Eagles Top 25 For 2025: Breakout Star Lands Just Outside Top 10

PHILADELPHIA – He was the breakout star of 2024, and he got paid for the production he provided on the Eagles’ path another Super Bowl championship. It’s safe to say that, without Zack Baun patrolling the defense, the Eagles don’t win their second Super Bowl in eight seasons.

He led the team in tackles with 150 and had 11 tackles for loss, with five quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. In the Super Bowl, he picked off Patrick Mahomes late in the first half and inside the 15-yard line to set up another Eagles touchdown to take a 24-0 lead into halftime against the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty.

Baun was a revelation, a creation of Vic Fangio’s scheme, and it earned him the No. 11 spot on the countdown of the top-25 Eagles on the current roster. He was an All-Pro and one of five finalists for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

Eagles on Sports Illustrated beat reporters Ed Kracz and John McMullen each compiled their top 25 lists separately, and a point system determined the final list with No. 1 receiving 25 points all the way down to one point for No. 25.

Baun collected 33 total points. There was a wide disparity between where Kracz had Baun on his list versus where McMullen put the linebacker.

Kracz had him ranked 12th, with the thinking that Baun was a product of the scheme he played in and there are probably at least 10 better linebacker in the league better than him. McMullen put him at No. 7 on his list.

The list so far:

No. 25 (tie): Jihaad Campbell and Drew Mukuba (3 points each)

No. 24: Matt Pryor (4)

No. 23: Adoree Jackson (5)

No. 22: Jahan Dotson (7)

No. 21: Kelee Ringo (8)

No. 20: Jake Elliott (13)

No. 19: Jalyx Hunt (13)

No. 18: Moro Ojomo (14)

No. 17: Jordan Davis (19)

No. 16: Nakobe Dean (20)

No. 15: Reed Blankenship (21)

No. 14: Nolan Smith (25)

No. 13: Dallas Goedert (27)

No. 12: Cam Jurgens (28)

Baun earned a big contract from general manager Howie Roseman, a three-year deal that can be worth up to $51 million. Can Baun, who had been mostly a special-teams player during his time with the New Orleans Saints, live up to that contract and do what he did last year, or even close to it?

"Throughout my career, I learned to never be satisfied with where I'm at,” he said. “Before my breakout year, you could have said I made it in the NFL. In my head, I still have stuff to prove, and that's definitely still the case now.”

More NFL: Eagles Top 25 For 2025: Run Of Defenders Comes To An End At No. 13