Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2024 season.
25. Brandon Graham
24. Nakobe Dean
23. Milton Williams
22. Jake Elliott
21. Nolan Smith
20. Cooper DeJean
19. Reed Blankenship
18. Tyler Steen
17. Devin White
16. Quinyon Mitchell
15. Jordan Davis
Jordan Davis is an NFL player. So even though the No. 13 pick from the 2022 draft hasn’t lived up to expectations, he’s far from a bust.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But the Eagles want more from him — and the 2024 season will let us know if they’re actually going to get it.
Davis, 24, got off to a really hot start last season and then collapsed in the second half. He wasn’t alone, obviously. The entire Eagles defense collapsed last season, but Davis’s drop-off was dramatic.
First 7 games: 2 1/2 sacks, 5 QB hits, 2 TFLs, 1 FF
Last 10 games: 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 TFLs, 0 FF
NFL
It’s not like a nose tackle’s play will always be judged by production on the stat sheet. That’s not fair. So much of a nose tackle’s job is to eat blocks to keep his teammates clean and free. But there’s no question that Davis wasn’t playing well down the stretch last year and it’s not much of a secret why. His conditioning suffered.
That has been Davis’s No. 1 goal this offseason: To improve his conditioning level.
While Davis is listed at 336 pounds, he weighed way more than that in 2023. This spring, he was down to 350 pounds from an unknown weight higher than that. Davis really needs to find a sweet spot. He needs to get in better shape and stay there.
He knows it:
“Obviously it looks a lot better than it did last year,” Davis said. “I feel a lot better than I did last year. We just continue on. We got a plan here and we just keep on working.”
His coaches know it:
“The No. 1 thing for him is just being in the best shape he possibly can be in,” DL coach Clint Hurtt said. “And he’s taken huge strides with that this offseason and it’s a work in progress but he’s off to a really, really good start. If he’s in great condition and he can play all out … Then he’s going to be a hard guy to block.”
His teammates know it:
“If you can’t tell, that boy look good,” edge rusher Nolan Smith said. “He nice and slim. He’s running around, he’s doing box drills like it’s nothing.”
Now, it’s just about doing it and not just in the spring or summer. It’s about Davis being in good enough shape to be productive for a full 17 game season and playoffs.
With the retirement of Fletcher Cox, there is going to be way more pressure on Davis and his Georgia teammate Jalen Carter in the middle of this Eagles’ defensive line.
So much of the Eagles’ defensive success under Vic Fangio in 2024 will hinge on those two. And they know it.
“I’ll be ready to answer the call,” Davis said. “I know what’s required of me, I know Vic is leaning on me. I know the D-line is leaning on us. So I definitely think I’ll be able to handle it. That what I’ve been working for. Nobody is coming to save us now.”
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube