Eagles Rookie Review: What can we expect from Jalyx Hunt in Year 2?

One of my favorite things to do every offseason is to go back and compare my post-draft notes on the Eagles’ rookies with how they actually looked when they got on the field. It’s a fun blend of film study, self-evaluation, and a check on how well certain traits really translate to the NFL. I won’t be writing full scouting reports, as I did that after the draft. This series is more about reflecting on his rookie season. Did the player perform as expected? Did anything surprise me? And what do I think comes next? At the end of each article, I’ll give my updated outlook for that player in the future.

Previously: Quinyon Mitchell / Cooper DeJean

Jalyx Hunt

Scouting Jalyx Hunt before the draft was one of the most challenging evaluations I’ve done in recent years. The film was limited and the competition was weak. However, after a year in the NFL we have a lot more to go on. Here was what I said about Jalyx Hunt after watching as much film as I could find!

Well, I tried to find every bit of film I could of Jalyx Hunt. I still don’t have any idea what to make of this pick. I love it and hate it at the same time.

It feels like a massive risk on the potential upside due to his traits when better players were available, but you can’t help but be fascinated by the potential upside. Hunt is one of the most fascinating athletes I’ve watched. He moves differently from other players. He’s a bizarre combination of length, speed, and quickness. But he doesn’t really look like an EDGE at times! He looks like he’s still athletic enough to play safety at times, and watching him drop into coverage is really cool.

I don’t want to come over as too pessimistic, but I think he is a long way away from contributing as a pass rusher. The traits are there, but he needs a lot of work. I don’t think he will contribute as a pass rusher for at least a year, and at 23 years old already, it’s possible that part of his game just doesn’t develop a great deal. But the traits and athleticism are there. The potential is obvious. I would have loved this pick in the 4th round, but the 3rd just feels a little bit risky to me.

However, I think he’s immediately the Eagles’ best EDGE rusher at dropping into coverage, and he will provide the Eagles with more versatility and unpredictability when he lines up in the Eagles’ 5-man front. This is something the Eagles lack on the roster right now. This is a Vic Fangio pick without a doubt, and he feels like a player who has been drafted for a very specific role which I am fascinated to see develop. I bet the coaches and scouts had some arguments about this one!

Personally, this wouldn’t have been my selection in the 3rd round, but I do think at the very least you have a freaky athlete who can immediately contribute on special teams, can drop into coverage, and can hopefully develop as a pass rusher over time. He hasn’t played EDGE for very long, so there is reason for optimism. If, and it’s a pretty big if, he manages to develop into an above-average pass rusher, then he will be one of the most versatile EDGE rushers in the league because you can’t teach his athleticism and length. I think fans will need to be patient with him though, because I’m not expecting a great deal of immediate impact when it comes to rushing the passer. Versatility and the ability to drop into coverage is great, but realistically, if you can’t rush the pass as an EDGE then you will struggle to get on the field a great deal.

Before we get into this review, I have to tell you this story about Hunt’s film. On my post-draft film show, I mentioned that Hunt’s film looked like it was filmed on his mum’s iPhone. Anyway, this comment popped up on YouTube in response to the show!

How cool is that. Shoutout to Jalyx Hunt’s mum!

Things I Expected

From the start, I knew Hunt was a fascinating traits-based pick and would be a longer-term project. The potential was obvious to see. Just look at him bend!

“It feels like a massive risk on the potential upside due to his traits when better players were available… But the traits and athleticism are there. The potential is obvious.”

And I was very clear about this being a long-term developmental swing.

“I think fans will need to be patient with him though, because I’m not expecting a great deal of immediate impact when it comes to rushing the passer.”

That was mostly true — at least through the first two-thirds of the season. He managed just 6 total pressures in the first 8 games, validating my caution about how raw he was. You might expect a 3rd round pick to play more than 17 snaps in the first 8 games of the season, but Hunt just was not ready early on.

“He moves differently from other players. He’s a bizarre combination of length, speed, and quickness”.

He had a couple of those plays that stand out. He looked like an exceptional athlete when on the field.

Things That Surprised Me

“He’s immediately the Eagles’ best EDGE rusher at dropping into coverage, and he will provide the Eagles with more versatility and unpredictability… This is a Vic Fangio pick without a doubt.”

I felt he could bring immediate value in a hybrid role, even if the pass-rushing development lagged behind. However, this wasn’t really the case. We didn’t see him drop into coverage that much at all! I still think we will see more of this, though. He dropped into coverage about the same amount as any other Eagles’ EDGE defender. We did get to see the talent I was talking about, though.

“Versatility and the ability to drop into coverage is great, but realistically, if you can’t rush the pass as an EDGE then you will struggle to get on the field a great deal… I don’t think he will contribute as a pass rusher for at least a year, and at 23 years old already, it’s possible that part of his game just doesn’t develop a great deal.”

I massively underestimated how quickly Hunt would develop. He didn’t just flash promising traits. He was great in the playoffs, especially the Super Bowl. 7 of his 19 pressures came in the playoffs, showing that he wasn’t just flashing his traits; he was producing when it mattered most. For a raw small-school EDGE who wasn’t expected to contribute early, that’s impressive.

Questions I Still Have

• Can Hunt develop into a starting role, or will he remain more of a traits-flash player who thrives in specific moments? I don’t want to downplay what he did in the playoffs, but he did only play 17 snaps against the LA Rams and 23 snaps in the Super Bowl. I still wouldn’t identify him as a clear ‘starter’.
• Will the Eagles explore using him more in coverage in Year 2? As I’ve stated above, I think that he can be used more creatively when he starts to fully understand the scheme.
• Can he earn more early-down reps, or will he remain a situational rusher for the near future? I was impressed by Hunt’s effort against the run last year and I don’t see a reason to limit his reps on early downs. I hope he can win the trust of the coaching staff.

The Future

I don’t think I was dramatically wrong when I urged patience, because through the first half of the season, he looked every bit like a small-school developmental prospect. However, I simply did not expect him to develop so quickly. I didn’t foresee a world where he dominated in the playoffs. But he did!

“If… he manages to develop into an above-average pass rusher, then he will be one of the most versatile EDGE rushers in the league because you can’t teach his athleticism and length.”

That “if” is suddenly looking a lot more realistic. I still believe there’s more to unlock with his coverage ability, and I’d love to see a broader role for him in year 2. I’m not sure he will just be a straight up EDGE rusher who drops into coverage at the same rate as everyone else, but I could easily be wrong again! I hope the Eagles use his full skillset this year.

The Eagles do lack some depth at EDGE, but I’m a big fan of Azeez Ojulari and I wouldn’t be stunned if plays roughly the same amount of snaps as Hunt. I expect Hunt to rotate with Ojulari and Joshua Uche. I don’t expect him to play the majority of the snaps every week as I think the Eagles will want to give him time to develop still. I do think he has proven he can play at this level though, and will absolutely have a key role to play this year. I would be very happy with a 5-7 sack type of season, which I think is possible.

I have no idea what Jalyx Hunt’s day-to-day training and preparation look like, but I’d imagine it’s exceptional given how difficult it is to progress this quickly coming from a small school. Hunt is already drawing rave reviews from other players at training camp this year, per NBC Sports. Players rarely make that kind of leap without an elite work ethic and the ability to absorb coaching at a rapid rate. Because of that, I see no reason to doubt him going forward. If Hunt continues on this trajectory, he’ll go from a risky third-round upside pick to a legitimate starting-caliber EDGE. I am more than happy to admit I didn’t see that coming this time last year!

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.