Jalyx Hunt wasted no time making his presence felt when Eagles training camp opened, and for one morning at least, the buzz around Philadelphia belonged to him.
While Jalen Carter’s massive new contract grabbed the biggest headlines, Hunt was the player causing the real noise on the field. The third-year edge rusher came into camp with plenty of expectations, and on Day 1 he backed them up by living in the backfield.
Evan Macy of Philly Voice summed up the session by calling Hunt the hero of the Eagles’ first training camp practice. As he wrote, "All morning long, the Eagles' young pass rusher was beating the Eagles' offensive line. There is no tackling (yet) and no tackling the quarterback at all in practice, but it was pretty clear Hunt created at least two sacks, tallied an impressive tackle for loss on a run play, and was loading up for a potential huge hit on a ball carrier on an 11-on-11 drill."
That kind of start matters even more with the Eagles’ pass-rush situation looking a little thinner than expected. Newly signed pass rusher Jonathan Greenard is set to miss a lot of training camp because of a pec injury he suffered while working out, though Eagles GM Howie Roseman said he should be ready for Week 1. Brandon Graham is still a free agent, too.
So Hunt’s early burst offered a timely dose of reassurance.
Last season, the former third-round pick turned in a breakout performance across the board. He finished with 6.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, a team-high three interceptions, including a pick-six, and a fumble recovery.
That kind of production already made him an important piece. If he keeps climbing, he could become something bigger.
Roseman’s confidence in Greenard’s return may calm some nerves, but Hunt’s development is the real storyline to watch. A jump in Year 3 could push him into star territory and make him the edge defender Vic Fangio leans on most.
Graham’s future is still hanging out there, and Roseman has stayed in touch with his first-ever draft pick as GM. Graham played inside quite a bit last year, but he could still factor into the front seven again if he returns.
For now, though, the opening day belonged to Hunt. With Carter’s extension dominating the news cycle, Hunt made sure his own name got plenty of attention, too.
In Other News...
Eagles Offense Is Already Hinting At A Major Shift For Hurts
The first day of Eagles training camp offered an early look at how much Sean Mannions offense could change the feel of this group. Lane Johnson said the new setup is designed to make life harder on defenses while keeping things cleaner for the offense, and the early returns leaned into that idea with under-center work, play-action, wide-zone runs, motion and misdirection all showing up in practice. There were some first-day growing pains, but the overall structure looked built to suit the line and give Jalen Hurts a different kind of framework to work from.
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley both sounded encouraged by what they saw, and Barkleys fit may be one of the more interesting parts of this shift. The scheme appears to give him a chance to do more as both a runner and a receiver, which matters for an offense trying to stay multiple without becoming complicated for its own players. If the Eagles keep stacking clean execution on top of those early concepts, this could become one of the more important adjustments of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Defense Has 3 Lingering Flaws Fangio Must Fix In 2026
Vic Fangios third season in Philadelphia arrives with the defense in a much better place than it was when he first took over, but not quite where the Eagles want it to be. The unit has taken clear steps forward over the past two years, and the front office has kept working to support that progress, including a move to bolster the pass rush and a new deal that keeps Jalen Carter in place for the long haul.
Still, the Eagles know the defense has a few stubborn issues that can show up in the biggest moments. Run defense and third-down stops remain the most obvious pressure points, and Fangios challenge now is turning a good defense into one that can hold up against the leagues best offenses when the games get tight. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Day 1 Put Jalen Hurts And The Edge Depth Under Pressure
The Eagles opened training camp with the usual first-day mix of optimism and evaluation, but Jalen Hurts immediately drew attention for the kind of throws Philadelphia has wanted to see more often. Between the hashmarks, he looked comfortable and decisive, a promising sign as the offense begins sorting out timing and rhythm after a long offseason.
On the other side of the ball, the edge group already has a different feel because of Jonathan Greenard's absence, and that has pushed Josh Hunt into work on the right side of the line for now. Boogie Epenesa also stood out with a busy day and should keep seeing more chances as camp unfolds, giving the Eagles an early look at how much depth they really have when the rotations start to matter. [Read more 🡒]