For the Philadelphia Eagles, this young roster boasts too many important pieces, with players under the age of 25. Three of them are being targeted as the most important in 2025.
ESPN's Ben Solak wrote a list of 20 second-year players in the NFL who are considered to be the most important in 2025. The first name on the list was cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
"Though the numbers on Mitchell are good, the film is better. As the season went on, the Eagles felt more comfortable moving Mitchell onto the line of scrimmage and leaving him in press coverage. But it's his ability in off coverage to read releases and get to his responsibilities fast that make him a playmaker."
Mitchell's partner in the secondary, Cooper DeJean, was the second Eagles player listed in Solak's article.
"Second-round rookies are not meant to do everything ... but DeJean can. Undeterred by chaos, he walked onto the field and was immediately in control, making checks and calls, redirecting his teammates and creating big plays by widening his scope outside of his responsibilities. Though some slots are experts at tackling (Devon Witherspoon), sticky man coverage (Marlon Humphrey) or blitzing (Budda Baker), DeJean might already be the best zone coverage nickel defender in football."
Closing it out with important second-year players for the Eagles is edge rusher Jalyx Hunt.
"Is Hunt ready for early-down responsibilities? His run defense wasn't often tested in Year 1, and he lacked the size to hold up at the point of attack. He can play his way into a three-down job, but the Eagles need him to be great in a rotational role, as they lost so many pressures from last season's Super Bowl team."
How important are all three Eagles to the success of the 2025 team?
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made it a point to demonstrate to the league that he is prioritizing young potential over overpaying for players. He is also showing that he wants to see which of the players he selected in the NFL Draft are for real with more playing time.
Mitchell and DeJean are already great examples of guys who have proven their worth. NFL players have already voted both into the top 100 players in the NFL, with DeJean at 60 and Mitchell at 49.
Hunt is in a different situation, where he was mainly a backup last year but got into the rotation with Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff's injuries. It turned out well for Hunt, who had 1.5 sacks in the regular season and added another 1.5 sacks in the postseason. Even with just 321 snaps on the season, Hunt showed enough that he can be a force off the edge.
The Eagles are leaning on their young talent more than any other team in the NFL. They are projected to start at least nine players on defense who are 25 years old or younger.
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Mitchell, DeJean, and Hunt are critical pieces to the team, but the Eagles also have plenty of other young talent that is important as well. It's now a matter of whether the second-year players take the giant leap the franchise needs them to.