Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has strong Eagles ties. Does he fit Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme?

The Eagles had a massive problem at linebacker last season. Once Nakobe Dean was lost with an injury, the position was a revolving door, which included Nicholas Morrow, Zach Cunningham, and in-season acquisition Shaquille Leonard.

As the Eagles look to retool a defense that took a step back last season, upgrading the second-level of the defense will be paramount for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme. In a system that relies on light boxes to defend the run and counter explosive offenses with five or six defensive backs on the field, having athletic, multiskilled linebackers is important.

» READ MORE: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. excels at Clemson with No. 54 on his back, just like ‘The Axe Man’

In the draft, linebacker has a handful of names worth considering. Most notable for Eagles fans is Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr., son of the former Birds linebacker who spent nine seasons with the team.

The connections are clear between Trotter Jr. and the Eagles. He could fill a need, but does his playing style and skill set mesh with how Fangio deploys linebackers?

A two-year starter at Clemson, Trotter compiled 192 tackles (113 solo), 13 sacks, four interceptions, and three forced fumbles, becoming a mainstay at the center of the defense. Wearing the No. 54 like his father, it’s not hard to find the former St. Joseph’s Prep standout when you watch Clemson film.

Possessing a quick trigger on run plays, Trotter, 6-foot, 230 pounds, has no problem being physical with interior offensive linemen when deconstructing blocks. Reading his trigger keys, the junior linebacker works underneath and through blockers to make tackles behind and near the line of scrimmage. His biggest strength and asset as a player is his play recognition, often beating linemen to spots and meeting running backs consistently in the hole.

In addition to working well inside the box, Trotter is an excellent run and chase backer to make plays on the move. He can cover ground working outside the hashes in the run game, an underrated strength of his.

However, Trotter’s angles of attack are not always the cleanest. Because he has a quick run trigger, running backs can sometimes wind the run back to another hole or out-leverage him to the sideline. HIs change of direction is also inconsistent, leaving room for running backs to get past him if they make a cut while he’s working downhill full speed. The tape reveals Trotter struggles with corralling running backs with wiggle and elusiveness.

Pro Football Focus had him with 15 missed tackles, 13 on running downs. Often times, Trotter is in position to make the play, but will sometimes lunge and leave his feet to make a tackle. Still, his ability to slow down runners allows his teammates to recover and get to the football.

» READ MORE: With the Eagles set to restock their defense, here are 10 draft prospects to ponder

In predictable passing downs, Clemson didn’t always drop Trotter into coverage. Instead, they utilized blitz packages that put him either in one-on-one situations with running backs or matched up against interior offensive linemen. Most of his sacks came either as a spy, preventing quarterbacks from scrambling for first downs, or defeating blocks while blitzing.

Clemson’s standout linebacker is more quick than fast, using decisive moves to win at the point of attack in these scenarios. From using swim moves when matched up against running backs to using his athleticism to get past linemen, Trotter is best utilized in third down moving toward the line of scrimmage. He finished with 5½ sacks in 2023, one less than he had in 2022 (6½).

On the season, PFF has Trotter credited with 28 quarterback pressures and 14 quarterback hurries, proving his value blitzing and working near the line of scrimmage.

This is where Trotter’s evaluation gets tricky, because generally speaking, he is aware and active in disrupting passing lanes. In between the hashes, specifically on plays developing in front of him, Trotter does a nice job passing off underneath crossing routes, undercutting quick game passing routes, and rallying to the football on check down passes.

Trotter has four interceptions over the last two seasons, two returned for touchdowns, and seven passes defended each season. Trotter’s NFL quarterback rating when he’s the primary defender is 82.7, according to PFF’s metrics. When his eyes are on the quarterback, Trotter’s instincts naturally take him to the direction of the football, allowing him to make plays when the ball is in the air.

The flip side is probably the Clemson star’s biggest weakness: operating in space as a primary defender. Teams, specifically this season, tested Trotter in the flat and outside the numbers, using natural pick plays to out-leverage him. While Clemson didn’t ask Trotter to carry receivers and tight ends vertically in coverage, teams would try to isolate him on the perimeter or test his vertical range working the middle of the field.

Teams, specifically at the NFL level, will isolate linebackers over the middle of the field who struggle covering in space. When Trotter has deeper patterns developing behind him, he’s not always in position or in the passing lanes to disrupt the timing of a completion.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ top draft need is at defensive back, analysts at NFL Network and ESPN say

To answer this in short, it depends on how strongly the franchise feels about adding a player that’s similar in size and skill set to Dean. Like Trotter, Dean (5-11, 229) was a smaller linebacker with excellent instincts, and marginally better overall in coverage as a prospect during the 2022 draft process.

Fangio’s dime packages ask linebackers to diagnose plays and routes over the middle of the field, which isn’t a strong suit for Trotter. The NFL combine, which starts later this week, could be huge in determining some of Trotter’s speed metrics and how smoothly he can flip his hips during his coverage drops.

Most analysts, including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, agree that Trotter’s stock lies between Rounds 3 and 4 of the NFL draft before prospects hit the field in Indianapolis. He has the instincts and downhill speed to be an impactful linebacker in the NFL. It just might not be in midnight green.