Eagles D-Line Has ‘Bunch of Beasts!' Says Patriots QB Mac Jones
Following a disastrous 2022 season where he had a mix of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge leading the offense, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones now has his third offensive coordinator in as many years with Bill O'Brien returning to his former post.
Jones knows that he won't get a chance to ease into the new system in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Quite the opposite, really.
When asked about the Eagles team he'll be facing, Jones was extremely complimentary of the defensive line specifically.
"They have the best defensive line in the NFL," Jones said in a radio appearance earlier this week. "At the end of the day, we just have to go out there and compete, try and control what we can control, and understand that we're going against a bunch of beasts."
Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett are part of a talented defense for the Philadelphia Eagles. (USA Today)
In terms of pass rushers, the Eagles will return Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham, each of whom had 11 or more sacks a season ago. Reddick's 16 sacks were second in the NFL, trailing only Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers. Graham, meanwhile, posted a career-high 11 sacks in his 13th NFL season, and has 70 in his career. Ex Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith fell to the Eagles with the 30th pick in this year's NFL Draft, and should make an immediate impact for new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Former first-round pick Derek Barnett will also be part of a deep rotation of pass rushers.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave -- who recorded 16 quarterback hits, 11 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss last season -- did depart to join the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. However, six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox is back for his 12th season with the Eagles, following a season where he had seven sacks himself. He's joined on the interior defensive line by a pair of Georgia first-round picks in Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, who may help the Eagles to avoid any dropoff despite losing such a productive player in Hargrave.
It would have once been unthinkable to be road favorites at Gillette Stadium in Week 1 against a Bill Belichick-led team. But in addition to one of the league's best offenses, the Eagles should once again have quite the rotation of defensive line talent this season. That may make them the best defensive line in the NFL, and is why they are four-point favorites over Jones and the Patriots.
