Jonathan Greenard Trade Grade: Eagles Earn Another High Mark And Make Pass Rush Elite Again
One of the goals the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to accomplish in the NFL Draft was to find a premium pass rusher. Thanks to some consistent trade talks with the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles didn't have to sweat it out finding one.
The Eagles were in the market for Jonathan Greenard since they were outbid for Jaelan Phillips by the Carolina Panthers in March. They agreed to terms with the Vikings to acquire Greenard on draft night after weeks of negotiation, parting ways with two third-round picks in the process.
Philadelphia then signed Greenard to a four-year, $100 million extension, landing a premium pass rusher for the next several seasons. Greenard will get $50 million guaranteed in the deal, as the Eagles arguably fixed the biggest hole on their roster -- in terms of winning a Super Bowl championship.
This was a trade the Eagles had to make. Kudos to Howie Roseman and the front office for getting it done.
Eagles: A
Acquire: Jonathan Greenard, 2027 seventh-round pick
This was the home run move the Eagles were looking to make on draft night, using the benefit of having the extra third-round pick to their advantage. The Eagles didn't even have to give up a second-round pick (No. 54) to the Vikings for Greenard, since a third-round pick in the 2027 draft is likely as valuable as a second-round pick this year.
The Eagles ended up having to give up two third-round picks for Greenard, the No. 98 overall pick for this year (the second third-round pick Philadelphia had) and a 2027 third-roun dpick. A strong price to pay for a proven pass rusher, but well worth it.
Greenard immediately becomes the top pass rusher in the Eagles defense, as his 16.7% pressure rate over the last two seasons is seventh in the NFL (minimum 500 pass rushing snaps). His 121 pressures in that span are tied for 11th in the NFL and 34 quarterback hits are tied for 28th.
Having Greenard allows the Eagles to rotate Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, two good pass rushers that are significantly better with a premium pass rusher on the other side of the line. Arnold Ebiketie is also a very good No. 4 pass rusher, instead of an expanded role as a No. 3.
How important is an elite pass rush for the Eagles defense? The Eagles were first in points per game allowed (14.5), fourth in pressure rate (42.4%), and fourth in sacks (26.0) from Weeks 10-17 -- when Phillips played last season.
The defense could have the same impact with Greenard, and they'll have him for the next several seasons.
Vikings: B
Acquire: 2026 third-round pick (No. 98, Jakobe Thomas), 2027 third-round pick
The Vikings deserve credit for acquiring a valuable 2027 Day 2 draft pick for Greenard, but it felt like they could have received much more for a player they didn't want to work out a long-term extension with this offseason.
Minnesota didn't even receive the higher third-round pick from Philadelphia. The Vikings got No. 98 instead of No. 68, but they did receive another third-round pick in the 2027 draft -- which is expected to be a better draft class.
The Vikings have good pass rushers in Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, who they drafted in the first round a few years ago. This move was just to get Greenard's contract off the books -- especially after a down year in 2025 (3.0 sacks, 12 QB hits).
Getting the second-round pick from the Eagles would have been a better return, but Philadelphia wasn't budging after Greenard's down year. Greenard will also be 29 next month.
This was a decent return for Greenard, and the Vikings cleared $34 million in salary cap space with the move. They'll have room to play with and add to the roster next offseason -- a roster that already has some top-level talent.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Jonathan Greenard Trade Grade: Eagles Earn Another High Mark And Make Pass Rush Elite Again.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 12:09 AM.