The Philadelphia Eagles already have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, thanks in large part to general manager Howie Roseman. Another aggressive move, however, could push the team even closer to championship contention. While Roseman has spent much of the offseason adding depth across the roster, acquiring a proven edge rusher could further strengthen the defensive front. One intriguing target is Jonathan Greenard, who has quietly developed into one of the NFL’s most underrated pass rushers. If his time with the Minnesota Vikings is nearing its end, Philadelphia could emerge as a logical landing spot.
The Eagles have a hole on the defense when it comes to the edge rusher position. This need was increased after losing Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers on a 4-year $120 million contract. Philadelphia was never going to go that high on Phillips, leaving them with just three edge rushers under contract entering 2026.
Nolan Smith Jr., Jalyx Hunt, and newly signed Arnold Ebiketie are the trio of edge rushers under contract next season. The three are solid players, but none of them are viewed as elite edge rushers who could carry a defensive front.
Veteran Brandon Graham recently said he does not plan to retire, making a potential return to the Eagles later in free agency likely. This would add a nice veteran depth piece, but still no game-changer. Because of that, adding another proven pass rusher should become a priority for Philadelphia moving forward.
Jonathan Greenard is an edge rusher coming off some great years in Minnesota. He’s just 28 years old and has been a one-time Pro Bowler. His career has been a success; he entered the league in 2020 as a third-round pick of the Houston Texans and has accumulated 38 career sacks.
Greenard would instantly bring an increased level of experience to an otherwise young and unproven Eagles edge rush group. He has more career sacks than the three edge rushers under contract combined. His career high in sacks is 12.5, which would also exceed any mark amongst the others, and he reached that total in back-to-back seasons.
Greenard is currently under contract for two more years, but is seeking an extension. His current cap hit would see the Eagles taking on $19 million against the cap in 2026 and 2027. An extension would need to be in place for Philadelphia to agree to a deal that would likely exceed $20 million a year.
Roseman has a history of trading expected comp picks for players, the most recent player being Phillips. He traded a third-round pick, knowing he would receive a compensatory pick in return for losing Milton Williams to the New England Patriots. Now, Phillips will net the Eagles another third-round comp pick after going to Carolina. This opens the possibility of trading a third for Greenard, whose value is expected to be around a day two pick.
Philadelphia needs to address one of the weaker spots on the roster, a true game-changing level pass rusher. Adding a guy like Greenard would give them a young, but experienced player who has seen success at the NFL level. Adding a player of his caliber for a third-round draft pick is a reasonable price and is something Roseman should be all over. This is the move that changes the Eagles’ defense from good to great.
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