Most NFL fans knew that the combination of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis with the Philadelphia Eagles was among the best in the NFL, but last year took that to a whole new level.
Davis showed drastic improvement in his play, leading to a career season and an NFL nose tackle-record contract extension in the offseason. Carter had a down year due to an early-season ejection and injuries, but still made his second Pro Bowl in his three-year career.
The two are expected to be the future of the Eagles' defensive line, putting the fear in NFL teams for a long time. How the two rank against the rest of the league may not come as too much of a surprise, but despite the high praise for Carter, he took some criticism from those within the league.
Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis ranked by NFL personnel with some choice words
ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler continued his series surveying league executives, coaches, and scouts to share who the best are at each position. This time around, Fowler got the top 10 for defensive tackles in the NFL, as Carter was the third-ranked for the second straight year, but this time got a mixture of praise and more criticism.
"He's a problem," a veteran NFL defensive coach said about Carter. "A game-wrecker. You feel his presence out there consistently."
"He flashes 10 times a game but gets dragged far too often by average players," an NFL coordinator said about Carter.
A heel and shoulders injuries he had last year cost him five games to miss, but his ejection for spitting at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott cost him another game. Carter finished with 33 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and a blocked kick in 11 games.
It was no doubt not the best season for Carter, but in the games he did play in, he was a difference-maker. He has all the physical tools to be the best defensive tackle in the NFL. The big thing for him is that he needs to mature a bit and become a leader within the organization.
Davis was also in the survey for the first time, ranking 10th. The coaches that spoke with Fowler was very complimentary to the improvement that Davis had from 2024 to 2025.
"He's just so f***ing strong and consistent," an NFL coordinator said about Davis. "And he's gotten better as he's gotten older and in better shape."
"Carter is the better talent, but Davis had the better season," a veteran NFL defensive coach said about Davis.
It was truly a career season in every sense of the word, as Davis finished with 72 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six pass deflections, six quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in 17 games. The biggest stat showing his improvement: he played 61% of the snaps, up from his previous career high of 45% in 2023.
If anyone was snubbed of a Pro Bowl selection, it was Davis. He was a force on defense with a surprising motor, while also helping out on special teams in ways he had never done before.
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The reality is that Carter is a great talent but needs to do more than what he did in 2025, while Davis just needs to keep improving upon his epic rise. If Carter gets back to his 2024 form, this Eagles defensive line will be scarier than it has ever been.
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