Keyshawn James-Newby walked into his NFL debut expecting a small role. Instead, the Eagles rookie edge rusher ended up surviving a much bigger test than anyone had planned.
The 7th-round pick, who has spent the season on the practice squad, was elevated for Sunday’s game and wound up playing 48 snaps in the Eagles’ 25-14 loss to the Panthers. He finished with two tackles, two hurries and, by the team’s account, no major mistakes.
“Man, you’ve got to prepare yourself for anything,” the Eagles’ rookie edge rusher said after practice Thursday. “Sunday could be my first game, and then next week could be my last.
You just never know. So just preparing yourself mentally for that process and just making sure you're always ready.”
The workload ballooned after the game plan got scrambled. Jalyx Hunt was out with knee and ankle injuries, and A.J.
Epenesa was inactive because of a sore back. The expectation was that James-Newby would get a few snaps.
Then Nolan Smith suffered a concussion and Jonathan Greenard’s ankle started bothering him, leaving James-Newby and Arnold Ebiketie as the only edge options.
That’s a lot to ask from a player making his first appearance in the league. It was, as the circumstances made clear, far more than a normal debut.
James-Newby’s 48 snaps are the most by an Eagles defensive player off the bench in his NFL debut since Stathead tracking begins in 2012. It’s also the most on record by a rookie 7th-round pick in his first career game.
Hunt felt the weight of that, too.
“I was trying to bring energy from the sideline,” Hunt said. “You can't really do too much.
And then I felt terrible because Keyshawn, Keyshawn's debut, man, 45 plays? Most of the second half, no break.
And then I think Arnold Ebuketi, A.K., you played 72? Seventy-two plays in the league is not very common.
So I felt bad putting that workload on them. And thank God I'm in a great world where everybody's just a dog.
But it felt real bad not being able to contribute and help the team out.”
James-Newby hadn’t played since the preseason, which made the snap count even more striking. But he said he never considered himself unready.
“If I don't feel physically ready for it, then I'm already losing part of the battle,” he said. “So I had to mentally prepare myself and also physically always be prepared.
So I always was. You never know what's going to happen.
So you always have to be mentally prepared for anything. I was ready.”
Vic Fangio said the Eagles were planning to use James-Newby sparingly before injuries forced the issue. Even so, the coach came away encouraged by what he saw.
“We were planning on playing Keyshawn a little bit in the game, but then when Nolan went down and J.G.'s ankle started bothering him, he went from a handful to close to 50,” Fangio said.
“He’s a pretty good athlete. He's got some speed to him.
I think he'll even do better now that he's got his feet wet more than he expected or we expected. I do like him, and I think hopefully we'll see steady progress from him the more he gets to play.”
James-Newby was quick to point to the veterans around him in the edge room for helping him get through the moment.
“They make sure to let you know always be prepared and make sure you're always ready at any possible time,” he said. “Nolan, Jalyx, Jonathan, A.J., all those guys, you know, A.K., all those guys, they take me under their wing and teach me the way. So I appreciate all those guys for that.”
He’s one of only four 7th-round picks to appear in a game this year for the Eagles, joining Jordan Mailata, Moro Ojomo and Cole Wisniewski. Even with that kind of path, he said he doesn’t measure himself by draft position.
“Whether you're 1st - or 7th -(round) or free agent, everyone has odds to beat,” he said. “So it doesn't really matter where you're at.
I don't really look at it like that. You know, I just take it kind of by the day.
I can't look in the future. I can't look in the past.
And I just got to continue moving forward.”
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