‘My Moment To Shine’

PHILADELPHIA – For a player who not long ago was playing safety at Cornell, Eagles edge defender Jalyx Hunt tends to light up a room, radiating an aura.

Every so often in conversation, that charisma emerges, balancing his serious side of relentlessly seeking knowledge of the game, absorbing pointers like a sponge.

That Hunt was inactive ahead of the Eagles’ season opener in São Paulo, Brazil, two weeks ago was a mild surprise due to his progress and presumed special teams prowess.

But in light of the team parting with fellow edge rusher and core special teamer Patrick Johnson, Hunt can expect to become a game day regular, though for now primarily specializing in special teams coverage.

For perspective, while Hunt failed to factor into the defensive equation, the rookie third-rounder logged 13 third phase reps, accounting for 59 percent of special teams snaps.

And Hunt, typically lively and outgoing, relished his first NFL action, wasting little time forging relationships among others in the unit and engaging in friendly competition.

“I’m a special teams warrior,” Hunt said, wearing a wide grin. “That’s what I say. [Linebacker] Ben VanSumeren, he’s one of the guys I’m real cool with. Me and [Will Shipley], every time we go out on kickoff or anything where we’re tackling the ball, it’s a race to get to the ball. We’re talking to each other back-and-forth, some trash. Whenever Ben and I go out … ‘Pro Bowl on three!’

“If this is my job, I’m gonna do it the best I can do it. I’m going for it. It’s nothing crazy; it’s exciting. And I know, especially if I’m not getting my reps in yet, it’s full speed. This is my moment to shine.”

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles rookie EDGE Jalyx Hunt was active and played special teams vs. Falcons.

Hunt, the 94th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, was viewed by many as a long-term project destined for a redshirt campaign in his first season due to his newness at a position that typically takes some time to fine-tune.

But the expected summer-long learning curve wasn’t nearly as drastic as many envisioned, as the quick-twitched, uber-athletic Hunt logged a succession of notable training camp practices, flashing his wide-ranging skill set and seemingly altering the initial narrative.

But while Hunt appears primed for a prominent special teams undertaking, he remains a work in progress at his position of trade, though his resourcefulness and constant pursuit of information could conceivably expedite the process.

Right now, Hunt simply watches and observes, making sure that when his number is called and if opportunity knocks, he’s able to step in without missing a beat.

When he arrived in Philadelphia back in the spring, fresh off a fruitful pre-draft cycle that saw his draft stock soar, it was evident he would need some time to mold into an NFL pass rusher, specifically in terms of honing his rush acumen and developing his play-strength.

And fairly or not, the level of play in college – Hunt played in the Southland Conference at Houston Christian – prompted some skepticism, even before he’d even logged so much as a single rep.

Training camp represented a crash-course of sorts for Hunt, though the 23-year-old checked off most every box throughout the summer, showcasing improved hand usage, utilizing his lightning-quick get-off to his advantage and appearing fairly rangy when dropping into coverage.

Hunt was quick to pinpoint a specific area in which he believes he’s most improved.

“Learning more about my rushes,” he said, without hesitation. “Not going into it with no plan. I’m going into it with a plan now. I’m going into it with a lot more reps. I’m always working a rep on the door or something as I’m going through … cool little swipe.

“I gotta catch up. I’m always telling BG [Brandon Graham], I gotta catch up on the reps. BG got 15 years worth of reps on me, so any time I can get one and someone’s trying to dap me up, I’m gonna swipe and then I dap ’em up after. Whatever the case may be.”

Graham, 36, has served as a mentor for Hunt, who never passes on an opportunity to pick Graham’s brain or fixate on his particulars.

Even if the duo isn’t able to sit down and log a full film session together, Hunt will note something he’d observed on film and consult, to which Graham imparts his wisdom.

“Always,” Hunt said. “I mean, he’s done it for 15 years. You don’t do that by accident. Some people can fall into an eight-year career, but 15? Not only do you produce at a high-level still, but you actually gotta love football.

“So, his love of football and his ability to dissect plays and who you’re going against and what will work against him and what won’t work against him. It’s valuable information.”

With the Eagles currently experiencing some pass-rush woes, calls for Hunt to get some defensive snaps are inevitable – and will only grow louder if the shortcomings persist.

But Hunt and the edge rusher contingent aren’t pressing, instead banding together and remaining singularly focused on turning the corner.

“Everybody’s second game of the season,” he said. “We’re learning and gelling. I’m not worried about it at all. You see spurts of it in moments, so once we get to the point to where that’s the whole game, I think we’re gonna be fine.”

At Houston Christian, when it came to film study, Hunt would merely watch the overall team. Now, the key to success is in the details. It’s about winning one-on-one matchups, setting the edge, mastering the technical aspect and knowing what to look for.

It’s a stark contrast for Hunt, who is watching far more film than ever before.

“I’m learning to look at things,” he said, “that I didn’t even know existed beforehand.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.