You’ve heard their names all summer. Longer than that, even.
Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. It doesn’t matter the order, they are the package deal from Georgia, first-round picks in back-to-back years, and, speaking of backs, it is on their backs that the defense will rest this season.
“We are the future,” said Davis. “And you know it, it don't move unless we go. We only have one D-line unit. Like I've been saying since OTA’s ain't nobody coming to save us. So, we all have to make sure that we do our part and be the best people that we can be. Be the best defensive tackles that we can be.”
They aren’t just the future. They are the present. And the present is awfully young, with Davis 24 and Carter 23.
The defensive tackle group as a whole is young, yet it’s always been the motor that makes the Eagles' defense run, and this year, it will be powered by Davis and Carter. It’s why they were drafted so high.
“We’re all learning from each other,” said Carter. “We don’t look at somebody like, ‘Oh, he’s the best player so we have to listen to him.’ Nah, we all believe we’re good.”
Training camp, which ended Wednesday after 16 days of open practices, has been solid for both players. Both appear to be in good shape and could, make that should, have big seasons. The Eagles hope that is the case.
“Every day they’re doing well,” said new defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. “They’re conditioning is better and obviously their pre-snap communication is better just recognizing formations and where the football is going in the run game, identifying protections, where the sight of the center is, stuff like that.
“Their football IQ has definitely picked up and gotten a lot better. They’ve been smart guys but now it’s forcing those guys to do that and communicate with other guys because it helps everybody play faster and better.”
Davis said that the one thing he has noticed from Carter between his rookie season and as he prepares to enter Year 2 is technique.
“Jalen is quick laterally, so you can make sure we work laterally,” he said, “but also it has to be like curve balls. We all have a curve ball. I'm more of a power dude but, you know, I'm trying to work more finesse when it comes to, you know, everybody's expecting power. So when they expect power, you can work finesse. So little things like that.”
Carter said he is continually working with his hands. He called them “lobster hands.” He wants to get more outside an opponent, rather than keeping tucked inside.
Fletcher Cox also told Carter last year to work on his bull rush more.
“I’m a lot of finesse and stuff and try to work people to get their body off balance to take advantage of that, but he said I’m pretty strong and he wanted to see me start bulling a lot more,” said Carter.
As for Davis, Carter said his longtime friend has become the leader of the D-line.
“It’s been JD,” he said. “I feel like JD, he just has that good energy. He’s a good guy to listen to on and off the field with advice, stuff like that. JD’s been the guy to talk to most of the time, he breaks it down for us, he’s the one.”
Davis didn’t take credit for being “the one,” p[referring to lay it at the feet of his fellow defensive tackles as to who will lead the without Cox.
“It's not like a vocal thing,” he said. “We're not old enough to be vocal with each other. But at the end of the day, we just learning as we go, we know what they expect. The experience that we have, Coach Clint helps us out with journeying through this thing. And we know what to expect with our offense. We know to expect with everybody else.
"We just have to make sure that we understand the scheme, understand our defense, and understand our roles. I mean, the season’s coming around, we know we are prepared for it. We just have to make sure that we are perfect. We wanna be as perfect as we can.”
