Eagles' 2024 Make Or Break Player: Jordan Davis

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis has not yet met the expectations of being a No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now entering a decisive third campaign, it’s officially a make-or-break season for Davis in 2024.

The Eagles understandably fell in love with Davis during the pre-draft process. Fresh off winning a National Championship with Georgia, the Bulldogs standout enjoyed a historically impressive performance at the NFL Combine. The 341-pound Davis ran a breathtaking 4.78 40. General manager Howie Roseman pounced with a top-15 pick despite there being questions over his playing weight and stamina. 

Those concerns proved to be legitimate throughout Davis' rookie season, during which he played significantly heavier than 341. Davis never played more than 29 snaps in a single game and never accounted for more than 42% of the Eagles' defensive plays in a single appearance. He was placed on IR after suffering an ankle injury in Week 8. The Charlotte, North Carolina native concluded his debut campaign with 18 tackles and zero sacks in 13 games.

Some of those metrics did improve throughout Davis' sophomore campaign. He stayed healthy, though the Eagles still managed his workload. Davis totaled 519 snaps in 17 regular-season games, accounting for 44.66% of all defensive plays. He played 50% or more of Philadelphia's single-game snaps on eight occasions, insinuating increased stamina, though he was out-snapped by Fletcher Cox and Jalen Carter, the latter being a rookie that outperformed him.

Still, Davis didn't have the impact expected of a top-15 interior defensive lineman. He totaled 45 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus assigned Davis a pass-rush grade of 67.3 as he collected just 18 quarterback pressures. Eating up double teams and stuffing the run is supposed to be the strength of his game, but his PFF run-stopping score was just 62.2. It’s worth acknowledging ESPN Stats & Information would question that run-stopping grade. Davis ranked seventh among all d-tackles in run-stop win percentage according to their analytics. Davis was also the only defensive tackle that placed inside the top 10 to have been double-teamed on 50% of his plays (53%). The Eagles defense finished the season as a top-10 run-stopping unit.

When drafting a defensive lineman with a premium selection, think of the impact Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Justin Madubuike, and Dexter Lawrence have for their respective teams. That’s the bar, and Davis hasn’t come close to reaching it yet. A massive season looms.

Cox, the leader and often the savior of Philadelphia's young defensive tackle room, opted for retirement this offseason. That catapults Davis and Carter into the starring roles across the interior of the defensive line. It's put-up-or-shut-up time.

It'll also be the third season of Davis' four-year rookie contract. Roseman will be tasked with either executing or declining his fifth-year option after the 2024 campaign. Triggering the extension would come with a considerable raise in 2026. As of now, it's trending toward Roseman declining the option, possibly forcing Davis into a contract year in 2025.

Davis will also be playing for a new defensive coordinator in 2024. The legendary Vic Fangio has taken the reins for head coach Shane Steichen after 2023 welcomed confusion in the form of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia. Fangio possesses a brilliant defensive mind, and one of his priorities will be to get Davis to play the best football of his professional career.

Davis' impact isn't always appropriately measured via the stat sheet, but there's room for growth in 2024. His contract status and future with the Eagles could be determined after the upcoming season. It's now or never for Davis.