After a busy week of trades for defensive reinforcements, the Eagles added another defensive weapon to their arsenal by trading for the 26-year-old pass rusher of the Miami Dolphins, Jaelan Phillips. The former 2021 first-round pick had a strong start to his career in Miami after he posted back-to-back seasons with 7+ sacks in his first two years in the league.
He continued to ascend into star status after being paired with the Eagles' current defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. Phillips was a menace off the edge with Fangio in 2023 but his season was cut short after he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon against the New York Jets.
Before the injury, Phillips had already recorded 6.5 sacks in just 8 games, 6 in which he started. Since then, it’s been a bit of an uphill battle for the former first-round pick. He’s only played in 13 games from 2024 until now and during that span, Phillips has only four sacks with 9 total QB hits and four tackles for loss.
It’s safe to say that Miami was stunting the growth of their former first-round pick with all that has been going on in South Florida. The Eagles are strongly convinced that Phillips can help elevate their current pass rush. Philadelphia is sending over a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Phillips.
What makes this trade even more remarkable is how the Eagles only gave up their initial third-round pick as opposed to the third-round pick that they acquired from the Jets on top of the fact that the Dolphins are paying a portion of his salary for higher pick. The thinking behind this move is also how Philly can recoup the pick via the compensatory formula if they allow Phillips to walk after this season.
With the No. 1 seed in the NFC now in their possession, the Eagles have beefed up their defense for a deep run by adding Michael Carter II, Jaire Alexander, and now Jaelan Phillips.
