NFL can no longer ignore Eagles defender who is poised for breakout season

With 2026 training camp on the horizon for the Philadelphia Eagles, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton began breaking down several edge rushers that should be on everyone's radar for the upcoming season.

As fans have seen over the past several years, the market for edge rushers has continued to not only increase in monetary value but also in their impact on the field. Moton broke down seven EDGE rushers on his list, each with a diverse background and varied amount of service time in the NFL.

For Eagles edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, Moton believes he is third on his list in terms of "popping" this season and making his name known.

"Jalyx Hunt is a sleeper breakout candidate. He's not guaranteed a lead role on the edge. The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings and exercised the fifth-year option in Nolan Smith Jr.'s rookie deal. However, both Greenard and Smith missed five games because of injuries last season. Also, Hunt has more upside than the former, who turned 29 in May, and showed more promise than the latter in the previous season.

Comparing early numbers, Hunt has made more strides than Smith as a pass-rusher. He also forced a few turnovers last season, recording three interceptions. Between 2024 and 2025, Hunt saw his snap count on special teams drop from 56 to 23 percent. As an emerging edge-rusher, he could lead the Eagles in sacks for consecutive seasons."

Jalyx Hunt is starting to look like everyone's pick for breakout star of 2026

Hunt is in a unique position going into 2026, as while some could view him as a sleeper, it is possible he isn't even the starter once the season begins. Going into 2026, the Eagles traded for Jonathan Greenard in April, and then signed him to a four-year, $100 million deal with $50 million guaranteed. The team also invested in Nolan Smith for 2026, exercising their 5th year option on him.

While Philadelphia is obviously invested in both Greenard and Smith for 2026, that investment comes with injury risk, as both players missed five games last season.

In 2025, despite being in his second year, Hunt already garnered attention with 52 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and three interceptions, becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the team in both sacks and interceptions. With the standard already set, in addition to him being a more youthful option at age 25 than Greenard, Hunt could easily build off his 2025 season and take advantage of his experience gained.

Read more: Nick Sirianni responded to being appreciated exactly how Eagles fans thought

While coming into camp, it's safe to assume Greenard will earn a decent number of reps moving forward; the battle between Smith and Hunt will decide a lot regarding the future of each player. For Hunt, it could lead to the ability to earn a massive payday, in addition to cementing himself as a key piece in the Eagles' defense for years to come.

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This article was originally published on insidetheiggles.com as NFL can no longer ignore Eagles defender who is poised for breakout season.