Eagles Film Review: Jonathan Greenard is a very good and diverse pass rusher

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 14: Jonathan Greenard #58 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes the passer during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Now that the 2026 NFL Draft is done, it's time for some film rooms on the Philadelphia Eagles' rookie class. They are all finished now! But I forgot that I hadn't written about Jonathan Greenard since the Eagles traded for him during the draft. I knew he was a good player, but I always learn more by actually watching them. So, I went back and watched all of his pass rushes from last year, as well as some run defense and coverage snaps. Here is what I found!

Jonathan Greenard

You could argue that the Greenard addition is the most significant addition of the entire offseason. Trading the 98th overall pick and a 2027 fourth-round selection to the Vikings for Jonathan Greenard, and immediately signing him to a four-year, $100 million extension. It is a significant commitment.

The Eagles entered this offseason with a pass-rush group that had promise with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt atop the depth chart, but they lacked an outstanding pass rusher. I don't think they had an established, proven edge rusher who could win one-on-one without schematic help. After losing Jaelan Phillips in free agency, that absence was glaring. Greenard fixes it immediately.

I'll get into why below, but I think Greenard is an obvious tier below the elite freakish talents. Elite pass rushers are often superhuman athletes. Greenard is not one of them. He is not Micah Parsons. He is not Maxx Crosby. But he is an excellent pass rusher who wins without help, creates problems for quarterbacks every game, and does it on all three downs. If he can rediscover the finishing ability that produced 12.0 sacks in 2024, he pushes back into the conversation as one of the better edge rushers in the league outside that elite handful. And even if the finishing never fully returns, what he provides in pure pressure generation is already worth a lot.

StrengthsPass Rush

Greenard is not a speed rusher who disappears on early downs. He is not a power rusher who gets beaten by quicker tackles. He is a technically refined, varied pass rusher with an actual bag of moves and the football intelligence to deploy them situationally. He corners the pocket with elite hip flexibility, dropping his weight underneath larger blockers to gain leverage rather than going around them at the same height. The result is a rusher who can win in multiple ways on the same series, which prevents offensive tackles from sitting on a single counter.

2) This isn't something you see often, almost a double-hand chop to clear the OT. A lot of his pressure last year was quick pressure. Watch the closing speed. You don't need elite athleticism if your hands are that active. He's a very refined pass rusher. pic.twitter.com/5hd8QUxpY3

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

He also has a functional bull rush and long-arm collapse move that gives him a legitimate power option when speed-based moves are taken away. It is not his primary weapon; this is not a player who overwhelms tackles with brute force, but it exists as a credible counter that forces blockers to respect more than one dimension on any given rep. His arm length makes it very difficult for tackles to get into his chest.

5) I wanted to show you the arm length up close. This is the best clip to see it. He's into the lineman's chest early, still rips through, and draws the flag. That is an elite arm. A hold is not as good as a sack, but it's not far off either! He creates problems for an OT in... pic.twitter.com/bsfUmYgTSB

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

A spin move is another fantastic counter that he uses when tackles overset against him.

3) This is my favorite clip. Watch how he sets the spin up with the false step outside, the tackle oversets, and then bang. Perfect swipe to finish. And look at how he slows down as he approaches the QB once he sees the ball is out. No roughing the passer nonsense. He has a... pic.twitter.com/lckosHBjPT

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

Speed-to-power conversion is a tool in the kit rather than the foundation of the game, which is an important distinction. When the spin or the rip is countered, the bull rush is there. When the bull rush is anticipated, the spin is there. That layering is what makes him difficult to prepare for.

Quick Pressure

A majority of Greenard's pressures in 2025 arrived under 2.5 seconds, which was evident on film. When he wins, he wins early, which is so important as a pass rusher. The problem was finishing. His pressure-to-sack conversion rate in 2025 was the lowest of his career. He was creating the opportunities. He was simply not converting them at the rate he had previously, partly because the shoulder injury affected his ability to finish through the tackle, and partly because sack totals vary year to year. A healthy Greenard who converts at even a modest improvement of his 2025 rate starts producing sack numbers that look much closer to his 2024 output. And even if the conversion rate stays low, a rusher who reaches the quarterback in under 2.5 seconds at a high rate in the NFL is affecting the game on every passing down. It's hard to watch his film and think that he looks a step slower or not very good anymore. Look at him turn the corner!

6) This is the dip clip I kept coming back to. The offensive lineman is trying to get his hands on Greenard's chest. Good luck. The surface area he presents when turning that corner is almost nothing. As I said, he can win in multiple ways! pic.twitter.com/R9oV3hE4jO

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

Despite playing just 12 games in 2025, Greenard generated 47 total pressures at an 18.1% pressure rate. That is excellent production, regardless of his sack totals, and it clearly shows that the ability to affect the quarterback never left. Pressure rate is a far more stable indicator of pass-rush quality than sack totals, and Greenard's 2025 pressure rate is as good as it has ever been.

I particularly enjoyed that when a running back stepped up to chip him, Greenard immediately read it, understood the outside path was closed, and redirected inside or underneath without breaking stride. That is a processing skill that prevents chip blocks from neutralizing him the way they do younger, less-experienced rushers.

Hey, it's been a while. I realised I hadn't actually posted anything on Jonathan Greenard. So, I went back and watched every pass rush from last year. Here are some thoughts...

1) It's always good when you see an opposing RB asked to help out in protection. That tells you what... pic.twitter.com/7LUAiZWEGd

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

Run Defense

This is what separates Greenard from a designated pass rusher and makes the contract significantly more defensible. He reads offensive line movements instantly, diagnoses pullers and down-blocks at the snap, and uses his athleticism to bypass pulling guards rather than simply setting the edge and waiting. Against a team that commits to the run, Greenard does not become a liability who gets taken off the field. He is a problem on every down. If you can take on Darnell Washington, you can take on nearly anyone.

8) Everyone knows Darnell Washington. No edge defender wants him running at you. Greenard takes him on, absorbs the hit, and makes the tackle. A little chippy after too. Perfect. Welcome to Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/D4liMFM7IN

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

With Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo occupying blockers on the inside, Greenard should frequently be working against single blocks on the outside. That is the ideal environment for exactly this type of player. He has the size to beat up on smaller tight ends who can't block.

7) Couple of run defense clips to finish. This is what you want from a backside edge defender. They leave a tight end on him. That tight end goes for a ride. At around 265 pounds with that length, he is simply too big and too physical for tight ends on the backside. pic.twitter.com/YY7Phm7Vum

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

Motor, Personality, and Locker Room Impact

Greenard is a former team captain with a vocal, fiery personality that Philadelphia is going to love. His motor is relentless, and he finishes through holds, chases plays down the line, and competes through the whistle on every snap. Fangio's defense always plays hard, and adding a player whose competitive personality is this visible and infectious matters beyond the on-field production.

Also, I didn't watch this much for this piece, as I focused on pass rushing and run defense, but the coverage numbers suggest he can drop into coverage effectively if needed, too.

WeaknessesFinishing

The obvious big question mark is last year's sack total. Greenard had a 5.3% pressure-to-sack conversion rate, which is the lowest of his career. Some of that is the shoulder injury affecting his ability to finish through contact. Some of it is natural variance. Some of it may reflect a subtle decline in the physical finishing power that produced 12.0 sacks in 2024. It's tough to know exactly why. Is it boring to just say that sack numbers are very random a lot of the time?

4) The obvious criticism from last year is the sack total. I'm not overly concerned. He looked really good, but it's totally fair to point out that he had plays like this last year where he should have finished, and didn't. pic.twitter.com/Qd1LDMNuWC

- Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) May 17, 2026

The optimistic read is that a healthy offseason and a full 2026 campaign can bring the conversion rate back toward his career norms. The pressure creation is there. If the finishing returns even partially, the sack numbers follow. If it does not, the Eagles still have a top-ten pressure generator whose effect on the passing game extends well beyond his personal statistics.

Age and Risk

Greenard turns 29 this year. By the time this four-year deal concludes, he will be 32. The Eagles are betting that 2026 and 2027 are exceptional enough to justify the potential issues that we may see down the line. That is a reasonable bet on a win-now roster. It is still a bet.

The 2025 shoulder surgery is the most recent red flag in a pattern of missed time across multiple seasons. For a player whose value is built on relentless physical play, durability is relevant to whether this contract delivers. Keeping him healthy through 17 games will be a priority from day one of training camp.

Overall Assessment and Fit With the Eagles

Jonathan Greenard is a very good NFL pass rusher, one level below the elite handful. He is not the type of player whose athleticism overwhelms you. He is the type of player whose technique, pressure rate, and quick-twitch get-off make him a persistent problem on every passing down, regardless of what the stat sheet says at the end of the game. He is at the age where he understands how to get to the quarterback. He can change his pass-rush plan weekly, depending on his opponent and the quarterback he is facing. I was a big fan after watching all of his pass rushes from last year. He consistently affected the quarterback. The more I watched him, the more I appreciated how he gets pressure and how diverse he is as a pass rusher.

The contract is a win-now move, and I am entirely comfortable with that. The Eagles are competing for a Super Bowl with a franchise quarterback in his prime. They needed a proven player at edge after losing Jaelen Phillips, and they got one. This is a very good football team that just got meaningfully better at one of its most pressing positions of need, with a player who fits the scheme and culture and immediately makes every other rusher around him more dangerous.

Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you would like to support me further, please check out myPatreon here - I just posted a 10-minute video on Jonathan Greenard and included some more clips.