Sharpened Axe

BALTIMORE — Overcome with anxiousness and butterflies churning in his stomach leading up to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. anticipated that first hit, which would effectively eliminate his internal tension.

As it were, the Eagles linebacker was able to shake the jitters early. With just under six minutes remaining until the break, Eagles punter Braden Mann booted a 48-yard punt deep into enemy territory. Ravens punt returner, Damarion Williams, fielded the ball, his eyes fixated up field until a flash of white jersey wrangled him, impeding his progress.

With introductions now out of the way, Trotter Jr. was no longer tightly wound and playing free, instead flowing to the football with urgency and throwing his body around with reckless abandon. The son of Eagles legend, Jeremiah Trotter, that moment at M&T Bank Stadium, albeit a mere footnote in the 16-13 Eagles victory, very much felt like the inception of an eventual defensive linchpin. But the intensity leading up was inevitably heightened, as Trotter was merely eager to get the first hit out of the way.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles rookie LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was all over the field in his first preseason game.

“I was anxious,” Trotter Jr. admitted. “I was ready to get that first play out of the way. That happened to be the special teams play so once I got that out of the way I just tried to focus on my job and make some plays for the defense.”

The fifth-round rookie was now fully dialed in and unveiling the full throttle approach that aided his ascent toward achieving 2023 All-ACC honors, registering a sack for no gain against Josh Johnson just a few plays later. The 21-year-old flew around, showing tenacity and aggression in addition to high-level instincts, finishing with a game-high five tackles and a quarterback hit across 29 defensive snaps. The moment never seemed too big.

“I feel like it was a good game,” he said. “I went out there, made some plays, doing my job, trying to help out the team on special teams and when I was out there on defense just trying to take advantage of the opportunity. I thank God and I’m blessed to be able to have this opportunity. I feel I went out there and did my best.”

His eye-popping performance came of no surprise, however, as Trotter Jr. demonstrated similar detail and consistency throughout training camp, only now carrying it over on a much larger scale. Standing at an even 6-foot and weighing 228 pounds, Trotter Jr. doesn’t exactly fit the prototype for his position. Skepticism was raised as to whether the highly productive, though speed deficient, linebacker would translate in a league in which the opposition actively exploits tendencies and limitations.

But Trotter Jr., even as a rookie, is already the Eagles’ most instinctual linebacker and his ability to process and execute thus far has been a revelation. He’s also has seen a smattering of first-team reps in camp, seemingly maximizing each one while showcasing his ability to attack, swarm to the football and play with unbridled physicality. He’s also drawn praise from fellow linebacker Zack Baun, who seemingly went out of his way to name-drop the Trotter Jr., citing his understanding of the defense when asked to assess his position group as a collective.

While the arrow was already point upwards due to consistency and production, Trotter Jr. very much feels like a first-year player primed to soar in due time.

“I feel like I’m taking steps forward,” he said. “We have a great coaching staff teaching me different things, and great veterans as well who teach me the ropes and different techniques. I’ll get back and watch some film, make those corrections, and try to improve every week.”

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