Eagles sign Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Jacob Sykes to add defensive line depth as training camp begins
The Philadelphia Eagles added two defensive linemen on Tuesday, the day rookies and veterans reported for training camp.
The Eagles signed veteran defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and United Football League defensive tackle Jacob Sykes. Philadelphia waived defensive end K.J. Henry and running back Lew Nichols to make room on their roster.
Okoronkwo, 30, joins the Eagles' training camp roster with 80 career NFL games.
A 2018 fifth-round pick out of the University of Oklahoma, Okoronkwo spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He signed a three-year contract with the Browns in March 2023 and was released last month.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound edge rusher registered three sacks, 24 pressures and 23 tackles in 16 games. Pro Football Focus gave Okoronkwo a 55.4 pass rush grade.
Okoronkwo spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and one with the Houston Texans before joining Cleveland. His best season came in 2022, when he recovered five sacks in 17 games for Houston.
Sykes, who turns 26 on Aug. 9, was undrafted out of Harvard in 2023 and signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Sykes and Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt overlapped in Seattle, when Hurtt was the Seahawks' defensive coordinator.
Sykes ended up signing with the UFL's San Antonio Brahmas in 2024 and finishing with 13 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in nine games played.
Okoronkwo and Sykes will provide the defending Super Bowl champions with depth on the defensive line and add competition. One of the storylines to watch in camp is whether the Birds have enough pass rushers after losing Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement.
