Philadelphia will need big performances from their 2024 draft picks to beat Baltimore.
The Eagles are heading down to Baltimore this weekend, looking for their 10th win of the season. The Ravens will be no easy task for Philly, especially when Baltimore is on offense. That means a unique test for the Eagles rookies. Here is what I am looking for.
Quinyon Mitchell’s biggest test of the year?
Quinyon Mitchell has been awesome this season, shutting down some of the best wide receivers in the NFL. However, the Ravens might have the best passing attack in the league with the way Lamar Jackson has been playing and they have a ton of weapons at receiver. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have been excellent getting downfield for Baltimore and Mitchell will need to lock it down once again to take options away from the MVP favorite. This game has the potential to be very high scoring, so any stops the Eagles defense can get could swing the game.
Cooper DeJean and the Ravens running game.
Cooper DeJean has brought a ton to the table since taking over as the Eagles starting slot corner. He is a defensive weapon that can cover the short area of the field, attack the run, and even bring some heat as a blitzer. The Ravens rushing attack, with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield, is going to put an emphasis on DeJean’s run defense. DeJean will not only need to come up to the line of scrimmage to limit Derrick Henry, but he could also function as a spy on Lamar covering the short middle area of the field against the pass. He will need to have a great game tackling and remaining very disciplined or Baltimore can break a big run.
Step right up, Jalyx Hunt!
Before last week, we knew Jalyx Hunt would see a snap increase due to Bryce Huff’s injury. With Brandon Graham now out for the season, it’s a guarantee that Hunt will see at least 30 snaps against the Ravens. More important than getting any sort of pass rush will be maintaining gap discipline and keeping contain on Lamar Jackson. Hunt’s speed could be an asset in this game when it comes to slowing Lamar’s legs, but he will need to play assignment football for all four quarters.
