Jordan Davis Becomes Latest Eagle to Take Step Towards Being Elite

When Jalen Carter got himself ejected before playing a snap against the Dallas Cowboys, that vaulted Davis into a huge role. He responded by playing 87% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in Week 1. Davis played a crucial role in shutting down the Cowboys in the second half, securing a victory. He finished that game with six total tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a pass defensed.

His strong play continued against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the game with five total tackles and two passes defensed. He followed that up with the masterpiece we saw on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Davis has transitioned from a rotational piece on the defensive line to one of the biggest difference-makers on one of football’s best defenses.

Davis getting in shape hasn’t been the only thing that has helped him take a step forward. He has developed in all aspects of his game.

Every down player

Before the 2025 season, the Eagles picked up Davis’ fifth-year option on his rookie contract. At the time, this was not an obvious choice like it is now. Davis has his aforementioned conditioning issues, but was also mainly used as a run stopper.

Coming out of college, Davis was drafted as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, with hopes he would develop further in regards to rushing the passer. He hadn’t done that enough in his first three seasons, only recording 3.5 sacks. Near the end of 2024, though, he started to find his stride. He recorded two sacks in the 2024 postseason and has already tacked on another this season. Obviously, playing next to a player of Carter’s caliber helps with this. Davis has no doubt forced opposing teams to shift a ton of attention to himself, though, helping the defense as a whole play better.

Sometimes it takes players a little bit of time to find their footing in the NFL. This can especially be true when playing defensive tackle. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of patience and the right situation for a player to hit his full potential. Davis has already come a very long way since being drafted by the Eagles. His signature Week 3 game was just another example of that. If he continues at this pace, he is going to score a massive new contract after the 2026 season.