Eagles rookie made huge declaration versus Browns: Could he run
PHILADELPHIA– In the 2nd quarter of the Eagles’ 22-13 preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, Eagles novice security Drew Mukuba followed Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the sideline and ditched his guy to leap Dillon Gabriel’s pass to tight end Blake Whitehart, pulling down an interception and returning it for a 75-yard touchdown.Two drives after his
pick-6, Mukuba dove to the ground and recovered Gabriel’s fumble on a bad handoff. Mukuba’s preseason launching worked out, and it could give him momentum to beat out Sydney Brown for the beginning task. He showed Eagles protective planner Vic Fangio that he could be Philadelphia’s playmaker on the backend. Philadelphia’s decision to trade security C.J Gardner-Johnson throughout the offseason was a dangerous move. Gardner-Johnson is one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL, accumulating 6 interceptions in both seasons(2022 and 2024) with the Eagles.Fangio needs someone to change Gardner-Johnson’s production, and Mukuba finest fits that function. The novice accumulated five interceptions last season for Texas, proving he has excellent instincts.However, Mukuba has to be more consistent in protection over the next week to make Fangio’s complete trust. He gave up an 18-yard catch to Browns pass receiver Cedric Tillman and has enabled big catches in practice. Brown needs to make more plays to hold back Mukuba. The Eagles prepared Mukuba in the 2nd round to become their starter, and he may have the edge now.
The cornerback competitors is much more appealing. On the boundary, Adoree’Jackson and Kelee Ringo began. Recently acquired CB Jakorian Bennett turned in.
A winner won’t be called after today, however Bennett might become the favorite quickly. He broke up Gabriel’s pass that was intended for Browns undrafted complimentary agent George Larvadain.
The novice WR ran a crosser and acquired take advantage of, but Bennett did a good task of extending his hand to knock it away.Bennett likewise gave up a short catch to Johnson, but he immediately tackled him. Johnson’s catch was called back for a penalty.The Eagles traded for Bennett after the first week of training school, and it hasn’t taken him long to enter the competition. Ringo and Jackson didn’t play well at practice– making cornerback a need. They likewise struggled in recently’s
preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.Both CBs looked much better against the Browns, but they had some bad minutes too. Throughout the first quarter, Jackson quit a nine-yard catch to WR Kaden Davis and missed out on the tackle. Browns pass receiver Jamari Thrash later beat Ringo for 19 backyards on a crosser.
Ringo then held Thrash to two backyards on a WR screen.After getting banged up at the end of the 2nd quarter, Bennett returned in the 3rd quarter. He made a deal with on the second drive. Ringo and Bennett played throughout
the second half, and Jackson didn’t. The Eagles should feel anxious about their CB2 scenario. It might potentially be the weak point of their defense this season. Philadelphia’s linebackers and protective linemen also flashed. On the opening drive, Eagles rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell ran through the A-gap to
sack Gabriel. In the first half, Eagles edge rush Azeez Ojulari beat Browns offensive take on Cornelius Lucas on third-and-3 and sacked Gabriel. Ojulari had his finest practices of training camp today, improving his possibilities of making the 53-man roster.Philadelphia’s defense is expected to be a great unit again, but more issues exist. Fangio has to find strong options at CB2 and totally free security. Even if those concerns don’t get fixed, the defense is good enough somewhere else to be strong. Thank you for counting on us to provide the journalism you can rely on. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.If you purchase an item or register for an account through a link on our
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