Kyzir White’s career has shown that his best football can lie ahead of him, and that’s one reason the Eagles are so keen on adding a fifth-year midfielder who in 2021 hit a career high of 144 tackles – the third most in the AFC with seven games in double digits – and has the speed and athleticism to cover the passing game. Security in his college days in West Virginia, White was one of seven siblings, three of whom made it to the NFL (Kevin and Ka’Raun are former wide receivers).
So it’s all about football and family for White, who agreed a one-year deal with the Eagles on Saturday and who adds depth to the midfielder corps. Philadelphia continues to build – we are early in the process here, and the team understands the work ahead – and bringing White in to compete for playing time at the linebackers makes a lot of sense. White is here to prove something to the team and the NFL.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Chargers in 2018, the Macungie, Pennsylvania native is only 26 years old and he continues to earn his time with the Chargers – starting three games as a rookie, then seven in 2019, 10 years later, and 17 contests in all for Los Angeles. last season. He is an agile, to-the-ball player who has had, according to Pro Football Focus, “four consecutive seasons with coverage values over 60.0, not an easy feat for an off-ball midfielder in today’s NFL against so lots of hi-lo concepts and increased run-pass options put so much pressure on position.”
Between White’s revival in 2021, he outperformed the team’s 2020 first-round draft pick, Kenneth Murray, for time on the court and, more than anything, made the game.
• Did any of the 3 NFL players have a sack, some forced errors, and some interceptions this season
• Tied to lead the team by 2 INTs, both against Baltimore on Week 6. White is the first LB Chargers by multiple choice in a single game since 2008
• Forced 2 errors in Week 1 win in Washington, most by Chargers in season openers since at least 2000
Adding the Whites doesn’t mean the Eagles are finished in linebackers – they are, in fact, open to increasing any position across other free agents, through next month’s NFL Draft, and well into the summer and into September and beyond via waiver trades and wires. But White is an interesting player who started his career with the Chargers as a WILL (weak side) midfielder in the 4-3 front and then moved deep into the 3-4 front that Los Angeles used last season.
The Eagles have young and talented players at the back with T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor and the newly added Haason Reddick took the lead and the likes of Shaun Bradley, Patrick Johnson and JaCoby Stevens vie for places and playing time. Adding White to the mix only adds more competition and brings in players who have had success in the NFL and who want to show the league that he is real.
