Eagles D-lineman Jordan Davis knows his No. 1 job is stopping the run. Doing that ‘is all the satisfaction that I need’
Davis’ job as a "true nose guard" doesn’t come with gaudy stats, but he's relished in his run-focused role in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense.
These days, Jordan Davis measures his individual success by the amount of dirt on the backs of linebackers Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun.
Clean jerseys indicate that Davis is fulfilling his job as a run-stopper. If Davis is clogging up gaps and allowing Dean and Baun to play freely behind him, the linebackers aren’t getting pancaked by opposing offensive linemen climbing to the second level in the run game.
“That’s a win for me,” Davis explained Thursday.
That role is one that Davis has come to embrace in recent weeks as his share of the defensive snaps have tilted more toward the run game, including in the Eagles’ latest victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Thirteen of his 24 defensive snaps (54.2%) came against the run Sunday.
Davis’ job doesn’t come with gaudy stats. He might not get to whip out a sack celebration as regularly as his counterparts up front. Still, 13 games into the regular season, Davis has relished his run-focused role in Vic Fangio’s defense.
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“I’m a nose guard,” Davis said Thursday. “I’m a true nose guard, and that’s something that you have to go out there and embrace. You’re going to get double-teamed in the run game a lot. You’re not going to have a lot of opportunities to pass rush, but when you do, you’ve got to take advantage of it and know that the guys behind you and the guys beside you are benefiting off of that. And that’s the satisfaction that I need.”
Davis contributed to the defensive effort that stopped the Ravens’ rushing offense from scoring a touchdown for just the second time this season. Derrick Henry, who trails only Saquon Barkley with 1,407 rushing yards this season, was limited to just 4.32 yards per carry, tied for his second-lowest clip of the season.
The 24-year-old defensive tackle helped make that happen. Next Gen Stats credited Davis with two “stops” against the run, which the database defines as tackles that result in successful plays for the defense. On one of those reps in the second quarter, Davis shed his one-on-one matchup with Ravens guard Patrick Mekari and brought down Henry for a one-yard gain.
But even when he wasn’t tackling rushers himself, he was helping his teammates make the play. On the second defensive snap of the game, Davis didn’t budge while absorbing two blockers, which forced Henry to cut back. Defensive end Nolan Smith and defensive tackle Milton Williams defeated their blocks, joining forces to make the tackle for no gain.
“I just want to make sure that I can do what I can to benefit the team, and when I can go out there and do my job and play physical, that’s all I can ask for,” Davis said.
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On Tuesday, Fangio noted that Davis is “better run defender than he is a pass rusher at this moment in time,” hence the 24-year-old taking 55.4% of his defensive snaps against the run in the last three games, according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles defensive coordinator acknowledged that Davis is “getting better” as a pass rusher, but his opportunities aren’t as plentiful as they were in late September into early November (61.2% of his snaps came in the pass rush).
The Eagles looked to develop Davis’ pass-rushing ability upon selecting him No. 13 overall out of Georgia in the 2022 draft. That skill set is still a work in progress for the 6-foot-6, 336-pound defensive tackle — according to Next Gen Stats, Davis’ 3.4% pressure rate this year ranks last among Eagles defensive linemen.
“We do it at practice all the time,” Davis said. “You get your reps there with pass rushing. When you go one-on-ones and stuff like that in practice, you’ve got to take advantage of it then. And not saying that I won’t have the have opportunity to rush. You never know. But for me, you’ve just got to stay ready so you don’t got to get ready.
“But for me, being a nose guard, being a run stopper, that’s my job No. 1, and I’m gonna do that.”
As Davis develops his pass-rush skill set behind the scenes, defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Milton Williams continue to thrive in their shared responsibility of getting after the quarterback, even though Carter is receiving extra attention. Carter incurred double teams at his third-highest rate of the season against the Ravens (58.1%, according to Next Gen Stats). In turn, Williams capitalized on his one-on-one opportunities, generating a team-high five pressures.
Despite the frequency of double teams, Carter has still been disruptive up front, generating a season-high eight pressures against the Ravens, per Pro Football Focus. While Davis may be increasingly focused on stopping the run in recent weeks, he said that Carter motivates him to be a better pass rusher, too.
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“He splits double teams like it’s nothing,” Davis said. “He’s just got that type of energy. But I feel like, man, when everybody’s on 10 playing as a defense, it’s very hard to stop it. We have fun out there.
“On defense, it don’t matter who makes the play. Everybody’s turned up. Everybody’s happy for him. And I think that’s just one of the things that, you know, we can feed off each other that way.”
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