The Philadelphia Eagles were the winners of the 2023 NFL Draft in a lot of people's minds. The Eagles decided to go heavy on defense with their two first-round picks, selecting two studs from the University of Georgia, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Philly stuck to that strategy throughout the draft, using five of their seven picks on defensive players.
The Eagles have a lot of holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball following the departure of five starters from last season. General manager Howie Roseman obviously made that his priority in the draft and brought in players who have the potential to have both an immediate and long-term impact for Philly.
Carter and Smith figure to play integral roles for the Eagles as rookies in 2023, but they aren't the only first-year pros on Philly's roster that fans should keep an eye on.
Why Sydney Brown is Eagles' rookie sleeper
The Eagles selected safety Sydney Brown in the third round out of the Univerity of Illinois in this year's draft. Brown was a starter for most of his five seasons at Illinois, bringing plenty of high-level experience to the table. In 50 college games, Brown had 10 interceptions, 187 solo tackles and 10 tackles for loss. As a senior in 2022, Brown had the best season of his college career. He led the Big Ten with six interceptions and was named to the conference's first team.
Brown's willingness to play in different schemes and sets throughout college gives him added versatility which is always welcome in a defensive back. Not only can Brown leak back in coverage and cover in the slot as any good safety should, but he can also play closer to the line of scrimmage as a decoy or to blitz. Brown's tackling ability is also a plus, given his sneaky strength and will to finish the tackle.
The Eagles were impressed by his intelligence and his demeanor. Chuck Walls, Eagles director of player personnel, said Brown has a great work ethic, something that will sit well with the fans in Philadelphia.
“I spent a lot of time with him in the pre-draft process. He did very well in interviews, he was very sharp, he came across as very diligent, he's very time-oriented,” Walls said.
Perhaps the biggest and maybe the most obvious reason why Brown can make an impact for the Eagles in 2023 is the team's glaring holes at safety. Both 2022 starters are gone, as C.J. Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions and Marcus Epps left to join the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Eagles signed sixth-year pro Terrell Edmunds before the draft. He figures to have a lock on one of the safety spots given his track record in the league so far. He's started 75 of the 79 games he's played in his career collecting 410 total tackles and five interceptions.
Brown will likely battle with Reed Blankenship for the other safety spot. The Eagles seem to have a lot of faith in Blankenship who was an undrafted rookie last season. He played in 10 games, starting four of them, finishing the year with 34 tackles and an interception.
Sydney Brown has shown the ability and the potential to be an immediate impact player in the NFL. He'll have a chance to do so on one of the best teams in the NFL in Philadelphia.
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