Work With Matt Leo, Frequent Film Room Trips Paying Off For Eagles Defender

PHILADELPHIA – The development of Jalyx Hunt is happening right in front of our very eyes. Thrust into a starting role this season, the second-year outside linebacker got off to somewhat of a slow start but has come on in recent weeks.

Maybe “slow start" is too harsh. Perhaps it was more of a start where he didn’t jump out and do much noteworthy. Then came Week 6 in New York, a launching pad game, when he made a career-high six tackles. After that came a pick-six touchdown in Minnesota that was followed by back-to-back games with a sack, and last week, he notched his second interception of the season.

The pick against the Bears was something that should not go overshadowed by a defense that couldn’t get off the field on third down or stop the run.

Hunt recognized a screen was coming and, according to Vic Fangio, stopped his pass rush. “He just had a feel late in the down that it was going to be a screen,” said the defensive coordinator.

A feel. This is a player, remember, who didn’t start playing on the edge and outside linebacker until his body wouldn’t stop growing, forcing him to abandon playing safety at Cornell and then transferring to Houston Christian University.

“I’m in the film room, man; a lot,” he said.

The Education Of Jalyx Hunt

Then he proved it when asked what he saw that made such an instinctual move to halt his pass rush on a dime to make his second pick.

“I kept my lane,” he said. “I kind of always had an eye out for the ball, but it definitely is something I look for more now, especially at teams’ tendencies. With them (the Bears), we knew a screen alert, how it looked, how the running back got out of the backfield, how the tight end released, how the tackle set up, it looked like a screen.”

And a screen it was. Still, Hunt didn’t have much time before quarterback Caleb Williams’ pass was on him. He tipped the ball into the air, pinpointed where it was, and made the catch.

Hunt, who just turned 24 in March, gave a shout out to Matt Leo for working with him on his hand.

Leo was allocated to the Eagles in 2020 as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, having grown up in Australia and attended Iowa State. He never played a down in the NFL, retired in 2023, was hired to the Eagles’ coaching staff, and is now a player development assistant, who is developing Hunt.

“After practice, he always has me turn around and he throws the balls at me in weird ways while I’m turning around, so I have to recognize it and catch it,” said Hunt. “I don’t do any JUGs work; just work with matt every day.”

Hunt was drafted in the third round with a “project” label attached. In just a short time, he looks like another label could attach itself to him – Pro Bowler.

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