The Philadelphia Eagles came away as one of the league’s winners in this year’s NFL Draft. Check any post draft ranking or outlet listing winners and losers of the 2024 Draft and you’re bound to see midnight green in the winners category.
Philadelphia was not only able to land three Top 100 players from my Big Board, but they also tied an NFL record with the most draft day trades since 1990 with eight transactions.
Of course, much of the love has been sent in the direction of the team’s top two selections, CB Quinyon Mitchell and DB Cooper DeJean.
It makes sense given the fact that this was the first time since the 2002 that Philadelphia made it a priority to upgrade the secondary by selecting a cornerback in the first round and spending second round pick on a defensive back (the 2nd time in the Howie Roseman era).
Yet beyond all the glitz and glamour of the day one and two selections, there’s a player who could be the most high risk yet high reward of the bunch in Jalyx Hunt.
“What’s up Big Pimpin,” Hunt said as he answered the call of Eagles GM Howie Roseman.
It’s an introduction only fitting for the player and person Philadelphia is bringing into their locker room.
Reporters and analysts often ask, where does a player get his why from? Essentially, why does this player play the game?
For some, it’s the love of the sport. For others, it presents an opportunity to provide for loved ones. Yet for Jalyx Hunt, validation seems to stand above all.
“Honestly, I started out being the only person who believed in myself seemingly,” Hunt said. “You know it’s always great to get outside validation, but to know that I was able to push myself to this position, and now everyone is able to see the work that I’ve been putting in, it inspires me to do more, because I feel I have so much more to give.”
The final sentence of that statement holds so much weight, specifically when you consider that the selection of Hunt was all about what Hunt could potentially become. Especially under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who reportedly had Hunt high on his list of players he wanted in his defense out of the 2024 draft.
Upon turning on the film, the first thing that pops off the screen about Hunt are the freakishly athletic traits he possesses. This should come as no surprise, given the fact that he spent his high school days as both a wide receiver and cornerback.
Hunt also spent his first three years at the collegiate level playing safety.
As a zero star recruit, Hunt had to work his way from obscurity to notoriety. This included spending time as an Ivy League student at Cornell.
Yet despite the age-old adage of ‘if you’re talented the league will find you’, sometimes if you want to succeed, you have to be willing to bet on yourself (No Jontay Porter, of course).
Hunt would do just that, receiving the opportunity to transfer to Houston Christian University.
But here’s the thing that becomes a bit of a running theme for Hunt.
See, as much as Hunt needed this chance from Houston Christian, the University needed him as well.
To be quite frank, we’re talking about a program that recently became an official FCS program in 2014, and even recently changed its name in 2022 (formerly known as Houston Baptist).
As the school was in the middle of a rebrand, they had a plan for Hunt to do the exact same thing, moving him from safety to EDGE.
“I wanted him to know the directions of the program and how he’d be a big factor in helping us succeed. I laid out my vision, and Jaylx believed in it, too,” said Head Coach Braxton Harris on Hunt.
Not only did the gamble and transition pay off for Hunt, but it did for Houston Christian as well. Hunt helped lead the program to its its .500 season in 2023.
During his two seasons as a Husky, Hunt racked up 13.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. This is all en-route to becoming the first ever draft selection in program history, and only the third player from the program to play in the NFL (Caleb Johnson & Bailey Zappe).
The next step in Hunt’s progression is upon us, but we’re not only here because of the tremendous upside Hunt possesses, or because the Eagles will soon need to restock the EDGE position.
All of those are a factors, but specifically given how Vic Fangio uses his EDGE rushers, the sky could be the limit for this young man.
Over the last five seasons, Fangio has dropped his top three pass rushers into coverage on an average of 13.7% of pass snaps.
Albeit in a different scheme, this aligns with Hunt’s background as a safety. In coverage, it gives the veteran coordinator a couple of guys with a more advanced skillset in this area than he’s had in previous seasons with Hunt and former first round pick, Nolan Smith, as well as the recently signed Bryce Huff.
Howie Roseman spoke in volume about the importance of the franchise allowing younger players the opportunity to learn from and work under veterans that may already be in place.
Philadelphia set this up perfectly with both Mitchell and Hunt, as both the EDGE and cornerback room are led by veterans Brandon Graham and Darius Slay.
Whether the selection will yield positive results remains to be seen, but the most important thing during draft season is the process that leads teams to selecting players.
And this was a process that should be lauded, given the fact that Philadelphia traded back twice and acquired multiple future assets. This is independent of the traits and Hunt possesses.
The selection of Hunt is clearly a projection, but it’s evident that the Eagles clearly wanted him in the building.
“Every time DJ’s [Daniel Jeremiah] best available came on, I got a little worried,” Howie Roseman said following Day 2 of the draft. “You know my guy over there, it’s like you get a guy from Houston Christian, and nobodies is going to know, it goes to the point, obviously everyone knew when he was at the Senior Bowl, but I think for us the values were good, those were good traits for what we were trying to accomplish here.”
Is Jaylx Hunt The Next Big Thing? A guy who could be next in the line of small school pass rushers that make a major impact in the league (there’s always time for a Max Crosby shoutout)?
Only time will tell, but there’s a lot to be excited about. The production may not be immediate but again — high risk, high reward.
There’s work to put in, but if history (and Hunt) says anything, he’s more than willing to do that part.
In terms of how and when Hunt will produce, he can tell you himself.
Cover Image: Houston Christian Athletics
The Philly Blitz 
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