Carmen Vitali
NFL Reporter
Much has been made this offseason about the importance of the offensive and defensive lines in building an NFL team.
You can probably thank the Philadelphia Eagles for that.
It’s not a coincidence that the team who reached the peak of the mountaintop, winning Super Bowl LIX, is known for investing heavily along the line of scrimmage, after all.
We all know the Eagles have a star-studded offensive line, but let’s examine the other side to really hammer home what it means to build through the trenches.
The Eagles had the league’s top-ranked defense in 2024. Teams had just a 41% success rate against them, which was the third-best mark in the league. All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter had a time-to-pressure of just 2.68 seconds, ranking in the top 10 of all defensive linemen with a minimum of 215 pass rushes, per Next Gen Stats. But curiously, you won’t find many Eagles players in the top 10 when it comes to other quantitative categories.
Why?
It’s not because they don’t have great players. If you watched their lopsided Super Bowl win over the Chiefs, you know they do.
It’s because the Eagles have a rotation up front. They have depth.
“Depth is the key,” one AFC West assistant told FOX Sports. “It’s back to the college model, the good NCAA teams have depth. You get these guys on rookie contracts.
“Look at the Eagles, they always draft young DL.”
RELATED: 2025 NFL mock draft (all-trade version): Every team deals away its first pick
The coach is right, of course. Philadelphia drafted only one defensive end in 2024, Houston Christian’s Jalyx Hunt. But in 2023, they spent both of their first-round picks on pass-rushers from then-defending champion Georgia: Carter at No. 9 overall and outside linebacker Nolan Smith with the 30th overall pick. They even finished off their draft with defensive end Moro Ojomo in the seventh round (by the way, he’s now listed as a starter).
In the past four years alone, the Eagles have drafted nine defensive linemen. Their edge rotation is four deep on both sides. They have six defensive tackles to man the interior. All that depth was on full display in February, as the team sacked Patrick Mahomes six times while appearing in its third Super Bowl in eight years. General manager Howie Roseman has built Philly in a comprehensive and holistic manner.
“The Eagles model is more than just who they pick,” one NFC pro personnel executive told FOX Sports. “It’s how they pay them, willing to reset a market with running back, how they develop them, willingness to take certain risk. They are overall more committed to trying to win than most teams.”
That determination to win — and success in doing so — has created somewhat of a domino effect in a copycat league.
It begs the question, are the trenches more important than ever?
“You can say that,” the same NFC pro personnel executive said. “The [trenches] have always been paramount, but yeah, teams try to model success, so maybe it’s being reinforced.”
There’s nothing like a Lombardi Trophy as proof of what many teams already know.
“It’s too hard to try and put most teams in a box like that, but overall, yes, the league values offensive/defensive lines over most things,” the exec said.
RELATED: Boom or bust? Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward among 8 riskiest prospects in NFL Draft
Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence either that teams like the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos invested heavily in the trenches in free agency. All five teams feature starting quarterbacks on rookie contracts. Last year in Denver, the club wildly outperformed expectations behind a first-year QB and a dominating defense.
If you aren’t sure about your quarterback, or if he’s young and developing, help him out with a defense that limits the number of points he has to score. Simple.
One of the biggest (and most pleasant) surprises was how formidable Denver’s defensive front was in 2024. Linebacker Nik Bonitto had the third-most sacks of any player last season. The Broncos had the most sacks and highest sack rate of any club in the league. Teams had just a 40.3% success rate against them, which put them just ahead of the aforementioned Eagles.
It makes sense: If your defense is going to be on the field a lot, make sure they’re a force. Teams can vividly see the benefit of loading up defensively to insulate against offensive question marks up to and including the quarterback.
The good news is, coaches and executives across the league believe this is a great year to load up on defensive linemen in the draft.
In the way that teams themselves need to be deep, this year’s class is, too.
“[It’s] f***in’ loaded!” an AFC assistant said. “Interior, edge, DPRs [designated pass-rushers], run stoppers. You name it, it’s in this class and there’s a good amount of depth.”
Why Cam Ward is the No. 1 pick over Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter
You’ve probably heard about players like Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who could go first overall if the Tennessee Titans decide against taking a quarterback. His pass-rushing toolbox is already loaded and his get-off is elite, per multiple draft analysts.
There’s also Michigan’s Mason Graham, whose 6-foot-4, nearly 300-pound frame helps him be stout against the run and have the ability to collapse the pocket.
But the draft excites people around the league because of everyone else.
“There’s a lot of depth in the middle of the draft,” one NFC head coach told me.
“You will get a really good player in the third to fifth [round],” an AFC assistant said. “A lot of players have played three-plus years. Just the experience and coaching is really good.”
That means looking at players like defensive tackle Derrick Harmon from Oregon, who probably could sneak into the first round but should be a Day 2 lock. Or Tyleik Williams from Ohio State, who ranks 27th overall on FOX Sports’ Big Board.
RELATED: 2025 NFL Draft prospect rankings: Travis Hunter leads top 101; no QBs in top 10
“This class is legit,” an AFC assistant said. “Everyone may stick to their board and still draft DL because it’s the best on the board.”
You gotta love when a plan comes together: a renewed sense of value for the trenches and a class, at least defensively, that meets that demand.
History shows that building inside-out is a blueprint for achieving success — and sustaining it.
But don’t take my word for it, let an NFC personnel executive say it:
“Each class and situation, how it plays out in real life can be different, but overall, it should be your north star.”
Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
