When the Eagles selected Jordan Davis with the 13th overall pick in April’s draft, there was a lot of expectation. A lot of this was warranted. Davis was the 2021 Bednarik Award winner, an award given out to the best defensive player in college. His counting stats weren’t outrageous, with only 7 sacks in 4 years at Georgia, but his impact cannot be measured by just that.
Jordan Davis and his monstrous reputation
He was an absolute monster among college players, consistently making tackles for loss, and was the anchor of one of the best defenses in college football history. So yes, the expectations for him to be a great player in the NFL were warranted. Some Eagles fans may be disappointed with the production we’ve seen from him so far, but I think he has actually been encouraging to this point.
Very rarely do defensive players come into the league and completely take over. Micah Parsons is really the only player of the last few years that came in and made an immediate, resounding difference for his team. Jordan Davis may not be making a highlight play on every snap, but he is succeeding in the role the team is asking of him.
A slow start?
In 6 games, he has yet to record a sack, but does have 12 total tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defended. Again, not stellar to the eye but defensive tackle numbers usually are not very flashy. Because of where he’s lined up and when he’s on the field, Davis has had a limited number of opportunities to show off his pass-rushing ability. As of right now, he mainly only plays on obvious rushing downs due to his skillset and position, but as he logs more games and gets more practice against NFL offensive linemen, I expect the sacks to come at some point soon. The first one is always the hardest one to get.
What Jordan Davis brings to the table
The real strength of Jordan Davis is in the run game. Due to his sheer size alone, he can block holes before the running back even has a chance to see it was there. Add in his speed and strength, and you have as versatile a run-stopper as you can get on the defensive line. With Davis off the field, the team is allowing 5 yards per carry to its opponents. With him on the field, that number drops down close to 3. He is definitely having an impact on this defense when he’s out there, and while it’s not the highlight plays that fans want, he’s doing all the little things that eventually turn into the highlights.
Right on track
Jordan Davis has all that is needed to become a possible star in the NFL and slowly but surely, the pieces are coming together. Almost every single week, his snap count has gotten higher and higher. In week 1 against Detroit, he played 32% of the defensive plays. By week 5, that number jumped up to 46%.
When a team is competing for a championship, it’s difficult to develop young players. When everyone is focused on winning right now, sometimes the draft projects can take a back seat to more established veterans because there is an inexperience factor. But before you know it, Davis will likely be a stalwart of this defense.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
