. That should allow him to up his catch total to eclipse either of the team's big-name wideouts.
Goedert's best routes also align well with the throws Hurts feels most comfortable with. When Goedert enjoys a free release at the line fo scrimmage he can get down the seam quickly. Hurts has a knack for hitting him in stride on those quick throws.
Goedert leading the team in receptions does not make him the Eagles' best receiver but he may be Hurts' safety blanket on important third downs. The more balls Goedert catches the more dangerous his wide receivers can become.