PHILADELPHIA – Eleven of the first-round draft picks from the Class of 2022 have been exercised. One who hasn’t, yet, is the Eagles’ Jordan Davis.
The deadline is looming for the Eagles to pick up the fifth-year option on their starting defensive tackle. Teams have until Thursday to exercise that option. If the contract is not picked up, Davis will have only this year left on his rookie deal before becoming a free agent.
General manager Howie Roseman doesn’t discuss players’ contracts in public, but when asked about it when the 2025 NFL Draft ended on Saturday night, he said: “We have tremendous confidence and faith in Jordan Davis.”
Enough confidence to guarantee him close to $13 million in 2026?
Here’s more from Roseman when the topic came up at the NFL owners’ meetings.
“Jordan Davis, you know, when you watch these guys perform, you know, you go through the whole body of the season, because that's what you really got to do,” he said. “It's watching the early part, going back, watching the middle stage of the season, and going back and watching the end of the season.
“And you just see a guy who elevated in the postseason. We really counting on him continuing to develop. And that's what this is. All of us, in all of our professions, you continue to develop and you continue to get better, get better, and that's what I think we're seeing from Jordan.”
It seems like an easy decision to pick up the fifth-year on Davis, considering how much defensive tackles are getting in free agency these days. Look at Milton Williams. The former Eagles defensive line left for the New England Patriots for a four-year, $104 million contract, $63M of which is guaranteed.
That makes Davis look like a bargain.
On the other hand, Davis only played 37 percent of the defensive snaps last year. He is pigeon-holed as a first- and sometimes second-down player only, removed from the field in pass rush situations.
Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt hinted during Super Bowl week that Davis' role could change into more of a three-down player once he refines some pass-rush technique, something the coaches have been working on with him. He collected two sacks in four playoff games last year, so maybe that is an indicator of things to come.
The salary-cap hit is what matters to the Eagles, though. All of Davis’ fifth-year money would count against it.
If the Eagles pick up the contract, there’s a strong possibility that Roseman would try to redo the deal to spread the money out over a period of years and perhaps tack on more years. If they don't pick it up, there is still a chance they can do a deal between May 1 and the end of next season.
Perhaps they will make Davis go out there and prove how he has developed. Doing that, however, opens up the risk that Davis will want to become a free agent after turning in a strong season, to test his value on the open market and hope to get a deal like Williams landed.
The Eagles have to be mindful of what it will cost to re-sign Jalen Carter, which could be done as soon as after the upcoming season.
This is what has happened so far with others from the first round of the 2022 draft.
EXCERCISED
Travon Walker
Aidan Hutchinson
Sauce Gardner
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Ikem Ekwonu
Charles Cross
Garrett Wilson
Chris Olave
Jameson Williams
Tyler Smith
Jermaine Johnson
DECLINED
Jahan Dotson
Trevor Penning
Kenny Pickett
EXTENDED
Derek Stingley, Jr.
