What the film says Eagles pass rusher Jonathan Greenard does best, and how it will lift Vic Fangio’s defense

While plenty of eyes during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) next week will be fixed on the Eagles’ new-look offense at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, a compelling newcomer on the other side of the ball is edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, whom the team acquired via trade during last month’s NFL draft.

The Eagles added Greenard to bolster a room led by with third- and fourth-year players Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith, respectively. The team struggled last year at times generating quarterback pressure without blitzing, especially in the NFC wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Greenard’s addition came with a hefty four-year, $100 million contract extension. Though his three-sack season with Minnesota last year isn’t eye-popping, the seventh-year veteran was incredibly valuable on the field for the Vikings — even when he wasn’t directly bringing quarterbacks to the ground.

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Here’s what the film — and stats — say about Greenard’s arrival to Vic Fangio’s defense and how he might be utilized.

There aren’t many edge rushers in the NFL who rival the first-step quickness Greenard exhibits in rushing the passer. According to Next Gen Stats, his average get-off (speed off the ball) was 0.8 seconds, which had him in the company of the Broncos’ Nik Bonitto (0.77 second), Raiders’ Maxx Crosby (0.78 seconds), and Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson (0.79 seconds), all of whom are elite pass rushers.

Greenard not only has the speed to win as an outside rusher, he can close on the quarterback quickly, too. He ranked in the top 15 in quick pressures (generated in under three seconds) over the last two seasons: 28 in 2024 and 22 in 2025, which tied for sixth and 12th in the NFL, respectively, among qualified defenders, according to Next Gen Stats.

That constant speed and presence off the edge puts pressure on offensive tackles to beat him to spots and forces the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quickly, which is where Fangio’s defense thrives most, rallying to throws short of the first-down marker. Greenard’s quick pressures also force teams to utilize running backs and tight ends as blockers on passing downs to slow him down, limiting downfield passing options and generating other one-on-one matchups along the defensive line.

Once Greenard gets linemen concerned about his speed off the edge, it opens the door for more pass-rush moves, including his speed-to-power conversion, where he works to push offensive tackles into the quarterback’s throwing lane.

What makes the maneuver so effective is Greenard’s 34⅞-inch arms, which is in the 92nd percentile, according to Mockdraftable. It allows him to get his hands into the chest of offensive linemen before they get a good grip on his shoulder pads to slow him down.

Once he has shown his speed and power, Greenard then exploits the inside shoulder of tackles if they’re working to mirror the edge rusher’s explosiveness. He will utilize a spin move most often, betting on the tackle selling out to make sure Greenard takes the long way around the arc to the quarterback.

If they guess wrong, Greenard spins off the tackle and can make a beeline for a sack or pressure. He didn’t finish his sacks consistently on spin moves in 2025, but it forced quarterbacks to quickly bail the pocket and led to negative plays or incompletions.

Greenard was limited to 12 games last season because of injury, but his impact was felt in his splits on the field vs. off the field for Minnesota. According to TruMedia, the Vikings’ blitz rate increased from 40.7% with him on the field to 57.8% without him, while the team’s pressure rate lowered from 40.7% with him on the field to 36.5% without him.

Under Fangio, the Eagles — especially on run downs — have very little margin for error. Over the last two seasons, the Eagles played with the NFL’s highest percentage of light boxes (six or fewer defenders), according to Next Gen Stats. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s defense ranked 29th in light box percentage in that same time frame.

The Eagles have the luxury of having one of the top run-stuffing defensive linemen in Jordan Davis, who was paid handsomely this offseason to continue doing so, along with Jalen Carter, who can quickly win his one-on-one matchups, and do-it-all linebacker Zack Baun.

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Smith has been an outstanding run-game asset setting the edge when healthy, but edge rushers in general last year for Philly were inconsistent in generating negative plays. But that’s where Greenard can shine.

Specifically on run plays where interior linemen or tight ends are pulling across the line of scrimmage, Greenard has the athleticism and speed to slip underneath or past them to make plays in the backfield. And he’s not afraid to embrace contact full speed if their intent is to kick him off the line of scrimmage.

His motor and play speed also allow him to be an active run defender and disrupt plays even when he’s on the opposite side of the action.

Greenard making plays on the back side of the formation will be especially important when teams run out of more heavy personnel (two and three tight ends) to take advantage of the Eagles’ light box.

In each of the last two seasons, Greenard finished in the top 11 among NFL edge rushers in run stops, according to Pro Football Focus. He had 23 in 2024 and 19 last season.

Greenard has eclipsed double-digit sacks in only two of his six NFL seasons, and they came in back-to-back years: 12½ sacks with Houston in 2023, and 12 with Minnesota in 2024. But he has recorded 40 or more pressures in each of his last three seasons. He ranked tied for 31st among pass rushers in 2023 (68), seventh in 2024 (69), and 51st in an injury-shortened 2025 (41), according to Next Gen Stats.

He didn’t pressure the quarterback as often in 2025 (41 total) vs. 2024 (69), but he had a higher pressure rate last year (15.4%) than the previous year (13.4% in 2024). The counting stats can be deceiving, and it is especially true for Greenard, who had several near-miss sacks in 2025 because he either couldn’t bring the quarterback down or the QB got the ball out too quickly.

While he was primarily used as a wide pass rusher in Minnesota, Greenard also flashed an ability to win in reduced alignments, beating interior offensive linemen with his speed and length to swipe away hands. That could leave the possibility for Fangio to utilize a pass-rush package with Smith, Hunt, and Greenard all on the field. And according to TruMedia, Greenard’s pressure rate aligned at left or right defensive tackle was 33.3% on six true pass-rush snaps.

If he can stay healthy and finish his sacks at a higher clip, Greenard could be in for another stellar season and elevate an already strong Eagles defensive core.