Eagles fan favorite named as breakout candidate in 2023
The Philadelphia Eagles received unexpected contributions from safety Reed Blankenship in 2022. The undrafted free agent not only proved that he belonged in the NFL, but that he was capable of making a legitimate impact in the Eagles’ secondary. Now with one year of experience under his belt, Blankenship looks to slide into the starting […]
The Philadelphia Eagles received unexpected contributions from safety Reed Blankenship in 2022. The undrafted free agent not only proved that he belonged in the NFL, but that he was capable of making a legitimate impact in the Eagles’ secondary.
Now with one year of experience under his belt, Blankenship looks to slide into the starting role at free safety. He has big shoes to fill after the departure of C.J Gardner-Johnson, but having already done so before the task should feel less daunting.
Blankenship logged four starts as Gardner-Johnson dealt with injury just a season ago. He finished his rookie campaign with 34 tackles, four passes defensed and one interception (off of Aaron Rodgers), but his impressive play wasn’t completely reflected on the stat sheet.
The Eagles aren’t the only ones expecting big things out of Blankenship in the upcoming season. Pro Football Focus recently named him to their 2023 All-Breakout Team.
From PFF: After going undrafted out of Middle Tennessee in 2022, Blankenship had to scratch and claw to make an impact on an Eagles defense with Super Bowl aspirations, and he did just that starting in Week 12. In limited action, Blankenship posted solid numbers across the board, posting a 79.4 PFF grade, an 89.4 run-defense grade, a 82.1 tackling grade and a 70.8 coverage grade. After the departures of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps, Blankenship is looking at a major uptick in playing time and production in 2023.
Blankenship managed to soar over the bar set for him in his rookie year, but the expectations for a starter are much different. If the former Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider can prove capable of anchoring a secondary with an increased workload, the sky is the limit for Philadelphia’s defense in 2023.
Featured image via Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
