Many people have joked that the Philadelphia Eagles should be called the "Philadelphia Bulldogs" because of the numerous former Georgia players on the team.
On the current roster, there are eight former Georgia players. They all happen to play on the defensive side of the ball, and they are all under the age of 25. Safety Lewis Cine and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari are the only two who the Eagles did not draft.
There are numerous other former Georgia players currently in the NFL. One of them might make sense to trade for and add to the team's defensive depth.
Howie Roseman could go after another former Georgia player via trade
PHLY Eagles reporter Zach Berman wrote an article about his thoughts on the Bryce Huff trade to the San Francisco 49ers and what the Eagles could do after the move. Berman doesn't think Philadelphia is done making trades, as they could set their sights on Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Travon Walker.
"Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are key — they’re the top two edge rushers, they’re homegrown players, and they can both take another step in development. Azeez Ojulari was the Eagles’ biggest signing this offseason. They’ll try to see if Josh Uche can reclaim his double-digit sack form. But I don’t think the Eagles are finished at this spot. There are potential ring-chasing veterans available, such as Za’Darius Smith and Von Miller. Could the Eagles try to pull off a high-profile trade for Travon Walker? I don’t think the Eagles are finished."
Walker was the first overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Jaguars out of... fans can guess it...Georgia. He's been a three-year starter, having struggled with a slow start in his rookie season, but has recorded 10 sacks in 2023 and 10.5 sacks in 2024.
The 24-year-old pass rusher makes a ton of sense for Philadelphia for multiple reasons. One, he's a former Georgia defender and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves his former Bulldogs on their defense. Walker is exactly what they hope Smith and Hunt will be off the edge and Walker is doing it with plenty of years in the tank.
Basically, Walker is the anti-Huff. A guy who has proven his consistency over the last two years despite being overlooked and has improved each season. His speed off the line and ability to get to the quarterback has continued to get better and better and he hasn't even hit his full potential.
Another aspect that helps is that many of these former Bulldogs have played together. At one point, every Eagle formerly of Georgia, except for Ojulari, were on the 2021 national championship Bulldogs team with Walker.
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Pairing all of them together once again brings a whole new definition of continuity and familiarity that has not been seen in NFL history. More importantly, Walker is an athletic edge rusher who fits with Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense.
What a wild thought to have Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Walker all up front together. Talk about a deadly combo.