The NFL announced on Wednesday that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has been named to the Pro Bowl. Hargrave takes the spot of Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark, who is unable to play in the game due to injury.
It is the first time that Hargrave has been selected to play in the all-star game. Hargrave is coming off a career year, one in which he recorded personal bests in tackles (63), tackles for loss (9), and sacks (a team-best 7.5). Hargrave ranked seventh among all NFL DTs in sacks this past season. Pro Football Focus graded Hargrave as the second-best pass-rushing interior defensive lineman in the game behind only annual All-Pro Aaron Donald.
"I think I had one of my best seasons so far in my career," Hargrave said the day after the season ended. "As far as the defense, we kept growing as the season progressed and just kept getting better. Some of the young guys developed and got better and contributed. We got better as a unit."
Signed as a big-ticket free agent in the 2020 offseason after four years with the Steelers, Hargrave battled through some early-season injuries to become the third-best pass-rushing interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus, from Week 8 through the remainder of his first year with the Eagles.
He carried that momentum into the start of the 2021 campaign with a two-sack performance in the season-opening win at Atlanta. He followed that up two weeks later with another two sacks against Dallas to kick off a streak of three consecutive games with at least one sack. Three of his four career multi-sack games have come as an Eagle. Not only was Hargrave effective, but he was reliable, playing at least 50 percent of the snaps in every game he suited up for, finishing with a career-high 729 snaps despite sitting out the regular-season finale against Dallas. He finished the year with four tackles and a sack in the Wild Card Round loss to Tampa Bay.
