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Keyshawn James-Newby Could Become Important Piece of Eagles’ Pass Rush
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- Keyshawn James-Newby Could Become Important Piece of Eagles’ Pass Rush
Despite the Philadelphia Eagles' most recent 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers, a bright spot was the debut of Keyshawn James-Newby. Vic Fangio hinted that the young pass rusher could see an expanded role moving forward , especially as the defense looks for spark plugs while battling key injuries up front.
"He's a pretty good athlete," Fangio said. "He's got some speed to him. I think he'll even do better now that he's got his feet wet, you know, more than he expected or we expected, but I do like him. I think hopefully we'll see steady progress from him the more he gets to play."
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James-Newby was drafted by the Eagles in the 7th round of the 2026 NFL draft. He made the best of the new transfer portal, playing for three different schools in his collegiate career. James-Newby was named a first-team FCS All-American and first-team All-Big Sky in 2024 with the Idaho Vandals. The following and his final college season, now with the New Mexico Lobos, James-Newby earned first-team All-Mountain West honors, recording nine sacks.
An ankle injury suffered early in training camp severely limited James-Newby, sidelining him until the final weeks of camp. After missing the first two Eagles preseason games, James-Newby finally was able to suit up in the final outing and made his impact felt, recording a sack and forcing a fumble.
The strong closing was not enough for James-Newby to make the initial 53-man roster, with him being cut but brought back to the Eagles practice squad.
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However, as injuries have piled up, opportunities have opened up for younger players like James-Newby. Over the past few weeks, Jalyx Hunt was sidelined against the Panthers due to an ankle injury, while Jonathan Greenard returned to the lineup after missing the previous week with an ankle issue. To make matters worse, Nolan Smith was ruled out during that same contest due to a concussion, which will likely keep him out of the upcoming Monday Night Football matchup against division rival the Dallas Cowboys.
James-Newby showed flashes in his debut against the Panthers, recording his first career tackle. Additionally, special teams coordinator Michael Clay credited him for bringing "some explosiveness and speed" to the coverage units. With the current uncertainty across the Eagles' edge rusher group, the rookie will have another prime chance to earn consistent snaps, even once the room returns to full health.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
