PHILADELPHIA — In November of 2021, then-Eagles rookie edge rusher Patrick Johnson was introduced to Jalyx Hunt before the world knew of Hunt’s name, never expecting one day that Hunt would join him in the Eagles’ pass rush rotation.
Johnson met Hunt through his high school friend, a teammate of Hunt’s at Cornell, in a hotel after Cornell beat Penn that November.
At the time, Hunt was a backup playing out of position, falling further away from the radar of NFL teams.
“Jalyx said, ‘Oh, yeah, man, I play safety,’ and I was like, ‘Man, that’s a big safety,” Johnson told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday.
Not Johnson, not Cornell’s coaches, not even a fortune teller could have predicted back then that Hunt would become an NFL starting edge rusher for one of the league’s best defenses after spending most of his career far from the line of scrimmage.
Hunt’s journey as a safety-turned-pass rusher began in 2022 after transferring to Houston Christian, and two years later, he got drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
After a strong finish to his rookie season, Hunt has continued to flash in his second year but starting this Sunday in a Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, he needs to turn his potential into more sacks, pressures and run stops. In three games, he has zero sacks, five tackles and three quarterback hits.
“He knows his standard, and he talks about it all the time when he’s walking around,” Johnson said. “He’s not happy with how he’s been playing. He told me, ‘Man, I want to get more sacks, I want to get more pressures. I want to be able to make more tackles.’ Earlier this morning, he’s like, ‘Man, while I was sleeping, I was thinking about getting a sack this week.’
“He’s always talking about it. That’s his mindset. So, I look forward to seeing what he can do this week, and I think he’s going to have a great one.”
The Eagles will be without their top pass rusher, Nolan Smith, for the next four weeks after he suffered a strained triceps in Week 3, and during that stretch, Philadelphia’s pass rush could be ineffective if Hunt struggles to be a viable top option.
It’s somewhat of an unfair expectation for someone who just started playing edge rusher four years ago, but that’s the bet the Eagles took when they didn’t re-sign Josh Sweat in free agency and didn’t use premier draft picks on pass rushers.
The Eagles are confident Hunt could become one of their next defensive stars, and there are many people who believe he could break out soon, especially now that he has a bigger opportunity.
Hunt was a high-level pass rusher in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl victory against the Chiefs last season, dominating veteran offensive lineman Joe Thuney, recording one sack and having the second-highest pressure rate on the team (23.5%).
Watching Hunt thrive in the Super Bowl was a cool, full-circle moment for Cornell safeties coach Will Blanden because he was one of the first coaches who tried to move Hunt to edge rusher.
“He fought it, and he fought it, and he was actually fighting to keep his weight down,” Blanden said about Hunt never becoming an edge rusher at Cornell. “I always laugh about that. The dude was 6-4 or 6-3, 234 pounds, playing safety.
“It was like my first Zoom ever, and I heard him joking with his teammates about taking dietary tea because he was trying to keep his weight down. Because in his mind, he was like, ‘I’m a safety.’”
Blanden and Cornell defensive coordinator Jared Backus both thought Hunt could excel at edge because of his incredible wingspan (82 ¾ inches), size (6-3, 252 pounds) and elite movement.
To take advantage of his athleticism, Cornell used him on blitzes as a hybrid outside linebacker and nickel defender, but Blanden was unsure how Hunt would fare against power as a full-time edge.
“One thing, when I got calls from scouts a couple years ago, they asked me ‘What do you think happens if one of these O-lineman gets a hand on him?’” Blanden said. “That was always what I would think about, too. Like, all right, when he’s playing that five technique, is he going to put his face in the fan and be able to hold up? I know he has it in him, in terms of want to. But I would have to see that, right? And then while I’m watching (him in the NFL), like, dude, you got to be kidding me. Like, this is crazy.”
Johnson was waived after one game last season, and at that time, Hunt did not have a role on the Eagles’ defense.
One of the first things he noticed after returning to the team this year was Hunt’s improved strength.
“He’s put size on, so now he’s able to really use that strength and all the extra body mass he’s put on to be able to execute his power rushes better,” Johnson said.
A couple of weeks ago, rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson was wowed by Hunt at practice, when he “forklifted” an unnamed offensive lineman on a bull rush.
Now, Hunt can complement his elegance with power.
“He’s almost like a gazelle, with like just long, powerful strides and then being able to beat the tackle to the edge and kind of turn the corner,” Robinson said.
Not only does Hunt have unique physical tools, he is a smart football player, too.
“When I first got here, that was the guy who was just talking me through different, coverage responsibilities,” said Ogbo Okoronkwo, who joined the Eagles in late July. “He knows what he’s doing out there. It’s cool to see a young guy take command of the defense, as far as his responsibilities within it.”
Backus said Hunt “always had a desire to get better,” so he would watch film with his teammates and have one-on-one sessions in his office to go over film.
“It makes sense to me why he’s having all his success,” Backus told NJ Advance. “Because when you have that attitude and you mature, watch out.”
The loss of Smith won’t be easy to overcome, especially in the run game where Smith knocks over pulling guards, but if Hunt shines in Smith’s absence, it could set up a long, prosperous career.
“This guy, if he just keeps his head down, man, he’s going to make himself a good bit of money,” Blanden said. “He’s doing very well and I’m so proud of him.”
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