Eagles place DT Jordan Davis on IR

Jordan Davis‘ high ankle sprain will pause what has been a strong start to his career. The Eagles will give the first-round pick extensive time to recover, placing him on IR ahead of their Thursday night meeting with the Texans.

With the move, Davis must miss that game and Philadelphia’s next three. The Eagles are still in good shape, injury activation-wise, having only used one of their allotted eight thus far this season. Davis will undoubtedly be one of Philly’s injury activations, as he has thrived in a part-time role for the unbeaten team.

Pro Football Focus grades Davis as a top-10 interior defender through seven games, slotting his work against the run as among the best in the NFL. Davis, 22, moved into Philly’s starting lineup in Week 3 and has helped Jonathan Gannon’s defense take another step. The Eagles, who ranked 18th in points allowed last season, sit third. They are also third in total defense, with the Georgia product helping the cause.

This year’s No. 13 overall pick, Davis has yet to play more than half of the team’s defensive snaps in a single game. But he has made a major impact. Running a 4.78 40-yard dash despite a 340-plus-pound frame, Davis has teamed with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave to form one of the NFL’s top defensive tackle trios in many years.

Having already had their bye, the Eagles face Houston, Washington, Indianapolis and Green Bay over the next four weeks. The team will likely be patient with Davis, given what he means to its future up front. But the standout rookie should be expected to return at some point during the Eagles’ final stretch of a home-field advantage push.