From the Bolts to the Birds: Who is Kyzir White?
Tough Tackling Machine
In his tenure with the team, Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman has generally neglected the linebacker position. The team has not had consistent play there in nearly a decade. Now, with the addition of former Chargers stud Kyzir White, there is a new attitude coming to Philly. What the birds lost in Alex Singleton has been significantly upgraded by the presence of White. With the Chargers in 2021, White racked up a total of 144 tackles while adding a sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He also finished top-10 in solo tackles last year with 107. The signing is significant since coverage linebackers are in extremely short supply in Philadelphia. The days of Nathan Gerry and Nigel Bradham getting burned by running backs and tight ends seem to be over, at least for now.
White’s story is similar to another recent Eagles signee in Haason Reddick. White, a Pennsylvania native who grew up an hour from Philadelphia, gets a chance to play back home in front of his family and friends. He is only on a one-year deal, but this is his chance to prove himself and build off of an impressive 2021 campaign. The Eagles have a much stronger defense than the Chargers, which should take some pressure off his shoulders as he gets adjusted to the new surroundings. He did play his high school ball in Emmaus, Pennsylvania but unlike Reddick, who chose to stay in Philly and play for Temple, he went to West Virginia for his college career.
Following his career as a West Virginia Mountaineer, he was drafted by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In his first three seasons he did not make an immediate impact, much like Reddick, but broke out last season as a great linebacker on a poor defense. Together, White and Reddick can provide some good home-cooking on an Eagles defense that sorely needs playmakers. If White builds off of last season, there is no reason why the team cannot go further than a wild-card spot and first-round exit this upcoming season. A prove-it deal can do wonders for a player looking for a bigger contract so it will be seen if the mounting hype is worth it for him.
Lightning Quick
As we look towards the draft and start of training camp, there is a little bit of a wait to see if the former Charger will come bolting out of the gate. When he was drafted, former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn loved his quickness and explosiveness and transitioning from a safety to a linebacker shows his versatile skill set. Hopefully, as he comes back to the place where he started, he will soar rather than crash and burn. Will the pressure of being home get to him or will it allow him to flourish? That is a question that the lightning quick linebacker will have to answer going into the 2022 season.