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Brandon Graham already referred to Jordan Davis as “another Jordan Mailata” and when he gets that 6-foot-6, 341-pounder frame moving on the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line, watch out. Davis has a chance to dominate and redefine the defensive tackle position.
The 2021 Chuck Bednarik Award winner didn’t get all the snaps last season at Georgia but the ones he did get counted double. His motor is 100% all the time, especially when he’s lowering his helmet to deliver the boom. This kid relishes punishment and didn’t stutter when asked what his favorite thing to do is.
“Hit, man,” Davis told reporters at rookie minicamp. “Defensive tackles and offensive line, they’re the only positions that hit every play, so you take a lot of pride in that — and that’s something that I like to do, and just anytime I can get better at my technique, get better at anything, I just like to get better. I want to be the best player I can be.”
Davis isn’t one who likes to play the comparison game and it’s hard to find one for the “freak show” athlete. He’s taller than Rob Gronkowski; faster than Patrick Mahomes; and heavier than Jason Peters. And while he doesn’t want to pigeon-hole himself into emulating another player, there is one guy who he has been looking up to since high school. His name is Fletcher Cox.
“I used to look at Fletch when I was little,” Davis said. “Fletch being playing since I even started paying attention to football, so it’s definitely nice to be in the same locker room as him and get knowledge in the same room, regardless I know I’ll be in good hands and I’m not really one for comparisons because, you know, everybody’s different. I’ll try to just bring a little influence from time to time and add a little knowledge to my book.”
When a reporter relayed what Graham had said about him and Mailata, Davis laughed: “That Jordan and Jordan connection, you know we got the same first name.”
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Unselfish Player: Being Stout in the Middle
Davis’ draft stock rose so high because NFL scouts were drooling over his potential to rush the quarterback, something he didn’t do a lot of at Georgia. He posted two sacks in 2021 and finished with only seven career sacks in college.
In fact, Davis made his bones as a feared interior run-stuffer who drew constant double teams which allowed Georgia’s linebackers — like fellow Eagles rookie Nakobe Dean — to run free and make plays. Davis doesn’t ever want to be called selfish or one-dimensional.
“Being a run defender is what my bread and butter is. That was the first thing I learned at the University of Georgia,” Davis said. “Just being a run defender, being stout in the middle, making sure I could get out, get off, be an athlete, make a play.
“That playmaking ability and also being stout in the middle and being selfless, not selfish, because it takes a lot of selflessness to take two defenders so your linebackers can run free, or your safety can come down cracking the B gap. It’s one of those things I learned along the way that I’m going to continue to carry with me.”
Nick Sirianni Says ‘Good Luck’ Blocking Davis
Head coach Nick Sirianni will have the luxury of unleashing both Davis and Dean on opposing offenses. With the Eagles likely switching to a 3-4 defense in 2022 — a fact Sirianni wouldn’t admit to reporters — the possibilities are endless for the two young defensive playmakers from Georgia.
“Good luck blocking Jordan, he’s pretty big,” Sirianni said. “He can push the pocket. He can eat up double teams where they can’t get back to the linebackers. With Nakobe, he has great instinct and he’s all over the field. He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there, and you have to account for that as an offense.”
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