Jalyx Hunt’s fast start to Eagles training camp beckons lofty comparisons, high expectations

Midway through the Eagles’ third practice of training camp Saturday, Jalyx Hunt jogged over to A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley for some friendly trash talk.

The second-year edge rusher has gotten off to an encouraging start on the field this summer, and has grown comfortable enough off of it to engage in banter with some of the teammates he looks up to when the opportunity arises.

“Whenever I can mess with them, I like messing with them,” Hunt said. “But I really just like to be around them. Ask questions, pick their brain a little bit. On the way in, I was just letting them know, ‘Defense won today.’

“I look at them as role models. When your players [are] at as high a caliber as them and as humble as they are, they just bring great energy every day.”

At least one of Hunt’s teammates believes he could soon be among the best players on the Eagles roster rather than just trying to needle them, though.

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One year removed from the Eagles drafting him in the third round as a developmental edge prospect out of Houston Christian, Hunt’s progress in the latter stages of his rookie year has set him up to take on a significant role in the team’s rusher rotation. It’s a group that lost both Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat over the offseason, and now hinges on Hunt and third-year edge rusher Nolan Smith building off of encouraging postseason performances to fill the void.

Through the first week of practices, Hunt has looked explosive off the edge and garnered plenty of attention in his pursuit to do just that. He has even drawn some lofty comparisons from his teammates as a result.

“Ah man, he’s going to be special,” said Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata. “His burst — he has tendencies like Micah [Parsons], the way he cuts on a dime like that. Man, I’m so proud of that guy, the way he works. How do I go from Josh Sweat to Jalyx, man? It’s crazy. … Jalyx is going to be a star, man. And I’m glad that I get to go up against him because I know, if he’s giving me hell, he’s going to give everyone else hell."

Hunt’s fellow edge rusher Nolan Smith added, “He’s going to be the best thing since sliced bread.”

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, not known for showering his players with praise, predictably was not on board with Mailata’s comparison or A.J. Brown nicknaming Cooper DeJean “APC, for All-Pro Coop.”

Fangio did acknowledge the ceiling for Hunt this season, though, informed by a stretch last season from Week 13 to the Super Bowl in which Hunt tallied two sacks and 17 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

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“Yeah, both of them overdid it,” Fangio said Thursday. “Jalyx to me, the last third of the season into the playoffs played a lot for us and played good. We have high expectations for them. Anything beyond that right now to say would be reckless.”

Part of Hunt’s supposed leap can be traced to his offseason networking. Both he and Smith trained with a few dozen NFL pass rushers at the “sack summit,” an event led by Commanders veteran edge rusher Von Miller, Raiders star Maxx Crosby, and Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Similar to the player-led, position-specific events held for offensive linemen and tight ends, Hunt said the weekend in Las Vegas gave him a chance to focus on the nuances of pass-rush moves and how the league’s most effective rushers operate.

“I was really just picking their brain, just asking questions,” Hunt said. “Really getting into the pass-rushing details that a lot of people don’t really care about. … I love rushing so much, you kind of get into the nitty-gritty details that not a lot of people care about or people overlook. That’s where I’m trying to benefit and be a technician on.”

And while Hunt conceded he still hasn’t completely gotten used to being around some of the biggest names in the NFL, the 24-year-old said he hopes to one day feel like he’s among them.

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“I don’t take this for granted,” Hunt said. “This is something I haven’t been able to experience a whole bunch in my life. So, being surrounded by people who are of this caliber and also great people, it’s a very humbling experience.

“It’s something that I want to get used to. Because, when you get used to something, it’s like, ‘Wow, I really belong here. I’m really here.’ And I definitely feel like I belong here.”