Eagles DT Jordan Davis Will Shine With Jalen Carter, Analysts Say
After receiving limited playing time as a rookie and missing time due to injury, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis is looking to take a big leap in Year 2.
Davis played just 26 percent of the Eagles' defensive snaps in 2022, recording 18 tackles and one tackle for loss. With Javon Hargrave departing in free agency, though, Davis should see the field more in 2023.
At least, that's what most assumed before the NFL Draft. With the Eagles drafting defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a college teammate of Davis with the Georgia Bulldogs, Davis' rise in snaps might not be as large as expected.
However, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. NFL analysts Charles Davis and Paul Burmeister believe that splitting snaps with Carter could be beneficial for the second-year lineman.
"The way I see it, this spin is perfect for him," Charles Davis said. "Jalen Carter is coming in, Jordan Davis is just a second-year guy, both of them can learn from Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham right there in that defensive line room. Rotation at the defensive tackle, no one has to sit there and play every single snap. This all works, to me, in Jordan Davis' favor, because now when he's on the field, he's a full-go guy and we know what type of athletic marvel he is, as I said before."
For both players, this situation might seem very familiar. At Georgia, Jordan Davis was more of a rotational player while Carter played most snaps. That Bulldogs defense has dominated college football the last two years, so perhaps that success will translate to the NFL level.
"I don't think Jordan Davis is going to mind seeing his snaps go down a little bit if the quality of that defense goes up," Burmeister said.
Jordan Davis has reportedly made major strides this offseason, so whether he's a mainstay or more of a rotational player, a big season could be in store for him in 2023.
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