5 Best undrafted free agents in Philadelphia Eagles history feat. T.J. Edwards

The Philadelphia Eagles, like other NFL teams, immediately examine the pool of undrafted free agents following each year's draft. The most recent undrafted player to be a standout contributor at Philadelphia is Reed Blankenship, who joined the Eagles following the 2022 NFL Draft.

However, the Eagles had signed a number of UDFAs who went on to have illustrious careers before him.

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Top-5 undrafted rookies in the history of the Eagles

1) Bucko Kilroy (guard)

During his 13 seasons as a Philadelphia player from 1944 to 1955, Bucko Kilroy was named to the All-Pro team six times, three times as an offensive guard and three times as a defensive middle guard.

He was a key member of the Eagles team that recorded consecutive shutouts in championship games in 1948 and 1949. He was also incredibly resilient; at one point, he played for Philadelphia for 146 straight games.

After Kilroy's playing career ended, he was selected to the NFL's 1940s All-Decade squad.

2) Herman Edwards (cornerback)

Many agree that Herman Edwards is one of the Philadelphia Eagles' most effective undrafted free agents in history. He collected a team-high six interceptions in 1977 as a rookie, making enough plays to win a spot in the Eagles' starting lineup. In his second season, he also had the most interceptions in the team, with seven.

Edwards amassed 33 interceptions over the course of his nine seasons with the Eagles. His pivotal fumble recovery (popularly known as the Miracle at the Meadowlands) against the New York Giants in the 1978 season, which helped the Eagles earn their first postseason berth in 18 years, will live on in the memories of Eagles' fans.

3) Chad Lewis (tight end)

Chad Lewis was selected for three Pro Bowls as a tight end and special teamer during his NFL career, which he primarily played with the Philadelphia Eagles after signing as an undrafted free agent in 1997.

Lewis recorded 229 catches for 2,361 yards and 23 scores during his time with the Eagles. When he retired, he had the most playoff catches in franchise history at the time—38.

Lewis is usually remembered for his two-touchdown reception performance in the 2004 NFC Championship Game, the second of which secured victory over the Atlanta Falcons and advanced the Eagles to their first Super Bowl participation in over twenty years.

4) Greg Brown (defensive end)

Defensive end Greg Brown joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1981 as an undrafted rookie from Eastern Illinois and finished in the top 10 in the team's history with 50.5 career sacks.

During Brown's six seasons with the Eagles, only Dexter Manley of the Washington Redskins and Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants recorded more sacks than him in the NFC.

5) T.J. Edwards (linebacker)

T.J. Edwards was signed to a three-year contract by the Philadelphia Eagle after going undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft. Although injuries kept him from playing much in his first two seasons, Edwards had a fantastic 2022 season, recording 159 tackles, the third-most in franchise history for a single season.

Edwards recorded six tackles and one pass defense when the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in February 2023. After that season, he moved to the Chicago Bears, where he has been a vital member of the defense ever since.