The Eagles have made a serious splash on Day 2 of the draft: They’re acquiring edge defender Jonathan Greenard and a 2026 seventh-rounder from the Vikings, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The Eagles and Greenard have agreed to a four-year, $100MM extension with $50MM guaranteed. The Vikings will receive a 2026 third-rounder (No. 98) and a third-rounder next 12 months (Minnesota ended up taking Miami safety Jakobe Thomas at No. 98).
Philadelphia’s interest in Greenard first became public before free agency opened in early March. The team then lost considered one of its best edge defenders, Jaelan Phillips, who inked a four-year, $120MM contract with the Panthers. The Eagles later added Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on modest pacts, but they continued pushing for Greenard.
The Vikings and Greenard were optimistic he would stay in Minnesota and potentially ink an extension, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. As a substitute, though, he’ll head to the second NFC destination of his profession. The trade will save the Vikings a whopping $34MM in cap space, Schefter relays. They entered Friday with around $4.83MM in respiration room (via Over the Cap).
As a 2020 third-round pick from Florida, Greenard began his profession with the Texans. After a quiet rookie 12 months, Greenard began showing off his pass-rushing chops in 2021. Despite missing five games with a foot injury, he notched 12 QB hits and eight sacks. One other injury, this time to his calf, held Greenard to eight games during a 1.5-sack showing in 2022. Greenard mostly stayed healthy in 2023, the ultimate season of his rookie contract, and his production exploded. Teaming with then-rookie Will Anderson Jr., the 6-foot-3, 259-pound Greenard put up 52 tackles (15 TFLs), 22 QB hits and 12.5 sacks in 15 games.
Greenard’s best season in Houston wound up as his last. The Vikings, who would lose Danielle Hunter to the Texans in free agency, brought in Greenard as his alternative. Playing the primary season of a four-year, $76MM deal in 2024, Greenard continued to thrive en path to his first Pro Bowl selection. He logged his first 17-game season and recorded 59 tackles (18 TFLs), 22 QB hits, a career-best 4 forced fumbles and 12 sacks.
Health issues reared their head again in 2025 for Greenard, who battled a shoulder injury and underwent surgery in December. Greenard ended the season with 38 tackles (10 TFLs), 12 QB hits and three sacks in a dozen games. While Greenard’s traditional production wasn’t great, Pro Football Focus ranked his play a solid thirty first amongst 119 edge defenders. He finished seventeenth in hurries (35) and thirtieth in pressures (47). Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner stepped up during a limited 12 months for Greenard, and they’re going to remain in key roles for the Vikings next season.
Set to show 29 in May, Greenard will now join Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith because the Eagles’ top pass rushers. If healthy, Greenard could help form a monstrous front in Philadelphia, whose Vic Fangio-led defense boasts an incredible collection of D-tackles (Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo) and linebackers (Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell).
The Greenard acquisition may not find yourself because the last blockbuster trade of the offseason for aggressive Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Expectations are Roseman will ship out wide receiver A.J. Brown sometime between June 2 and the beginning of the season.