Bryce Huff’s departure opens the door for the Philadelphia Eagles’ young edge rushers to shine
There has been plenty of talk about Bryce Huff's shot at redemption with the San Francisco 49ers following his trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, but less focus on how his exit creates opportunities for young players on his former team to step up as difference-makers.
DAZN News examines which of the current group of Eagles' edge rushers stands to benefit from Huff's departure.
Nolan Smith
The 2023 first-round pick began fourth in the rotation behind Huff, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham to start the season but led the group in snaps in every game from week 12 onwards.
Former teammate Sweat claimed the headlines in Super Bowl LIX with his two-and-a-half-sack performance, but Smith was Philadelphia's most consistent edge rusher in the second half of 2025.
Smith led the group with four sacks and 17 pressures in four postseason games and is only scratching the surface of his potential after only one season as a 'starter.'
With Huff traded to the 49ers, Sweat traded to the Cardinals, and Graham now retired, Smith is set to inherit a more significant role and could flirt with double-digit sacks next season.
Jalyx Hunt
Hunt barely saw any defensive snaps until Week 10 and endured the inconsistencies often associated with being a rookie most of the weeks thereafter.
The then 22-year-old saved his best performance for when it mattered - in Super Bowl LIX - when he pressured Patrick Mahomes five times and earned his second sack of the postseason.
The 2024 third-round pick is far from the finished article and has room to grow as a run defender, but considering he converted from safety just a few years ago, he showed enough promise to suggest he can take a second-year leap.
Hunt earned rave reviews from former teammate Graham, who claimed: "The sky's the limit for him."
Azeez Ojulari
Ojulari has produced 22 sacks in his first four seasons, suggesting he has what it takes to create consistent disruption as a pass rusher.
However, his career has been held back by a combination of injuries, subpar run defense, and a poor pressure rate. Those factors likely led his former team, the New York Giants, to spend a first-round pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2022 before trading for Brian Burns in 2024.
Signed to a one-year prove-it deal, Ojulari has an excellent opportunity to turn things around in Philadelphia, where frequent leads should create more pass-rush reps for the Eagles' defense.
Joshua Uche
The stage seemed set for Uche to build on his breakout 11.5-sack season for the New England Patriots in 2022 and become a consistently impactful edge rusher. At the very least, his incredible 19.6% pressure rate in that year suggested a more significant role was on the horizon.
Bizarrely, Uche not only failed to capitalise, but he wasn't even given a chance, finishing a distant third in the edge rotation the following year. A move to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 appeared ideal, but Uche once again failed to earn the opportunity to play a part, with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo describing how Uche needed to be "amped up".
Signing a one-year, $1.92 million deal is a reflection of how far Uche's value has fallen in recent years, but it's a low-risk, potentially medium-reward move for the Eagles.
The odds are stacked against Uche reversing his fortunes in Philadelphia, but with no clear starter alongside Smith, he has the chance to make his mark and prove he belongs.
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