The Philadelphia Eagles have done an amazing job of getting mercurial talent and elevating them into a role that allows both the player and organization to prosper. For defensive tackle Treyvon Hester, a change of scenery from the Oakland Raiders proved fruitful. His block of a 43-yard field goal by Cody Parkey preserved a 16-15 for the Eagles in the wild-card round.
The former seventh-round pick is now hoping use a productive 2018 season as a springboard to a regular role with the Eagles. The league has taken notice, and Pro Football Focus listed Hester as a standout.
Treyvon Hester, DT, Philadelphia Eagles:
2017 Overall Grade: 67.3. 2018 Overall Grade: 89.7. Whether it was the change of scenery or a player who simply needed a year to adjust to the league, Hester played much better for the Eagles as an NFL sophomore than he did during his rookie season for the Oakland Raiders. As a rookie, Hester graded out as the 63rd-best interior defender out of 131 players who logged at least 200 defensive snaps. During his second season, he graded out at 13th out of 129. As a pass rusher, his win rate jumped from 6.6% to 13.2% from Year 1 to Year 2, and his average depth of tackle in run defense dropped from 2.62 yards to 1.44 yards.
To qualify for this list, a player had to have logged at least 200 offensive or defensive snaps in both 2017 and 2018, while his overall grade had to increase by at least 15 points compared to his rookie year.
Hester was the primary backup for Fletcher Cox during minicamp and OTAs and has a great opportunity to capitalize this year.
