Eagles X-Factor: Reed Blankenship the 'Glue' of Philly’s Defense?
The Philadelphia Eagles are fresh off winning the NFC and have enjoyed an offseason in which they gave quarterback Jalen Hurts a lengthy contract extension and fine-tuned an already deep roster.
When thinking about how the Eagles can get back to the sport's biggest game, ideas of a Hurts-led offense and strong defensive line come to mind.
But what can get Philadelphia over the top? Better yet, who?
According to Pro Football Focus, the answer is second-year safety Reed Blankenship, who's ascended from undrafted free agent to being the Eagles "x-factor" this coming season.
"Blankenship enters 2023 with a great opportunity to start after a surprising rookie year in which he finished with a 79.4 overall grade," PFF writes. "He earned an 89.4 run-defense grade, fourth best among qualified safeties, and made some plays in coverage — including an interception of Aaron Rodgers.
"The Eagles will still have an elite pass rush and excellent outside cornerback play. They need Blankenship to be the glue in the middle."
PFF, which placed the Eagles at No. 1 in its preseason roster rankings, added that Philadelphia's biggest weakness is coverage between the numbers, stemming from the losses of defensive backs Marcus Epps and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
This is where the 24-year-old Blankenship enters the fold, fresh off a season in which he logged 34 tackles, two passes defended and an interception across 10 games (four starts) and saw time in all three playoff games, including a start in the divisional round victory over the New York Giants.
Earlier this offseason, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni expressed confidence in Blankenship and noted he did a "nice job" playing meaningful snaps down the stretch.
Now, Blankenship could be thrust into a starting role - and be given the right to prove he can be the difference in Philadelphia's Super Bowl fate.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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