Derek Barnett will revamp the Eagles pass rush
4 May 2017 Eagles News
One week ago today, the Eagles drafted Derek Barnett.
1 Week ago TODAY, Eagles Select Derek Barnett with 14th Pick in 2017 NFL Draft #Eagles #NFL #NFLDraft @4thandJawn pic.twitter.com/W3O6ZkASHi
— David Malandra Jr (@David_Malandra) May 4, 2017
Barnett was a great pick by the team because he is only going to do one thing – get to the quarterback.
When you look back on the 2016 season, the Eagles really struggled to get to the quarterback. In Jim Schwartz’s scheme, a lot of the times he just rushes four. Those four up front need to apply pressure for the rest of the defense to thrive. When it works, it is beautiful.
However, last season, they were not that successful. As a team, the Eagles finished 16th in the NFL with 34 sacks. That is an average of just two sacks a game. Again, with the money invested into some of these players, you need better production. In fact, in three games this season, the Eagles went without a single sack.
Bringing in Barnett will get the sacks back in Philadelphia. We are talking about the player who broke Reggie White’s sack record at Tennessee.
“Achieving that sack record definitely meant a lot to me, but I would have traded it away in a heartbeat to have won a championship while I was in college. So understand that even though I’ve achieved some noteworthy things and won some individual awards, they are not what drives me.I want to lead a defense. I want to be an important part of a winning team, I want to win a Super Bowl. “
Barnett is a player who on day one, got to work. His first day in the building he already started learning the defense. That tell you a lot about his character. He is gritty and humble. He is going to do whatever it takes to win, much like the franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.
On the field, Barnett is relentless in pursuit. He has great awareness and traits that allow him to be around the quarterback and the ball every single play. He is a very strong presence on the edge.
Barnett has one thing to do while in Philly, and that is to apply pressure and sack the quarterback. And, there is no doubt about it, he will revamp this teams’ pass rush.
Photo Credit: Associated Press