Philadelphia Eagles Could Target This Former Steelers’ Defender

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ defense regressed in a major way in 2023. After being one of the most dominant units in the NFL in 2022, their production fell off a cliff.

A sizable risk was taken in 2023, as the Philadelphia Eagles relied on some younger players to step into larger roles. Coupled with the loss of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, it was too much to overcome.

As a result, the front office got to work upgrading the defense this offseason. IIn the 2024 NFL Draft, the secondary was a point of emphasis. They used their first two picks on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

In free agency, seven different players were added from other teams to help get this unit back on track. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was brought back after one season with the Detroit Lions to help further stabilize the backfield.

Another position that was revamped this offseason was linebacker. The team took a swing on Devin White, poaching the former All-Pro from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Oren Burks was signed away from the San Francisco 49ers and Julian Okwara left the Lions to help the pass rush.

The Philadelphia Eagles have done a great job addressing needs, but adding some veteran depth certainly wouldn’t help. Injuries are unavoidable in the NFL and having depth you can rely on to step into the lineup and play is imperative.

One player who could help the Philadelphia Eagles in that regard is linebacker Markus Golden. A well-traveled veteran, Golden spent the 2023 season as a rotational piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 16 games, Golden had 4.0 sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits and nine pressures. Those are strong numbers when taking into account he played only 22 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

With experience playing a rotational role and showing he can excel in it, Golden would be a savvy addition to the Philadelphia Eagles. Should the need arise for his role to expand, he should be able to handle that as well.

At previous stops in his NFL career, Golden has shown excellent pass-rushing ability. He has recorded double-digit sacks three times in his career, most recently in 2021 with the Arizona Cardinals.

2023 was the first time in his career that he failed to reach double-digit pressures, but his per-snap numbers were still very strong. Golden is also a strong, reliable tackler, as he didn’t have a single missed tackle in 2023.

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