Zack Baun Named PFF’s 2024 Breakout Player of the Year

Former Wisconsin and current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun was named ProFootballFocus’ 2024 ‘Breakout Player of the Year’ on Wednesday. The honor comes after Baun delivered a career-defining season, anchoring the Eagles’ defense with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks.

Baun, who signed a one-year prove-it deal with Philadelphia worth $3.5 million, emerged as the league’s highest-graded linebacker with a 90.1 PFF grade. 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 any other defender, regardless of position.

From Week 8-10, Baun was the NFL’s highest-graded defender with a 93.7 grade across three games. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on PFF’s First-Team All-Pro unit alongside Warner. Baun’s ascendance is particularly remarkable given that he didn’t crack PFF’s top 32 linebacker power ranking before the season began.

The Eagles, who finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the NFC, are set to host the No. 7-seed Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round this Sunday. Baun’s contributions will be critical as Philadelphia looks to advance in the playoffs.

Baun’s breakout season has been a key factor in the Eagles’ defensive resurgence. After a shaky start to the season, the unit became the NFL’s best by any measure. Baun’s ability to excel in both coverage and run defense has made him one of the league’s most valuable linebackers, trailing only future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner in PFF’s wins above replacement metric.