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With the 13th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select ... Jordan Davis, defensive tackle, Georgia!
The Eagles moved up two spots to make this selection. They traded picks No. 15, No. 124, No. 162, and No. 166 to the Houston Texans to make the jump.
Davis is an exciting selection for the Birds! We previously made the case for the Eagles taking him:
If there’s a lesson for the Philadelphia Eagles to learn from their last two draft classes, it’s that they shouldn’t overthink their approach. They are better served by Occam’s razor, which states that the simplest solution is almost always the best.
The Eagles overthought it when they ultimately talked themselves out of consensus pick Justin Jefferson to instead select Jalen Reagor in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They got too wrapped up in a perceived lack of fit instead of valuing all the boxes that Jefferson checked. They also talked themselves into Reagor more than they should have.
Eagles fans can hope that the selection of DeVonta Smith last year shows the team learned from their big mistake. Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, the case was made that they didn’t need to talk themselves out of taking the Heisman Trophy winner who absolutely dominated the SEC. And, sure enough, the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ method worked for them as Smith went on to set a new Eagles franchise record for rookie receiving yards.
When it comes to the 2022 NFL Draft, the Eagles need to once again aim to ‘KISS.’ Should they draft one of the most athletic prospects EVER? One who won an award for being the best defender in all of college football? And while he majorly contributed to his team winning the national championship game?
It’s gonna be a yes from me, Dawg.
Jordan Davis would be very good pick for the Eagles at No. 15 overall.
One can question if the Eagles were right to trade up for Davis, especially with the likes of Kyle Hamilton and Jermaine Johnson II on the board. How those players fare in the NFL will certainly be worth monitoring.
Ultimately, though, the Eagles got a player who has the potential to be pretty special in Davis.
Davis doesn’t figure to be an immediate starter in Year 1 with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave still in the fold. But the Eagles figure to heavily rotate their defensive linemen so it’s hardly like Davis won’t be on the field. It’s also worth noting that Cox and Hargrave are currently set to be free agents following the 2022 season.
For those skeptical about Davis’s outlook, give this excellent video a watch:
Here’s a scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Beefy, mountainous nose tackle with the size, power and will to clog the drain and alter the offense’s desire to run between the tackles. Davis has anchor and quick-shed talent to eviscerate single blocks and successfully occupy double teams, allowing linebackers to thrive in pursuit of ball-carriers. He plays upright, lacking agility and reactive quickness to mark up a stat sheet with any consistency, but that’s not what he’s asked to do. Davis won’t be as effective against outside-zone teams and won’t offer much rush, but he could become one of the league’s best run-pluggers as soon as he takes the field.
NFL comparison: Haloti Ngata
College stats via Sports Reference:
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Highlights:
Grade the pick
Poll
Grade the Eagles trading up to draft Jordan Davis
This poll is closed
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53%
A
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32%
B
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9%
C
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2%
D
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2%
F
Remaining Eagles draft picks
1 (13) - DT Jordan Davis
1 (18)
2 (51)
3 (83)
3 (101)
5 (154)
7 (237)
Remaining Eagles needs
Wide receiver
Cornerback
Linebacker
Safety
Defensive end
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