Yes, the Eagles correctly identified that Baun would fit great as an inside linebacker in Vic Fangio’s scheme, which is primarily a 3-4. And Baun has been sensational in the role while racking up 151 tackles, five forced fumbles, an interception, 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and four pass defenses in the regular season – plus another 26 tackles, interception, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two tackles for loss and two pass defenses in the playoffs.
But Mike linebacker was actually the Saints’ long-term vision for Baun, too, when they initially traded up to draft him in the third round in 2020, even though he had primarily served as an edge rusher in college.
The problem was that Davis was one of the NFL’s best Mike linebackers, so there was no vacancy. And the Saints and Baun both struggled to find consistency while using him in multiple roles. By 2024, when he finally got some decent playing time as a rotational backup, he was primarily playing Sam linebacker and being used in some rush packages.