How one Eagles rookie is already making a huge impression on his teammates
Some rookies show up at their first NFL training camp quietly lurking in the background, staying out of everyone’s way.
Not K’Von Wallace.
Only a few days into training camp, the Eagles’ rookie 4th-round safety from Clemson has gotten the veterans’ attention with his confidence, his leadership and his swagger.
Does it mean he’s going to turn into a star safety? Nah. We know better by now than to judge any rookie too early.
But it’s interesting to hear what Rodney McLeod and Will Parks are saying about the 23-year-old Wallace.
“He looks good on the field,” Parks said. “He’s a rangy guy, he’s coming down to smack something, I believe. He has an awareness for a guy coming in, being a rookie. He’s out there pointing, telling guys what to do: ‘You go here, you go there.’ He obviously wants to be a leader right now. I’d definitely say K’Von’s picking things up pretty well.”
What will Wallace’s role be?
That’s one of about a thousand fascinating questions facing this rebuilt secondary.
He’s a versatile kid, and it’s easy to see him finding his way onto the field for two reasons. If converted cornerback Jalen Mills struggles picking up safety, Wallace would likely be the next man up. And if the Eagles remain unsettled at CB2 opposite Darius Slay, it’s conceivable Mills could move back to corner, again opening up a spot at safety.
The Eagles open up the full-pads portion of training camp on Monday, and it will be interesting to see where Wallace fits in.
“So far, he’s a guy that comes to work every day and that’s what you want to see,” McLeod said. “Right now he’s got to earn his stripes. He’s got to earn that jersey each and every day, and I think he’s taken the right steps to do that. In the weight room, I can tell he’s already a leader amongst his class that he’s come in with. That’s very evident and that’s what you want to see, him showing those leadership qualities, him coming to work every day, learning from guys like myself, Jalen, Darius Slay and other veterans in the room. I’m excited to see what he can do once we strap on the helmet, because that’s what it’s all about.”
Mills and Parks are signed through this coming season, and McLeod is only signed through 2021.
The only other safeties on the roster are Rudy Ford and Marcus Epps, who have been mainly special teamers. Ford has 79 career defensive snaps in three seasons, and Epps played 110 reps as a rookie split between the Vikings and Eagles last year.
So of the presumed safety rotation, only Wallace is signed beyond 2021.
The Eagles want Wallace to become a starter sooner than later.
He’s got a lot of work to do before that can happen, but hearing McLeod and Parks rave about the kid who’s chasing their job, you can’t help be excited about Wallace and eager to see him in action.
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