In his second season Fletcher Cox is second on the Eagles in sacks and is emerging as a cornerstone player for a franchise with a sudden infusion of high quality youth.
It's been awhile since the Philadelphia Eagles have gotten the kind of production that the franchise has seen out of the 2012 and 2013 draft classes that has been on display this season.
Of the 17 of players chosen over the past two springs, 12 of them have already had significant impacts in the short term and many could comprise the core that Chip Kelly builds around moving forward.
Nick Foles, Mychal Kendricks, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Boykin, Earl Wolf, Lane Johnson and Bennie Logan have given glimpses that show they could be franchise building blocks moving forward. Meanwhile, Bryce Brown, Dennis Kelly, Vinny Curry, Zach Ertz and Matt Barkley have either made starts, or seen significant playing time in their first two seasons.
Foles is currently the NFL's leading passer and is four touchdowns shy of setting the record for tying the league record for most touchdown passes before hurling an interception. If he continues to win and leads the Eagles to a division title and playoff berth, the remaining critics and doubt about him being the franchise quarterback undoubtedly will be erased.
The third-round choice certainly has the support of his offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur.
"I'm anticipating he's going to keep getting better," Shurmur told reporters Tuesday at the Novacare Complex. " I see a lot of the same characteristics in guys that are good. What I'm talking about are things that you do when you prepare to play a game. Then in a game, I've always been fond of the guy that stays calm and doesn't get rattled. I think that's just something that's natural to Nick. It shows up. I think that's good for all of us."
Meanwhile, Johnson has had the kind of up-and-down season you would expect from a left tackle, but there is no doubt of his place moving forward. On defense, this year's class is headlined by Logan and Wolff who have been thrust into starting roles and proven more than capable.
As for last year's class, first-round choice Cox is growing into being an anchor along Davis' defensive line. The Mississippi State product has posted 28 tackles through 11 games and is second on the team with three sacks.
The 22-year old understands the role he and his fellow draft class mates have on this team.
"When we first got here last year, the conversation was always 'look at all the young guys playing and pushing each other,'" Cox said Tuesday. "We didn't start playing football when we first got here, we've been playing this game all our lives. You saw it last year when we all contributed. We may not have been the best team last year, but we all got through it, contributed."
Contrast the success of the two most recent crops of rookies with those who came through the door in 2010 and 2011 and the stark reality of how easy it is to miss on a player is brough to light.
Over that two-year span the Eagles drafted 24 players and only nine of them remain on the team. Only Jason Kelce, Alex Henery, Nate Allen and Riley Cooper remain as starters.
Early success out of these two draft classes certainly is a credit to the current coaching staff and the personnel department for assembling these two groups. But at the end of the day, it's the players who make it happen on the field.
"We definitely rally around each other," Curry said. "Nobody likes losing and we got through it, but our goal was to be playmakers.
"Our mantra is competitive excellence, which means make a play when your number is called. If you have a chance to make a play, make it."
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
