If you had polled the fan base four months ago and asked which Eagles’ rookie would be the most impressive through the first five games of the season, you would have gotten one of two answers: wide receiver Nelson Agholor or defensive back Eric Rowe. Maybe you’d have heard cornerback JaCorey Shepherd, and just maybe, an overconfident fan would have nominated one of the many UDFA wide receivers like Devante Davis.
One name you would not have heard? Linebacker Jordan Hicks.
After all, when Hicks was selected in the third round in this year’s draft, the first question everybody asked was Who? And the second question everybody asked was Why?
Most mock drafts had Hicks selected in one of the middle rounds, the fourth or fifth. No one expected him to be taken in the third round. And it didn’t make any sense, on paper, to pick a player at a position where the Eagles were loaded in talent.
Just look at the players the Eagles already had at inside linebacker, easily their most impressive unit on the roster.
Kiko Alonso, acquired in the trade for LeSean McCoy, was expected to return to elite form following an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2014 season. Mychal Kendricks had established himself as a star in the making with an impressive 2014 season. And veteran DeMeco Ryans, although returning from a torn Achilles, gave the Eagles one of the best backup linebackers in the game.
So what was the point in drafting Jordan Hicks? Where was the former Texas product going to play, even if he did impress in training camp and the preseason? Why didn’t the Eagles use their third-round pick on an offensive tackle or guard to fill in for a talented but aging offensive line?
That’s what the majority of the fan base thought in May. But nobody is thinking that right now.
Hicks has been one of the three or four best defensive players on the Eagles over the past month. He’s collected 27 solo or assisted tackles and he’s shown to have a major propensity for turnovers. In the last four games, Hicks has recorded three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception. He has the speed to cover tight ends and race sideline to sideline to make tackles in the running game.
He also provided one of the biggest plays in the NFL this season, as his sack of Tony Romo in Week 2 broke the Cowboys’ quarterback’s collarbone, completely changing the landscape of the NFC East. Before Romo’s injury, Dallas was 2-0 and one of the strongest teams in the league. Since his injury, they’ve lost three straight, falling out of the playoff picture, with no signs that things are improving anytime soon.
It’s going to be fascinating to see what the Eagles do with Hicks when Kiko Alonso (knee) and Mychal Kendricks (hamstring) return from their injuries. I’ve gone back and forth on what I would do, and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that you just can’t take Hicks off the field with the way he’s playing at this point. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Kendricks would be my odd man out.
A more practical solution would be rotating the three (or two, as Alonso deserves to play every down) so each gets a significant amount of playing time each game. Or perhaps the Eagles could move Kendricks, the best pass-rusher of the three, to the outside, where he could rotate with Brandon Graham.
It’s a fun problem to have and it’s exactly why teams draft the best player available, regardless of position. It’s also a great lesson on not judging a draft pick until several games – or more – into his rookie season. Because at this point, Hicks’ play has vaulted himself into the discussion for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That’s something no one saw coming a few months ago.
