The Philadelphia Eagles needed third-round pick Jalyx Hunt earlier than initially planned.
Injuries to Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff pushed Hunt's timeline forward. The Houston Christian product played sparingly through the season's first nine weeks, compiling 17 total snaps. However, his usage leaped in the past month due to injuries. In three of the past four games, Hunt has played 23-plus snaps, including a career-high 35 in Sunday's win over Baltimore.
It was a roller-coaster performance for the rookie, who earned half a sack but also missed some plays.
"Some good. Some not so good," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday, via the team's official transcript. "Now he's at the point where he's got to improve and build on that."
Fangio's ability to coax stellar play from young players, particularly rookies, has been a calling card of a strong first season in Philly for the DC. If he gets production from Hunt, a former safety turned edge rusher with athletic traits, but whose learning curve is steep, it might be Fangio's most impressive accomplishment this season.
The coordinator said that reps are key for young players like Hunt.
"It's a process. The more you practice, the more you play, you get better. In spite of what Allen Iverson ever said," Fangio, a Pennsylvania native, said smirking. "Some guys, personnel guys around the league, they think, 'Hey, this guy can do it. Just throw him in.' They expect the finished product. You never have the finished product with a young player until they get enough practice time and playing time. So the key will be, how does he improve?"
For the uninitiated -- or too young to remember -- Iverson, a former Philadelphia 76ers legend, once went on a rant about practice -- not a game.
For young players like Hunt, who could play an important role on the edge for the 10-2 Eagles down the stretch, all those practice reps matter.
