If it’s the preseason and teams are fighting in joint practices and Mike Vrabel’s team is involved, you can bet the 3-time Super Bowl champion linebacker will be in the middle of things.
Vrabel, now the head coach for the New England Patriots, was up to his old tricks at Wednesday’s joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, where 1 up-and-coming Philly star seemed to get under his skin.
“First scrum of the day comes on a Patriots field goal,” Eagles reporter Jeff Neiburg wrote on X on Wednesday. “Tough to see that far away, but Jalyx Hunt was in the mix. Saw him and Mike Vrabel jawing after the scrum separated.”
The confrontation came after Hunt repeatedly owned 2025 1st-round pick and Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell in team drills.
“Jalyx Hunt ‘sacks’ Drake Maye and then gets very quick pressure,” Bleeding Green’s Brandon Lee Gowton wrote on his official X account. “Beat Will Campbell like a drum on back-to-back reps.”
The word on Hunt’s domination at joint practice spread quickly.
“Text from a source w/NE: ’58 (Jalyx Hunt) is a problem,’ ” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ryan Fowler wrote on his official X account on Wednesday.
Hunt Called NFL’s ‘Best Kept Secret’ in 2026
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski called Hunt the NFL’s “Best Kept Secret” in 2026 after the 6-foot-4, 252-pound former 3rd-round pick became the 1st player in franchise history to lead the team in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (3) in 2025.
Add to the equation that Hunt already has a Super Bowl ring — won as a rookie in 2024 — and we might have a star in the making.
“Among a Philadelphia Eagles defensive front that featured Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Jaelan Phillips, Nolan Smith, Josh Uche and Brandon Graham, another name led the team in sacks and total pressures,” Sobleski wrote. “Jalyx Hunt certainly found his footing during his second season after being a third-round pick from Houston Christian. He won’t be handed anything, though. Hunt opened last season as a starter before moving toward a more rotational role. But that’s where he can continue to excel … Hunt can continue in his development, while providing a potent option working off the edge.”
Eagles Loaded Up at Edge Rusher in Offseason
The Eagles didn’t show much faith in last season’s returning edge rushers in Hunt and Nolan Smith by trading for Pro Bowler Jonathan Greenard and signing free agents Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a former 1st-round pick.
The Eagles weren’t done there — they used their final pick in the 2026 NFL draft on 6-foot-2, 244-pound edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby, who led New Mexico with 9.0 sacks in 2025 and had 19.0 sacks over the last 2 seasons at Idaho and New Mexico.
“Outside of Jordan Davis, Jalyx Hunt was easily the most improved Eagle from 2024 to last season,” Fly Eagles Fly Bets wrote on its official X account. “He became the only player in the Eagles’ 93-year history to lead the team in both sacks (6.5) and interceptions (3) in the same season. Going from a 3rd round pick out of a small school to leading the team in two major defensive categories is a feat that isn’t talked about nearly enough.”
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