Youthful defense has so much to prove, get your popcorn ready!

And then there is the youth part of it. All-Pro Jalen Carter is 24. Jordan Davis and Thomas Booker are 25. Moro Ojomo is 23. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt? Just 24 years old. The free agents added, Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari are in their prime-age seasons. Bryce Huff, who the Eagles believe will be a whole lot better in his second season here, is only 26.

At linebacker, Baun is 27, at his absolute best as an All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year finalist. Nakobe Dean is 24. Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. enters his second NFL season. Campbell just turned 21 years of age. In the secondary, both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean enter their second seasons. Cornerback Kelee Ringo will be 23 in June. Eli Ricks is young. Reed Blankenship is the most experienced safety, entering his fourth season. Sydney Brown is in Year 3. Mukuba is the new guy. Lewis Cine enters his third NFL season. Tristin McCollum is 25.

I mean … do you need to look at every single player? Do you grasp the significance here? The Eagles have the best of all situations: Players with a lot of game experience, a defense that has so many players with a Super Bowl ring, and yet they’ll have just one player at it projects on paper – cornerback Adoree’ Jackson in that 30-year-old range (he turns 30 in September).

Youth wins in the NFL. Energy is paramount. The Eagles became younger in 2024 and it paid off. Now the Eagles are even younger. Gone are some great players – defensive end Brandon Graham, outside linebacker Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Darius Slay, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. What they did for the Eagles in their careers here will always be applauded and appreciated.

But rather than run it back with largely the same group that won the Super Bowl, Roseman is putting his foot on the gas and now Fangio – who showed just how brilliantly he conveyed his message to young players last season – has a defensive roster loaded with players who have all the tools, who bring multiple skill sets, all of whom have something to prove, and youthful energy with experience.

It is the perfect recipe for success.

Look, there is no doubt that a whole lot of work has to be done for the Eagles to play defense as they played it in their World Championship run of 2024. Fangio has to integrate a lot of new pieces and he has to find the right dynamic for the new skill sets.

But this is exciting stuff. This is a chance for the Eagles…