PFF Names Zack Baun Breakout Player of the Year

Zack Baun's out-of-nowhere star turn wasn't just noticed in Philadelphia.

Pro Football Focus named the Eagles' linebacker their 2024 Breakout Player of the Year, while also noting that they believe he should be a First-Team All-Pro:

Zack Baun: PFF's 2024 Breakout Player of the Year

🏆 90.1 PFF Grade (1st among LBs)
🏆 PFF First Team All-Pro LB pic.twitter.com/IrqplvyMkJ

— PFF (@PFF) January 8, 2025

The Eagles signed Baun to a one-year/$3.5 million contract last offseason. After primarily having been an outside linebacker in four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Baun moved inside in Vic Fangio's defense, and turned out to be one of the best signings of the offseason. Baun had 88 combined tackles in four years with the Saints. But as the middle linebacker for the Eagles in 2024, he had 151 combined tackles, also adding in 11 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, five forced fumbles and 3 1/2 sacks. 

Max Chadwick of PFF added this information on Baun's monster season: 

"The once-elite collegiate pass-rusher was actually outstanding when dropping back into coverage. His 91.6 coverage grade was over three points higher than the next-closest linebacker, three-time All-Pro Fred Warner. Baun’s 29 coverage stops were also five more than the next-closest defender, regardless of position. He still made plenty of plays downhill for the Eagles as well, sacking the quarterback 2.5 times while tying for second among all linebackers with 13 tackles for loss/no gain. Baun finished as the second-most-valuable linebacker in the league this season according to PFF’s wins above replacement metric, trailing only a future Hall of Famer in Bobby Wagner." 

Baun will become a free agent this offseason, coming off of a Pro Bowl campaign. It will be interesting to see how Howie Roseman and the Eagles elect to proceed with the 28-year-old. Linebacker hasn't traditionally been a position that this regime has dedicated a ton of resources to. However, they did get burned in 2023 after letting T.J. Edwards — who had 159 combined tackles in 2022 — depart in free agency. Will Baun's tremendous season be enough for the Eagles to try to work out a long-term deal with him, or at least use this franchise tag? Or is this a position that the Eagles believe they can churn, with Fangio able to identify and develop fits in his scheme? 

Whatever happens, it's been a tremendous 2024 season for Baun. And even if he's one-and-done with the Eagles, he'll have a chance to help the team capture a Super Bowl title in the meantime.