The Evolution of Jordan Davis

With the 13th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Jordan Davis out of Georgia.

The 6-foot-6 Davis was coming off an incredible senior year, winning the National Championship and also the Chuck Bednarik award for the most outstanding defensive player in college football. Even with these accolades, this was a highly scrutinized draft choice.

The Eagles traded up for the rights to select Davis, and many fans thought the Eagles were going to draft safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame. The Eagles needed to fill a hole at safety, and Hamilton was the perfect guy to do that. The Eagles elected to pass on Hamilton and opted for Davis instead. Many fans criticized Howie Roseman’s decision, and the criticism only became louder after seeing Hamilton play. In Hamilton’s first three seasons in the NFL, he has earned both first and second-team All-Pro honors, along with making two Pro Bowls.

Davis, on the other hand, struggled to start his career. Coming out of college, the expectation was for Davis to become an elite run-stuffing nose tackle and hope that he could develop as a pass rusher. Unfortunately for Davis and the Eagles, it was looking like neither of those things was becoming a reality. He finished his rookie season with just 18 tackles and zero sacks. Davis also had an ankle injury that sidelined him for a portion of the season. He did not record his first NFL sack until week 2 of his second season.

Over the next two seasons, Davis played mostly the same. He was good against the run but really could not rush the passer. Another issue the Eagles were having was his weight. According to multiple reports, last season, the Eagles were fining Davis almost weekly for his weight. Unfortunately for him, it seems he had struggled to keep his weight where the Eagles want it to be, and it had been affecting his play. He had been turned into a part-time player, which is not what you want from a first-round draft selection.

After the 2024 Super Bowl victory, the Eagles had to decide if they wanted to pick up Davis’ $12.9 million 5th year option or let him become a free agent after the 2025 season. The Eagles decided to pick up the option, and the move to do so was heavily criticized. Just about $13 million for a part-time player is a steep price to pay, but now, it’s looking like a steal.

One thing about Davis that has been positive since day one has been his leadership. With three of the Eagles’ core four retiring in Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham, the Eagles needed some of the young players to step up and be leaders in the locker room. Jordan has been someone who has stepped into that role.

Davis made it his mission this offseason to get into shape, and he has done that. He came into Eagles training camp 26 pounds lighter than he was during Super Bowl 59, and it has helped him tremendously. Davis has been off to an amazing start to the 2025 season, finally showing the potential the Eagles saw in him 4 years ago.

In the Eagles’ first 3 games of the season, Davis has 16 tackles, 1 sack, 1 field goal block, and a touchdown. Through three games, he has almost surpassed his tackle total throughout his whole rookie year. Davis put in a lot of hard work this offseason, and it is paying off so far.

While it is still early in the season, Davis has arguably been the Eagles’ best defensive player throughout the first three weeks. If he can keep this up, the Eagles will have one of the best defensive tackle duos in all of football for years to come.

Sam Heine

Sam has been with Philly Sports Reports since 2022. He is a contributor for both the Eagles and the 76ers. Sam is hoping to pursue a full-time job in sports in the future.

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