Performance Starts To Overtake Perception With Eagles' NT

Three years in, the impact of Eagles nose tackle Jordan Davis was finally explained, and it took the man himself to do it.

“I’m a nose guard,” Davis said Thursday. “I’m a true nose guard, and that’s something that you have to go out there and embrace."

The problems in understanding that lie in where Davis was selected in the 2022 NFL Draft: No. 13 overall.

That kind of draft status fuels expectations and when you add Davis' prodigious size (6-foot-6, 336 pounds) and his athleticism at that size, many expected more on the pass rush.

Eight-game winning streaks tend to quash any complaints and the selflessness of Davis' role is now being championed a little especially when you factor in the success of linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean.

If Davis is typing up blockers and keeping the second-level clean "That’s a win for me,” the Georgia product explained after practice on Thursday.

"You’re going to get double-teamed in the run game a lot," said Davis. "You’re not going to have a lot of opportunities to pass rush, but when you do, you’ve got to take advantage of it and know that the guys behind you and the guys beside you are benefiting off of that. And that’s the satisfaction that I need.”

It also means more of a two-down role with Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, and even Moro Ojomo handling the lion's share of sexy work that outsiders notice.

Last Sunday the Eagles defense held Baltimore star Derrick Henry to under 100 yards and 4.3 yard per carry far lower than his season average of 6.0 per clip.

Davis is the foundation of the run defense performing like that and recorded two stops while allowing the LBs to flow cleanly to the football.

“I just want to make sure that I can do what I can to benefit the team," said Davis. "When I can go out there and do my job and play physical."

The always blunt Vic Fangio also admitted the obvious calling Davis a "better run defender than he is a pass rusher." However, the defensive coordinator did say that [I] do think he's getting better [with the pass rush]."

“We do it at practice all the time,” Davis said when asked about his pass-rushing acumen. “You get your reps there with pass rushing. When you go one-on-ones and stuff like that in practice, you’ve got to take advantage of it then. And not saying that I won’t have the have opportunity to rush. You never know. But for me, you’ve just got to stay ready so you don’t got to get ready.

“But for me, being a nose guard, being a run stopper, that’s my job No. 1, and I’m gonna do that.”