What Should Eagles Do With Decision Looming On Eagles Defensive Tackle?

The clock is ticking toward the NFL draft, less than one month to go. The clock is also winding down to the May 1 deadline for teams to decide if they want to pick up the fifth-year option on a rookie first round pick from 2022.

For the Eagles, that means what to do with Jordan Davis?

The Eagles have three others from the first round of that 2022 draft, but Philly isn't expected to pick up the fifth years on Kenyon Green, Jahan Dotson, and Lewis Cine., who isn’t eligible since he was already cut by the Vikings, who took him with the 32nd pick that year.

All drafted rookies are given four-year contracts to begin their careers. Players selected in the first round, however, are given five years, but that final year is a team option that teams must decide whether to pick up that option when that player enters Year 4.

If Clint Hurtt had his way, Davis would wear an Eagles uniform for many years. This decision is whether the Eagles will pick up their defensive tackle’s final year of his contract, which would be an estimated $12 million, give or take.

That’s a lot of money to pay a player who played just 37 percent of the defensive snaps last year, his third since the Eagles traded their No. 15 overall pick plus picks 124, 162, and 166 in exchange for the Houston Texans’ 13th overall pick.

Hurtt is a believer in Davis based on what he had to say about him in New Orleans the days leading up to the Eagles thrashing of Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX.

“He's not even remotely close to being a finished product,” said the Eagles’ defensive line coach, who will return for his second year in that position. “If you think guys are finished products by the time they are in their 2nd or 3rd year in the league, then you're completely wrong. These guys will continue to ascend and get better.”

Hurtt explained that he wants Davis to be more than just a tackle who occupies blockers, more than that 6-6, 345-pound space eater he is. The D-line coach wants Davis to be more of a tackler when the double teams peel off to get to the second level and the linebackers, and to be more of a pass rusher.

Davis did have two sacks in the postseason, bringing down the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels in the NFC title game and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.

Now, there’s a chance the Eagles don’t pick up his option but negotiate a deal, perhaps one that is more team-friendly. That could be a very likely scenario.

Either way, Davis has been a solid player for the Eagles, though not the game-wrecker many initially thought he’d be. After starting out as a rotational player as a rookie, he's started in every game over the last two seasons (including the playoffs). His stats aren’t huge and he isn’t the game-wrecker that Jalen Carter is, but Davis does a lot of the dirty work, and keeping Davis and Carter together on the defensive interior should be a priority.

“He's starting to get enough confidence,” said Hurtt. “That's the big part of it. I'm not gonna peg you in one hole and say this is all you can be. Hell no. You can be one of the best in the business. Let's keep on working, straightening this. His game is gonna keep on ascending and taking off. I got all the confidence in the world.”