Now coming off their bye week, the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles will have a different look on defense heading into a Monday night showdown with the Packers. Philadelphia made one of the most noteworthy moves at this year’s trade deadline, acquiring pass rusher Jaelan Phillips from Miami for a third-round pick on Monday.
With Phillips on the verge of his Eagles debut, his presence could impact linebackers Nakobe Dean and Jihaad Campbell. After suffering a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs last January, Dean opened the 2025 campaign on the physically unable to perform list. He didn’t begin seeing significant snaps until Week 7, leaving Campbell as one of the Eagles’ top two linebackers alongside Zack Baun.
Although Campbell, a first-round pick from Alabama, held his own during Dean’s absence, the latter amassed a higher number of defensive snaps in a 38-20 win over the Giants in Week 8. Despite that, Zach Berman of The Athletic expects Campbell to log the majority of playing time down the stretch.
While Campbell can also line up on the edge, there’s now less need for the rookie in that role. The Eagles are suddenly much deeper in that area with Phillips on board, Nolan Smith returning from IR, and Brandon Graham coming out of retirement. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is set to deploy “a more defined split between nickel and base,” writes Berman, which points to fewer snaps for Dean. Considering Dean’s a pending free agent, that would be a disappointing development for the 24-year-old.
The 6-2 Eagles will also enter the second half of their season with a remodeled secondary after free-wheeling general manager Howie Roseman swung a pair of cornerback trades during their bye. Roseman reeled in Michael Carter II from the Jets for a 2027 seventh-round pick and wide receiver John Metchie on Oct. 29. A few days later, he landed Jaire Alexander from the Ravens in a late-round pick swap on Nov. 1.
Carter is an established slot corner, yet the Eagles already have second-year standout Cooper DeJean in the fold. The addition of Carter could point to the Eagles moving the versatile DeJean outside on a full-time basis, but that’s unlikely to happen, according to James Palmer of The Athletic. The Eagles can continue shifting DeJean between the slot and the boundary, though, as no one has stepped up on the outside as a capable complement to No. 1 corner Quinyon Mitchell. Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo have struggled, while Jakorian Bennett went on IR on Sept. 24 with a pectoral injury.
The Eagles opened Bennett’s practice window on Oct. 22, and he has been a full participant this week. It seems he’ll be back sooner than later. At the very least, he and Alexander will give the Eagles more depth on the outside down the stretch.
Alexander was a two-time Pro Bowler during a fruitful run with Green Bay from 2018-24. However, after he underwent offseason knee surgery, the 28-year-old was unable to regain his old form in his short Baltimore stint. A healthy scratch for most of his time with the Ravens, Alexander has played just 61 defensive snaps this year.
The oft-injured Alexander, who hasn’t played more than seven games in a season since 2022, said this week (via Berman) that he’s healthy, adding that he believes he’s still in his prime. It remains to be seen how often the Eagles will use Alexander, but Roseman took a low-cost flier with the hope that he has something left in the tank.