Mr. Relentless
4th-Year EDGE's Added Muscle Sparking Impressive Camp
PHILADELPHIA – Much like the position he plays, Patrick Johnson has turned the corner, positioning himself to bear the fruits of his evolution as a player.
Defeating blocks with unrelenting exertion, violent hand usage and a sturdier base, Johnson’s transformation has been evident through two weeks of camp.
Almost as if a switch had been flipped for the fourth-year Eagles edge defender.
A six-week training session at “Built Better” in Scottsdale, Ariz., under the supervision of trainer Justin King, saw Johnson put on more than 10 pounds of lean muscle mass while reducing his body fat percentage to 17%.
Johnson also saw a 25% increase in peak lower body force production and over a 20% increase in upper body force production.
Now entering his fourth training camp after joining the Eagles as a seventh-round pick in 2021, Johnson has exhibited a maturation to his game, one that includes enhanced power and explosion off the edge.
The urgency that typically accompanies the desire to impress a new coaching staff – especially with nothing assured – has also been detectable, with Johnson seemingly approaching each rep as a chance to make an impression.
While his hair-on-fire approach has quietly gotten the better of some offensive tackles, it’s also caught the eye of head coach Nick Sirianni.
“I’ll single out a couple of the defensive ends where I’ve really seen that toughness really show up, that physical toughness, that relentless effort,” Sirianni said early in camp. “Patrick Johnson, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt. I’ve really seen them hustling to the football, just the relentless effort and the toughness really shows up with those three guys and been excited.”
Sirianni’s acknowledgement matched the eye test, as Johnson has played with increased physicality and power than in the past.
While much of that can be attributed to his added bulk, helping him fare better against offensive tackles, some of his success can be attributed to his years-long work with former NFL defensive line coach Pete Jenkins, with whom Johnson spent two weeks of the offseason training with in Dallas, an emphasis placed on refining his pass-rush.
Jenkins, a former Eagles defensive line coach with whom Johnson has been working with since preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine at House of Athletes in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., drills Johnson on the finer nuances and details of rushing the passer.
An old-school coach in the mold of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Jenkins has helped Johnson prepare for Fangio’s defense.
The two veteran coaches are unified in ideology, placing an emphasis on detail, technique and abiding by their directives.
But Johnson didn’t limit the two-week crash course to honing in on a few elements. Rather, he fixated on broadening his overall skill set.
“It’s always all around,” Johnson said. “Always wanna work on my speed rushes. But mainly, power. Feeling the tackles. That’s a big thing that a lot of people don’t talk about when it comes to pass-rush.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: A bigger, stronger Patrick Johnson is hoping to make the 53-man roster for a fourth year.
“Everybody wants to work different pass-rush moves, this and that, but you really gotta understand what the tackles give you and be able to use it to your advantage. And that’s one thing that Pete Jenkins does a lot, what he teaches. So, I just took that and went with it.”
But while Johnson has certainly primed himself for the moment, he is hardly promised anything.
With five edge rushers comfortably ahead in the Eagles’ pass rushing hierarchy, Johnson seemingly finds himself on the outside looking in, though his track record of stacking productive practices and serving as a critical third phase component should enhance his roster outlook.
There’s also the possibility that rookie third-round pick Jalyx Hunt is not yet ready to be active on game day, leaving the Eagles with only four viable edge rushers, one of which being 36-year-old Brandon Graham.
It’s also worth mentioning the Eagles retained six edge rushers on the final 53-man roster last summer, the final one being Johnson.
A sudden uptick in defensive snaps remains unlikely for Johnson – even with a new defensive coordinator at the helm – as he logged just over 362 snaps in his first few seasons compared to 868 on special teams.
But Fangio already has shown a propensity of mixing-and-matching personnel.
Whether due to preservation, traits or identifying the most effective personnel groupings, Fangio has proven he will leave no stone unturned, a good sign for Johnson, who has embraced his role.
“Vic’s really taken control of the defensive room, which we love,” Johnson said. “And so, we’re all really buying into it. I feel like everybody has really understood their role and what it’s gonna take for the edges.
“Basically, getting off the ball, being able to play physical, setting edges, understanding our jobs – and I feel like we’ve done a really good job of that, and it’s been very detailed, which has been really good. So, it hasn’t really been not clear or nothing. So, I’ve been able to play fast.”
Johnson has largely fared well in 1-on-1s and team drills. He’s had Darian Kinnard’s number, and on Monday had a quality rep against mountainous rookie free agent tackle Anim Dankwah.
Johnson has also shown well in special teams drills, likely his primary role if he wants to hang on for a fourth season. But if you happen to catch a glimpse of the edge rushers at some point during the Eagles preseason debut Friday in Baltimore, you’re likely to observe Johnson’s evolution as a defensive player.
“My get-off has really, really improved, but really just hands, and my technique with my hands,” Johnson said. “Basically, being able to use my hands even after the first rush. And if I don’t win on the first one, I’m making sure I have a backup plan. And also, just my plan B, my counters and stuff like that I feel like I’ve really improved on.”
– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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