Getty Jordan Davis and Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Current analyst and former NFL player Brian Baldinger just roasted Philadelphia Eagles starting defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
Baldinger spent 11 years as a player in the league, playing for the Eagles from 1992-93. He retired after the 1993 season and has been a broadcaster and analyst since 1995.
In a January 2 appearance on PHLY Sports’ Eagles podcast, Baldy, as he’s often called, was asked about Philadelphia’s defensive collapse Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals. He did not hold back.
With a 31-28 lead and 2:28 remaining in the game, the Cardinals offense got the ball and marched down the field to score the game-winning touchdown on a seven-play, 70-yard drive. When breaking down what went wrong defensively for Philly in the 35-31 loss to the Cards, Baldinger directed his most pointed criticisms at Davis.
Baldy on Eagles DT Jordan Davis: ‘He’s Overweight & It Shows’
Jordan Davis getting totally washed out by a double team again
“It’s clear that Jordan Davis is out of shape,” Baldinger told PHLY Sports. “I don’t know what they fine him every week — I gotta believe they fine him every week. He’s overweight, and it shows. He’s not pursuing the football, he’s nothing in the pass rush.”
Baldinger went on to call Davis out further, suggesting that the Eagles may be looking at adding help on the interior of the defense if they want to see any improvement.
“If he’s gonna play with that effort and be overweight like that … He’s just not effective right now. They need another guy inside,” Baldy said, adding: “I’m not sure why he keeps dressing … When plays are going on, he’s basically walking on the field, so it’s just, it’s bad.”
Philadelphia’s defense gave up 449 total yards against Arizona, 221 of which were on the ground. Considering the Eagles drafted Davis to help shore up the middle of the field against the run, it’s no surprise the young DT is receiving some heat.
Philadelphia’s Defense Has Been Primary Issue for Eagles Down the Stretch
Plenty going on/wrong (call/execution) on this 4th quarter run, but see only one D-lineman hustling after the ball, see hands on hips. Obviously, defense was getting gassed, but not a good look. #Eagles were up, 28-21, at the time.
The Eagles selected Davis with the 13th overall pick out of Georgia in 2022. The second-year nose tackle entered the league to loads of hype after recording a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
He was 341 pounds at the time, becoming just the third player ever to weigh over 330 pounds and run the 40 in under five seconds. Offensive tackle Greg Robinson out of Auburn and defensive tackle Dontari Poe out of Memphis are the other two.
In 112 pass rush snaps as a rookie last season, Davis finished with eight QB hurries. He played in 13 games (five starts), but his first season was cut short due to an ankle injury. In 16 starts this season, Davis has played 273 pass rush snaps and has 13 hurries, a QB hit and 4.0 sacks (stats via Pro Football Focus).
He earned a 71.8 run defense grade from PFF in 2022 and that mark has dipped to 61.5 this season. Davis isn’t the only one struggling on Philadelphia’s defensive line, however. The team simply isn’t stopping the run anymore.
The Eagles were the hottest team in the NFL over the first 11 weeks of the season, going 10-1. Philadelphia has hit a skid recently, losing four of its last five games. Over their first eight games this year, Philly’s defense allowed over 100 yards rushing just once. The unit has allowed 100+ yards in each of its last seven games.
With the postseason approaching in just over a week, Davis and company had better find answers, stat, or it’s going to be a disappointing end to a once promising season.