Eagles 2025 Draft Preview: The Interior Defensive Line

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles were dominant on the interior of the defensive line last season, with Jalen Carter being the most talented player on the NFL’s top-ranked defense and Milton Williams developing to the point he earned a $26 million AAV deal with New England in free agency.

From there, when you add in nose tackle Jordan Davis performing at a high level as a two-down, run-stuffer and flashing even more than that in the postseason, plus a rising young pass rusher in Moro Ojomo, defensive line coach Clint Hurtt had a credible argument for leading the best IDL room in the league.

The next step for Carter, a second-team All-Pro, is the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

The goal in the draft is to find a replacement for Williams while also counting on the continued development of Ojomo.

At nose tackle, the question is whether or not Davis can develop into more than a two-down player. If that answer is no, the Eagles could decline his fifth-year team option in May and signal 2025 could be the big man’s last season in Philadelphia.

The developmental players on hand are Byron Young, a 2023 third-round pick by Las Vegas who was claimed off waivers on Aug. 29 last year and essentially redshirted for the season, and lengthy practice squad player Gabe Hall, an undrafted free agent out of Baylor, who received some good reviews from teammates.

DRAFT DAY BOTTOM LINE: Carter is an emerging superstar, Davis is rock solid as a two-down run-stopper, and Ojomo showed some real upside as a pass rusher last season.

Replacing Williams will not be easy, however.

EAGLES IDL DEPTH CHART:

4I - Jalen Carter; Byron Young

NT - Jordan Davis; Thomas Booker

41 - Moro Ojomo; Gabe Hall

3T - Jalen Carter; Moro Ojomo; Byron Young

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ON SI TOP 10 (we asked three former NFL scouts for their top 10 at the position and came up with a cumulative list):

-First Round

1. Mason Graham, Michigan

2. Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan (NT)

-First Round/Second Round

4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon

-Second Round

5. T.J. Sanders, South Carolina

6. Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

-Second Round/Third Round

7. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State (NT)

8. Darius Alexander, Toledo

9. Alfred Collins, Texas (NT)

10. Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Small School Sleeper - Joe Evans, Texas-San Antonio

Boom or Bust - Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

BUILDING THE PERFECT INTERIOR DEFENSIVE PLAYER

Power - Thor Griffin, Louisville - Griffin isn’t a high-level prospect, but his strength is undeniable.

Best interior pass rusher - Walter Nolen, Ole Miss - Nolen isn’t as big or strong, but he’s got some Jalen Carter to him on the athletic front.

Best run stuffer - Alred Collins, Texas - At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Collins projects as a great two-down player who can help turn first-and-10 into second-and-10.

Hands up - Kenneth Grant, Michigan - Grant was a PBU machine in Ann Arbor with great anticipation for the football coming out.

Motor - Mason Graham, Michigan - Effort is the special sauce that turns Graham from a a first-rounder to blue-chipper.

EAGLES PRE-DRAFT PROCESS NOTES:

The Eagles lost a $26 million player in Williams, so adding at the position is a priority. A late-revealed top-30 visit was potential Ole Miss difference-maker Walter Nolen, who NFL Media lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah described to us as a top-15 talent.

If the Eagles are going to move up in this draft bet on it being Nolen.

The team also invited in a trio of players who could be in the mix, likely on Day 2, in Tyleik Williams of Ohio State, T.J. Sanders of South Carolina, and Shemar Turner of Texas A&M. Williams is a nose tackle, however.

There is also some versatility with primary edge defenders Nic Scourton of Texas A&M and Elijah Roberts of SMU to factor in as well.

Philadelphia also paid a lot of attention to athletic Penn State under tackle Coziah Izzard at his pro day and South Carolina traits-based prospect Tonka Hemingway at the combine.

EAGLES POTENTIAL PICKS:

Day 1 - Walter Nolen, Ole Miss; T.J. Sanders, South Carolina

Day 2 - Sanders, Tyleik Williams, Ohio State; Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

Day 3 - Coziah Izzard, Penn State; Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina

The Eagles are likely going to add a body here, with Nolen being a solid replacement for Milton Williams in a best-case scenario. Sanders would be a trade back, and Turner a solid Day 2 decision.

Tyleik Williams would be interesting and an indication that the Eagles plan to move on from Jordan Davis after the 2025 season.

"Obviously interior pass rush is a huge deal in the National Football League," Eagles GM Howie Roseman said at his pre-draft availability. "Getting quick pressure on quarterbacks is a huge deal,
and I think you've seen our resources shift that way a little bit here in the last few years because that's the quickest way to really get pressure and you want both.

"We've been fortunate to have both for a long period of time."

Roseman understands that losing Williams means replenishment is needed.

"We've been fortunate to have both [production and cost-effectiveness] for a long period of time, but you got to continue to refresh those positions and continue to build depths along both your
lines," Roseman said. "So I think for us, we feel like having good players at those positions and obviously we have a bunch returning on our roster that we're excited about, but those are huge spots for us to continue to grow and the best place to find them is in the draft.

"Those markets are expensive when you get into free agency."

MORE NFL: Eagles 2025 Draft Preview: The Edge Defenders