‘Like A Freak’

PHILADELPHIA – Piloting the second-team offense in the Eagles’ first of two mandatory minicamp practices, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, in his opening series, quickly surveyed the defense before letting it rip.

The throw over the middle would never reach its intended receiver, however, courtesy of third-year outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt, who knew the route was coming and jumped it to secure the interception.

Further examples of Hunt’s instincts would reveal themselves again later in the session, serving as a reminder of the strides made for the Houston Christian product over two NFL seasons. Individually, those instances mean little in the grand scheme of spring practices, especially against an offense undergoing drastic changes and establishing a foundation.

Collectively, though, Hunt’s early waves should register as a byproduct of his steady progression.

It bears reiterating that Hunt, 25, closed out the 2025 season as the Eagles’ leader in sacks (6.5), quarterback hits (24) and interceptions (3). His 693 snaps were the most by any Eagles edge rusher, and Hunt also tied with defensive tackle Jordan Davis for a team-leading nine tackles for loss.

Hunt’s arrow is trending upward as he grows into his role, and there will be plenty of eyes on him this season to see what he does for an encore. And from the perspective of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the optimism surrounding Hunt entering his third season is valid. He just needs to continue forging ahead.

“Just keep doing what he’s doing,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said in May. “He’s had a nice progression. I see him growing his game in all aspects. I think he can and will rush better. He’ll play the run better. It’s just the natural progression. He’s had a good progression.

“In his rookie year, he didn’t play a lot early. Then when BG [DE Brandon Graham] went down, he started playing more, and I thought for a guy with his background, was kind of a perfect year for him. He ended up playing a good bit if you remember in the playoffs, et cetera. Then last year played a lot, did good. Yeah, I think he’s just ready to keep getting better and better.”

The potential is boundless for Eagles third-year EDGE Jalyx Hunt, who led the defense in sacks and INTs in his second season.

It wasn’t long ago that Hunt functioned as a rangy safety at the college level, patrolling the backend of Cornell’s defense. While he would ultimately transition to the defensive line after transferring to Houston Christian, collecting 13.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss over 21 games, it was widely expected that Hunt would require adequate time to develop once reaching the next level.

The pre-draft forecasting never came to fruition, however, as the DeBary, Fla., native proved to be a quick study, absorbing the technique and details necessary to carve out a defined role as a rookie. He finished the season as part of a three-player pass-rush rotation on a Super Bowl-winning defense.

Hunt, who arrived at training camp last summer appearing noticeably bulkier with improved play strength, increased his snap total by 452 the following season, collecting all but one of his sacks after Week 10. His burst and fluidity for the position have always been apparent, but Hunt last season added a complementary power element to his game.

There was a notable difference in terms of his pass-rush approach and overall refinement relative to his rookie season, and his previous background as a defensive back afforded Hunt a unique advantage when dropping into coverage and navigating space.

The 2024 third-round pick opened his second season as a starter on one of the NFL’s top units, stepping into the spotlight at a position that had lost Josh Sweat during the offseason. And even though Hunt factored into the sack column only once through the first half of the season, box scores never painted the full picture. He was impacting the game in different ways.

As it turned out, the late arrival of veteran Jaelan Phillips, acquired ahead of the trade deadline, was key in unlocking a strong finish for Hunt, who fondly reflected on his second season.

“It definitely gave me some more confidence that I’m going in the right direction,” he said this week. “So, that was very motivating and exciting to see. Going into next year, it’s just more work. I know that the work I’m putting in is having some positive effect, so I’m just gonna keep doing it.”

As far as how Hunt has advanced his game at this stage, the third-year pro pointed to his attention to detail, citing more comfortability coming out of his sets and knowing how to react. The constant repetition, as it tends to do, has made things second nature. Hunt also mentioned he’s applied a more calculated approach when it comes to determining pass-rush moves.

While Phillips is no longer part of the room, departing in free agency to the Carolina Panthers, Hunt figures to reap the benefits playing opposite another top-of-the-rotation edge rusher in Jonathan Greenard, whom the Eagles acquired via trade on draft weekend. Greenard, whose robust resume includes 38 career sacks, didn’t take part in team drills during the spring as the Eagles out of precaution – he underwent shoulder surgery in December – but the veteran has already seen enough of Hunt watching from afar to offer a glowing endorsement.

“Jalyx is like a freak,” Greenard said Wednesday. “Like, he’s an athlete, and I think that’s the part where I’ve seen him when we played obviously last year and he got a pick-six on us in Minnesota. That was pretty crazy. But he’s an athlete, and how young he is and where his game could really go is crazy.

“He’s making certain pass rush moves, I’m like, man, this kid, he is the athletic bin that you can’t really teach. It’s just natural for him. He has a natural feel for the game and I mentioned the athlete, he obviously led the team in picks. And you seen he had a pick yesterday. So, it’s just like him doing these things, it doesn’t surprise me, because I’ve always watched him when I was in Minnesota. I always watch everybody, but he’s been as advertised. So, I’m excited to see what he can do this year, too, for sure.”

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