The Philadelphia Eagles have been on the hunt for a new edge rusher after losing Jaelan Phillips in free agency and now they have a new one.
The Birds are signing Temple and Penn State alumnus Arnold Ebiketie to a one-year contract worth a maximum of $7.3 million with $4.3 million guaranteed, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Ebiketie (ebb-uh-KAY-tee) was a high second-round pick (No. 38 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Making 12 starts in 67 games played (just one missed game in his career), he’s logged 16.5 total sacks, four forced fumbles, 17 tackles for loss, and 41 quarterback hits.
The 27-year-old edge’s career high for sacks in a season is six, which he posted in both 2023 and 2024. He only had two last season.
So, it’s safe to say the Eagles aren’t getting a no doubt about it kind of impact defender here. This isn’t signing Trey Hendrickson, who Philly reportedly had interest in before he joined the Baltimore Ravens instead. This isn’t trading for Jonathan Greenard, who had a down year in 2025 but posted strong production the two years prior.
Rather, the Eagles seem to be hoping that Ebiketie’s best football could be yet to come.
Ebiketie joins a pass rush rotation that currently includes Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, and Jose Ramirez (who currently seems like a long shot). It’s also quite possible that Brandon Graham, who said he doesn’t plan on retiring, joins that group. And then there’s the possibility of the team adding more to this position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If the Eagles are done adding to this position, I think it’s fair to feel underwhelmed. Hunt had a very encouraging 2025, that’s for sure. Smith needs to prove he can stay healthy and get back to where he was at late in 2024. Ebiketie might be Just A Guy?
There’s reason to believe that Vic Fangio and his assistant coaches can help get the most of this unit to field a strong defense again in 2026. They’ve earned some benefit of the doubt after the past two seasons. There’s also reason to wonder if there’s enough pass rushing talent on the roster. There clearly wasn’t last year, which is why the Eagles traded for Phillips.
Pre-draft scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein (note that the Eagles brought him in for a top 30 visit in 2022):
Purposeful rusher with good length. Ebiketie is quiet to the edge with accurate, active hands and a pressure percentage worthy of projection. He’s not bendy and loose but uses body lean and skilled hands to grease the edge and access the pocket. He will need to keep adding to his bag of tricks as a pocket hunter, as he lacks the base and body type to hold his ground and plug up run games on a consistent basis. Ebiketie could see action as a sub-package pass rusher early in his career. He has the potential to find starting reps as a 3-4 rush linebacker in the future.
Ebiketie’s spider graph shows he’s undersized but athletic and long:
Watch his highlights video:
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