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Jalen Hurts will undoubtedly be important to the Philadelphia Eagles' success in the 2022 NFL season. The Eagles are counting on Hurts to continue to show improvement in 2022, as the franchise has big aspirations this season. However, Hurts isn't quite the Eagles' X-factor in 2022.
The Eagles' X-factor is one player who doesn't seem to be getting the attention he deserves, with all the new additions on the roster. It's a player who has proven himself for the Eagles in the past- and has come up big when they've needed it.
With that said, let's get to the X-factor for Philadelphia in the 2022 NFL season.
Eagles' X-Factor (Brandon Graham)
Defensive end Brandon Graham is the Eagles' X-factor in the 2022 NFL season. Graham might be going under the radar a bit, with newcomers such as AJ Brown, Jordan Davis, and James Bradberry exciting the fanbase.
However, the return of a healthy Brandon Graham could be the most important storyline for Philly heading into 2022.
The Pro Bowl defender only appeared in two games for the Eagles last season, as a ruptured Achilles tendon, which he suffered during a September game against the San Francisco 49ers, cost him the remainder of the 2021 season.
Just one year before that, Graham tallied eight sacks, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. He may have been recognized as a Pro Bowler for the first time, though the Michigan product has been one of the more underrated pass rushers in the league in the past several seasons.
It was Graham who forced a late Tom Brady fumble with a strip sack in the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl win. That's just one play, but it's an example of the kind of force Graham can be when healthy.
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And what Philly is missing when he isn't. In 2021, the Eagles tallied the second-fewest sacks in the NFL, with 29. It's no coincidence that those abysmal numbers came without Graham's presence on the defensive line.
But things could be different in 2022. Teammate Fletcher Cox raved about Graham's performance in training camp, saying that the 34-year-old “actually looks faster.” That's coming from someone who has lined up next to Graham since the 2012 season.
Graham looks healthy and poised to return to being the dependable- and available- player he's been for much of his career. But why is he the X-factor in 2022?
For a simple reason. Yes, teammate Josh Sweat, who signed a big contract last year, will have to improve upon the 7.5-sack season he had in 2021. However, it's hard to find a player, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, who can have more of an impact than Graham can.
Led by Graham, Cox, Derek Barnett and Chris Long, the Eagles had a championship pass rush in 2017. With Graham, Sweat, Haason Reddick, Cox, Hargrave and Davis, there's the potential for the 2022 pass rush to be even better.
But the star remains the same. Even at the age of 34, the Eagles' pass rush will go as far as Brandon Graham can take them.
