As we do every offseason, we'll be comparing each of the Philadelphia Eagles' rookies to current or former NFL players. Today we'll find a comp for fifth-round linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.
EAGLES ROOKIE COMP SERIES
Jihaad Campbell | Cameron Williams | Andrew Mukuba
Kyle McCord | Antwaun Powell-RylandTy Robinson | Myles Hinton | Mac McWilliams
Mondon was a five-star recruit out of high school. He was ranked 21st in the country by 247Sports and 11th by ESPN recruiting. He didn't play much as a freshman in 2021 in Georgia's loaded defense, but he led the 2022 National Champion Bulldogs in tackles with 76. In 2024, he had 57 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 pass breakups.
He has ideal length to get into passing lanes, as well as impressive quickness and change of direction ability. He's a little different from Eagles linebackers like Nakobe Dean and Jeremiah Trotter, who are better against the run than they are against the pass. Mondon is better against the pass than he is against the run. Highlights:
Mondon was also often used in Georgia's defense as a QB spy, and the Eagles are going to have to deal with Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future. Early in his career, he could carve out a role in passing down sub-packages, and is also likely to be a core special teamer.
The player Mondon reminds me of is Oren Burks. Mondon and Burks are both long and lean linebackers, and they are both fantastic athletes. Mondon's spider chart:
A comparison:
Measureable Smael Mondon Oren Burks
Height 6'2 1/4" 6'3 1/8"
Weight 224 233
Wingspan 80 1/8" 79 1/2"
40 time 4.58 4.59
Broad jump 130" 131"
Burks found a role as a core special teamer and the first linebacker off the bench in his lone season with the Eagles in 2024. As @TheHonestNFL pointed out following the Eagles' NFC Championship Game win over the Commanders, Burks was excellent in coverage. You can see his athleticism on display below. (He's No. 42.)
Mondon is similarly fast and physical, and can do a lot of what is shown in the video above.