Eagles Film Review: Smael Mondon Jr. has the traits to develop into more than a backup

A closer look at Philadelphia’s fifth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

With the 2025 NFL Draft over, it’s time for some film rooms on the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie class. I will try to get to all 10 draft picks and the UDFAs over the next few weeks. Loads of scouting reports will say very similar things, so I have tried to include film clips to back up everything and I will talk about the player’s fit with the Eagles at the end of the piece. I managed to get the All22 for several rookies, but I can’t share those clips on my Twitter accounts (or I risk getting blocked), so I’ve used a few other accounts here. Let’s go!

You can check out my podcast feed here to hear more from me. I have a Patreon linked to my podcast if you want to support me further. Due to being unable to share All22 on Twitter, I am doing All22 watch-alongs on every Eagles’ rookie on the Patreon, which is really cool!

Previously: Jihaad Campbell / Andrew Mukuba / Ty Robinson / Mac McWilliams

Strengths

+ He has outstanding range and speed to run sideline-to-sideline. His closing burst is great and he has the athleticism to play in space.

+ He does a lot of things well. He can blitz, handle man coverage, and drop into coverage comfortably. Georgia asked him to do a lot of things and his speed allows him to be used in different ways.

+ He has over 425 career special-teams snaps and should contribute early on.

+ Explosive in pursuit due to his burst. He can chase down plays from behind and does well to avoid contact with linemen and burst through gaps. This is something he has to do at his size.

+ He wraps up well consistently and is a good tackler in the open field. He’s not a liability against the run despite being undersized.

+ He moves and looks like a top athlete. I know you can’t judge someone by a jump, but he can jump!

Weaknessess

– Multiple lower-body injuries going back to high school.

– He has an extremely light and thin frame. His lean build limits his effectiveness in stacking and shedding in tight quarters. It may prevent him from ever being a starter.

– He has the tools and quickness to drop into coverage, but lacks production and anticipation in zone and man. He’s around the ball but doesn’t make enough plays in coverage.

– He can get lost against misdirection or traffic and can sometimes be slow to diagnose.

– He has the speed to blitz effectively, but often struggles to fight through contact. He needs a clear lane to excel. This relates to his size and inability to take on guards physically.

Overall

I watched Mondon pre-draft and was a fan of his. I had a 4th round grade on him and said the following:

Overall: Mondon is a versatile linebacker with tools but still needs to refine his processing and physicality against the run. He has the length and range to be a starting-caliber linebacker, but his issues need a lot of work. He projects more as a rotational piece and a strong special teams player in the early stages of his career

Eagles Thoughts: Mondon would likely fit into the Eagles’ defense as a rotational linebacker and special teams contributor. Fangio would like his ability to play in coverage, but he would need to sit for a little bit while he develops against the run. I wouldn’t consider him until day 3.

After watching him again, I still feel pretty good about the pick. I don’t think his film is as good as Jeremiah Trotter Junior’s, but he will compete with him for the backup linebacker spot. He’s a very different player to Trotter. Mondon is far more athletic and explosive, but I think Trotter has better instincts. I think Trotter will win that job, personally, as he’s a better player right now. Regardless of whether Mondon wins that job early on, I think he is going to excel on special teams.

I think Mondon is an interesting option as a subpackage defender early in his career. He has legitimate speed and athleticism, and Vic Fangio might use him sparingly in obvious passing downs where he can drop into coverage or blitz from depth. I am always a fan of having aggressive and fast options on defense, and Mondon gives the defense and special teams unit another young, fast option. It’s hard to complain about this one! If he can get physically stronger and bigger, he has the traits to develop into more than a backup. I’ll be interested to watch his development over the next few years.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.