Over the next couple of weeks (basically whenever there isn't other news to cover), we'll take a look at every player on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, and how they fit with the team heading into training camp. Today we'll look at the interior defensive linemen.
Previous training camp previews
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver
Tight end / Fullback | Offensive tackle | Guard | Center
EDGE
The depth chart:
iDL 1 2 3
DT Jalen Carter Ty Robinson Gabe Hall
NT Jordan Davis Thomas Booker
DT Moro Ojomo Byron Young
Jalen Carter
Carter doesn't have eye-popping stats, but he was a menace all season on the interior, despite facing constant double teams. He made his first Pro Bowl and earned his first All-Pro nod after his regular season performance, and made arguably the two biggest plays of the season in the Divisional Round against the Rams, when he sacked Matthew Stafford on a late third down and forced a quick, off-target throw on fourth down, saving the Eagles' season.
In the Super Bowl, Carter was a major reason why the Eagles' defensive line obliterated the Chiefs' offensive line, as he often occupied the Chiefs' two best linemen, allowing his teammates to dominate favorable one-on-one matchups across the board otherwise.
This time last year, Carter and Jordan Davis were both facing questions about their conditioning. Carter had an outstanding start to his rookie season in 2023 and at one point was the clear favorite to earn NFL Rookie of the Year honors, but he faded down the stretch. In 2024, he put those concerns to bed, playing most snaps in the NFL among interior defensive linemen.
• Jalen Carter, Eagles: 1,068
• Zach Allen, Broncos: 1031
• Kobie Turner, Rams: 919
As we pointed out in our Eagles dumpster fire article, the Eagles are screwed if Carter goes down, (a) because he plays so many snaps, and (b) because all the added attention he gets from opposing offenses opens up so many opportunities for the rest of the defense.
Carter is entering his third NFL season, and will be eligible for a contract extension when it's over. Spoiler: Assuming his trajectory as a budding superstar continues, he is going to put a dent in the Eagles' salary cap, and he'll be well worth it because he is one of the best players in the NFL.
Jordan Davis
During the 2024 season (playoffs included), Davis played just 445 snaps, or 21.2 per game. That was the fourth-most snaps among the Eagles' interior defensive linemen:
Eagles iDL Snaps
Jalen Carter 1068
Milton Williams 654
Moro Ojomo 490
Jordan Davis 445
Thomas Booker 177
During the regular season, Davis was a good against the run, but he only had 27 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 batted passes. He contributed as a pass rusher in the playoffs, collecting a sack in the NFC Championship Game against the Commanders, as well as in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. His NFCCG sack:
And his Super Bowl sack:
It's not uncommon for interior defensive linemen to take a few years to get their NFL sea legs. This excuse for a lack of production isn't as compelling for Davis as it was a year or two ago, but there are certainly some good NFL defensive linemen who didn't impress much until their fourth seasons in the league. Guys who really popped in their fourth seasons include Dexter Lawrence, Zach Allen, Nnamdi Madubuike, and Vita Vea, though certainly, they all showed more in their first three seasons than Davis has through his.
Though Davis hasn't popped yet, partly because he has struggled with conditioning, though he did show something in the playoffs, and he remains one of the most physically gifted players in the NFL:
The Eagles had a decision to make this offseason on whether or not to exercise Davis' fifth-year option for the 2026 season. They did so on the belief that he can still play to his potential. They certainly didn't exercise it based on his level of play his first three season.
The 2025 season will be a telling one for Davis.
Moro Ojomo
Ojomo was a regular part of the Eagles' D-line rotation, and as noted above actually got more playing time than Jordan Davis. Vic Fangio said that he liked what he saw from Ojomo last season both as a pass rusher and run defender.
During the regular season, Ojomo had 20 tackles and no sacks, but he got his first career sack during the playoffs against the Rams.
Ojomo is already a three-down lineman, but he will almost certainly have a bigger role in 2025 with Milton Williams leaving in free agency. Ojomo is better run defender than Williams, in my opinion, and the Eagles will hope his pass rush abilities can continue to improve.
Ty Robinson
Robinson is a fourth-round rookie out of Nebraska. He is a violent lineman who can play multiple spots along the interior of the defensive line. He's powerful, with a great motor, and upside as a pass rusher (7 sacks in 2024, and 10 batted passes over the last two seasons). Here are those seven sacks. These aren't freebies. He is smoking guys at the line of scrimmage with his power, hand-fighting, and most of all, his quickness (via @_RyanFowler_):
Robinson tested very well at the Combine, as you might expect a 288-pound iDL to do. But even at a lighter weight, he was in the 92nd percentile or better in the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, and the broad jump. He is an explosive athlete.
The downside is that 2024 was Robinson's sixth season at Nebraska, so, you know, he's an older prospect. He turned 24 in May, and he is actually three months older than Ojomo. That might not be the worst thing for a rookie on a Super Bowl-contending team that might need him to play significant snaps.
Thomas Booker
Booker had a good training camp last summer and earned his way onto the team, and then proceeded to play in all 21 games. He had 18 tackles and a sack, playing 166 snaps. Booker is a smart kid and a good locker room guy, and will be given every opportunity to win a job again in camp in 2025.
He is also probably the backup nose behind Davis, as he played a couple dozen snaps there last season.
Byron Young
The Eagles added Young on waivers after 53-man cutdowns. He stayed on the Eagles' 53-man roster before being placed on IR Week 8. He spent the next three months on IR, before being designated for return heading into the playoffs, but was never elevated back to the 53-man and finished the season on IR.
Young had four tackles as a rookie; he did not appear in any games in 2024. This will be our first look at Young in a training camp setting.
Gabe Hall
Hall was thought to be a draftable player, with some notable analysts giving him a fourth-round grade in the 2024 draft. The Eagles signed him as an undrafted rookie, and he spent the season on the practice squad. He didn't show much in 2024 training camp. We'll see if he can make some plays in 2025 now that he has a year in the league under his belt.