2026 NFL draft, position by position: Can the Eagles find a long-term pass rushing solution?

From April 6-17, The Inquirer’s Eagles reporting team will be breaking down each position on the roster ahead of the NFL draft, looking at the depth chart and long-term personnel picture as well as some names that could emerge as Eagles targets in the April 23-25 event.

If we were ranking the Eagles by position groups, edge rusher is probably the weakest. It’s the position where the Eagles have the biggest immediate need to impact the 2026 season.

You can almost guarantee the depth chart will not look like this come July. Will upgrades come via the draft or mining the remaining free agent pool? Both seem likely.

The Eagles are built from the inside out along their defensive line. They have curated a roster that isn’t overly reliant on pressure from the edges. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo require attention on the inside from opposing fronts and do a good job creating havoc for the quarterback. The interior trio combined for 13½ sacks in 2025, which was nearly the same amount that Jalyx Hunt (6½), Jaelan Phillips (5), and Nolan Smith (3) combined for on the year. Take out Phillips’ sacks with the Dolphins before he joined the Eagles at the deadline, and the defensive tackles outperformed the edges in the sack department.

Vic Fangio likes to note that it’s not all about sacks, and he does have a point. Among the 51 players in the NFL with more than 100 pass rush snaps in 2025, Hunt ranked sixth with a pressure rate of 17.3%. He caused plenty of chaos for opposing quarterbacks, and the Eagles are banking on that continuing in 2026.

They’re asking a lot of the third-year Hunt, because Phillips is gone after signing a huge deal to play in Carolina, and the backfill so far has been Arnold Ebiketie, who has 16½ sacks through his first four NFL seasons but had just two in 2025.

Behind Ebiketie is Jose Ramirez, who has just 30 defensive snaps in the NFL since being drafted in 2023, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who went without a sack in 142 snaps in 2025.

The Eagles have two starter-level players at the top of the depth chart, but the back end of the rotation doesn’t inspire much confidence. They’re an injury away from disaster, it seems, which is why this group likely will see an influx of talent between now and training camp. — Jeff Neiburg

The edge rusher group in this draft is top-heavy with starter level talent but isn’t as deep as previous draft classes. Among the top players in this class include Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, Miami’s Rueben Bain, and Texas Tech’s David Bailey, all of whom will be selected in the top half of the first round.

The next tier of pass rushers includes Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Clemson’s T.J. Parker, and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. There is uncertainty regarding how high they could be selected in the first round. There are plenty of Day 2 options the Eagles could also consider, but the depth significantly drops off after the first three rounds.

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The Eagles are likely to select an edge rusher early in the draft. Here are four options they could consider on Days 1 and 2:

Faulk, a two-year starter for Auburn, is a big, athletic edge rusher at 6-foot-6, 276 pounds who excels as a run defender and has powerful hands and length to create separation from offensive linemen. He was utilized in a variety of alignments along the defensive line, from stand-up edge rusher to three-technique and even as a nose guard on passing downs.

As a pass rusher, Faulk is still developing, often relying on outside speed rushes or speed-to-power moves. He does not have many counter moves once his initial pass rush is slowed, and he struggled to finish negative plays at times.

He is just 20 years old, so there is reason to believe he has the skill set to develop into a well-rounded player, and his versatility and run-stopping ability would be an asset in the Eagles’ edge rusher corps. Faulk is expected to be a first-round pick, although his range to be selected varies.

Dennis-Sutton, a 6-6, 256 pound edge rusher, was among the best testers at the NFL Scouting Combine and took a predraft visit to Philly. He is a linear player with heavy hands and pass rush juice to win in multiple alignments, including as a 4-3 defensive end and in reduced formations as an interior lineman.

He has some inconsistency with shedding blocks as a run defender and doesn’t have many pass-rush counters when his initial rush is shut down, as he primarily relies on push-pull pass rushes or a speed-to-power move.

» READ MORE: 2026 NFL draft, position by position: Why offensive line help is critical for the Eagles

Dennis-Sutton has the potential to become a solid starting edge rusher in the NFL and would be a nice speed and power complement to the Eagles’ pass-rushing corps. He is projected to be a second- or third-round pick.

Moore, who is 6-4, 255, is a powerful edge rusher who likes to drive his hands into offensive linemen’s chests to get to the quarterback. He has the arm length (33⅜ inches) to knock back linemen and has enough quickness to beat offensive tackles on their inside and on outside shoulders.

While Moore can win across multiple alignments and sets a firm edge, his power doesn’t always show up in the run game to stack and shed blocks. He also lacks pass-rushing counters when his speed-to-power move is shut down.

He projects as a rotational edge rusher who could bring a much-needed power profile in the Eagles’ edge rusher corps. Moore projects as a Day 2 pick.

Overton, a big, physical player at 6-3, 274, can play from multiple defensive line alignments and has powerful hands, a nasty long arm to push offensive linemen into the backfield on run downs, and he can control blocks with his arm length (33¼ inches).

Overton, who did not test particularly well for an edge rusher at the scouting combine, is not quick enough to win as a pass rusher on the edge consistently, and lacks bend and flexibility off the edge.

A move inside to interior defensive line on passing downs could help him become more disruptive in that category. Overton has strong hands and power to be an excellent NFL run defender with pocket-pushing power, and could be a versatile piece for the Eagles’ defensive line as a third- or fourth-round pick. — Devin Jackson