The Philadelphia Eagles entered training camp with question marks at running back, linebacker, and safety.
The Eagles brought in veterans at all three positions but the youth movement already appears to be underway at safety.
Philadelphia selected safety Sydney Brown in the third-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, a move that appears to be paying early dividends on the defensive side of the ball.
However, another youngster is emerging as a potential star on the Eagles defense, former undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship.
Together, they could form the Eagles’ starting safety duo for years to come.
Has Blankenship Already Earned A Starting Safety Spot?
Reed Blankenship has undoubtedly been the Eagles’ top safety this summer.
Blankenship has been one of the standouts at Eagles training camp and that continued in the join practices versus the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles’ second-year safety had three interceptions against Deshaun Watson, including two in 11v11 drills on Wednesday.
Not only has Blankenship drawn the most safety snaps during training camp but he’s also caught the eye of his fellow players and coaches.
Slay had this to say about his fellow teammate in the secondary, “Shout out to Josh Allen because he said the ‘milk check.’ We got a guy on ours who is ‘milk check’ – That’s my boy Reed, shoutout to Reed. This is a different milk check over here. He’s good milk. He don’t spoil. He makes a lot of plays.”
For reference, Josh Allen said the Bills would use a “Milk” check to call out plays when the offense saw a white defender that they wanted to target on a play.
Of course, Blankenship proved that he could be a starting-caliber safety last year. In 217 coverage snaps, Ghost allowed 8 receptions on 13 targets for 95 yards (33 YAC), 1 TD, and 1 INT. Opposing quarterbacks managed a passer rating of just 77.4 when throwing his way, something that might not happen as often in Year 2.
Remember, Blankenship’s first career interception came off none other than Aaron Rodgers.
Could Rookie Sydney Brown Become A Starter At Safety?
Brown is already receiving first-team reps and turning heads for good reason.
In his preseason debut, Brown led the Eagles with nine tackles despite playing a total of just 41 snaps. The third-round pick showed elite athleticism and ability to change direction in his pursuit of running back Keaton Mitchell.
Check out the clip below.
Perhaps even more encouraging for Eagles’ fans, Brown appears to have the right mindset to make an immediate impact.
Even though Brown isn’t attempting to injure his opponents, he wants to be a feared player.
“I just play with that intensity every single day,” Brown told reporters after practice on Wednesday. “My intention isn’t to hurt people, but if you’re carrying that football, then yeah, I mean you got it coming for you.”
That’s a good sign and should bring back fond memories of along Eagles’ legend, Brian Dawkins, another hard-hitter in the secondary that became a team leader for over a decade.
