2022 Eagles Draft Profile: Georgia DT Jordan Davis
Despite my numerous disagreements with Howie Roseman, he continues to prioritize the trenches on defense.
The Eagles’ most dominant unit brings back their battle-hardened vets in Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Javon Hargrave.
Those fixtures combined with the rise of Josh Sweat, hope for Derek Barnett, the signing of Temple’s own Haason Reddick, and the mix of some young talent in Milton Williams to Tarron Jackson make for a competitive group both now and into the future.
One player in the draft that seems like a prospect created out of a lab by Howie Roseman is Georgia’s larger-than-life defensive lineman, Jordan Davis. If there were one player in the draft that Howie would trade picks #15 and #19 for, it would be for the Godzilla from Georgia.
You’ve heard it before, but it’s honestly the only way to describe Jordan Davis; he’s an absolute freak of nature. Measuring in at 6-foot-6, 341 pounds, with 33″ arms and a 6-8 wingspan, the former Bulldog has the body of The Mountain from Game of Thrones with the quick burst that makes running backs feel like they are running from The Juggernaut. Legend has it (aka David Pollack) that Davis once clocked in running 19.8 MPH at practice.
Here are some of the other insane Combine results Jordan Davis put up:
- 4.78 forty yard dash
- Aidan Hutchinson: 4.74
- Kenny Pickett: 4.73
- 32-inch vertical jump
- Chris Olave: 32″
- Treylon Burks: 33″
- 10’3″ broad jump
- Garrett Wilson: 10’3″
- Chris Olave: 10’4″
Due to his size, Jordan Davis demands double-teams every time he’s on the field and, surprisingly, has missed zero tackles over the past two seasons. Besides the plays where Davis looks like Hercules playing against mere mortals, tossing linemen with one hand or using his quickness to split gaps for TFLs, his most invaluable ability is creating opportunities for other players.
Clogging multiple running gaps allows his linebackers to make easy tackles and opens up one-on-one pass-rush opportunities for the rest of the defensive line.
His every-down consistency is a significant concern. Someone who is that physically imposing and athletic should impact almost every play on the field. There are way too many occasions where he gives up when his initial get-off or bull rush doesn’t have immediate success. Another noticeable knock to Davis’ tape is that he is never is on the field on 3rd-down passing situations.
In 2021, he totaled 221 pass-rush snaps (5th on the team) with 14 total pressures (9th on the team) and an 8.3% win rate. The only two times he’s played more than 41 snaps in a game were both against Alabama in last year’s National Championship Game (47) and Week 7 of 2020 (63).
So, let’s break down some film where Jordan Davis looked like he took several plays off, which will not fly with the Philly fan base. Finally, we’ll finish on a positive note to see what it looks like when the Chuck Bednarik Winner is motivated to dismantle offensive linemen and hunt anything moving in the backfield.
The first two clips come from Davis’ 2nd lowest graded regular-season game (min. 20 snaps) of a 66.0 against Kentucky:
Clip #1: Jordan Davis gets hits with the usual double-team but 300-pound senior guard, Luke Fortner, finishes the job with a pancake
Clip #2: I’m not sure if this was a call on the defensive front or if JD just miscalculated his rush. Rather than do what he does best by clogging the A and B gaps, Davis guesses wrong, and the back bursts through the hole vacated by #99
These next clips come from Davis’ highest grade (80.7), ironically in the 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game:
Clip #1: This is what happens if Jordan Davis is left one-on-one with an interior lineman. He tosses a 305-pound guard like a rag doll, and no running back or quarterback is escaping him once he’s got a hand on them.
Clip #2: Again, Jordan Davis left one-on-one with a lineman is trouble. He showcases his incredible quickness for a 340+ pounder here and engulfs the back
Clip #3: Here’s JD fighting through a double team of Evan Neal (#1 ranked OL prospect) and Javion Cohen to make the quality defensive stop
Jordan Davis has all of the physical traits and then some to be one of the more dominant players at his position. However, given the repetitive snaps where a monster in the middle stands his lineman up and takes himself out of plays, I think his floor could be Albert Haynesworth.
The tape shows how dominant the Georgia prospect can be if he plays to his maximum potential every down. Ultimately, drafting Jordan Davis solidifies an already imposing defensive line and sets the Eagles up for future success and consistency in the defensive trenches.
Photo Credit: Perry McIntyre Jr, Georgiadogs.com
