Key Eagles piece finally receives national recognition, but his performance still deserves even more appreciation
Eagles off-ball linebacker Zack Baun ranked fourth among players at his position in new ESPN rankings.
ESPN released its 2026 NFL off-ball linebacker rankings, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun landed at No. 4 on the list. Fred Warner came in at No. 1, Roquan Smith at No. 2, and Cleveland’s Carson Schwesinger, just 23 years old, slotted in at No. 3. Baun at No. 4 feels right, but I think his 2025 season was one of the most underrated campaigns by any Eagles linebacker in recent years.
Baun’s rise has been one of the best stories in the NFL
Think about where this guy came from. Zach Baun was a nobody, and nobody wanted him. He signed a cheap one-year deal, and then Vic Fangio switched him to inside linebacker, and everything changed. He came out of nowhere in 2024 and became one of the best linebackers in the entire NFL. He set all kinds of records, helped anchor a defense that carried Philadelphia to a Super Bowl championship, and suddenly he was a household name.
Then 2025 happened. The offense was collapsing around everybody, the season ended in disappointment, and I think that’s exactly why people stopped paying attention to what Baun was doing on the defensive side of the ball. Because while everything was falling apart offensively, the defense was a constant. Baun was a constant. He was the only player in the NFL last season with at least 120 tackles and 10 disrupted dropbacks. That is an absurd stat line, and it deserves way more recognition than it got.
A third straight dominant season feels inevitable
I think the reason his 2025 didn’t get the attention it deserved is simple. In 2024, the story was too good to ignore. New position, instant stardom, Super Bowl ring. But when you follow that up with another elite season and the team around you is struggling, people just move on. That’s how the media cycle works, and it’s unfortunate, because Baun was every bit as good.
Now heading into 2026, I fully expect Baun to come in and deliver a third consecutive dominant season. The defense should be even better with another year of continuity, and Baun is the kind of player who just keeps grinding and improving. ESPN has him at No. 4 in the league, and honestly, you could make a case he belongs even higher. Either way, shout out to Zack Baun. His story over the past two years has been one of the best in the NFL, and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to done writing it.