Jordan Davis looks lighter this summer but he’s not.
The Eagles’ second-year nose tackle says he still weighs around 340-345 pounds.
“I didn’t drop much weight,” Davis said after Sunday’s training camp practice. “I just made sure I focused on conditioning.”
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Whatever he did this offseason, it’s working.
Davis said he knew entering Year 2 that his role would be increased and he wanted to be ready for whatever the Eagles asked of him. So he really focused on conditioning this offseason. And so far in camp, that’s really paying off.
“It’s all about conditioning,” Davis said. “I have a good shape. That’s all I worry about, is how I look in the mirror every day. My face slims up. I look a little bit more handsome. That’s a little motivating too. You want to look good, feel good, play good. And just be healthy for life.”
Look good, feel good, play good.
NFL
Not a bad mantra.
The Eagles traded up last spring to draft Davis with the No. 13 overall pick out of Georgia and while he did some nice things during his rookie season, he had plenty of room for growth. Davis was starting to pick it up last year before he suffered a high ankle sprain agains the Steelers. He landed on IR and by the time he returned, veteran Linval Joseph had been signed to replace him. And even after his return, it took many more weeks for Davis to look healthy again.
Davis said he sees his injury last year as a lesson about taking care of his body even more.
“Because, shoot, everything runs through our ankles,” Davis said. “I don’t care if you’re playing D-line, QB, wide receiver, it doesn’t matter. Just taking care of those, making sure that you’re healthy and strong and just getting back to it. That’s just the mindset I have.”
It’s probably a pretty good sign that Davis looks slimmer this offseason but hasn’t lost much actual weight. That probably just means he’s in better shape.
What was his key to getting in that shape?
“Just moving,” Davis said.
And it was mostly simple things. When he wasn’t lifting this summer, he was on a bike, going for a walk. “Nothing crazy,” Davis admitted, “but always want to keep the blood, keep the heart pumping.”
His new defensive coordinator Sean Desai has taken notice.
“I love the shape that he's come in in,” Desai said. “I love the mentality that he's been playing with. I love what (Defensive Line) Coach (Tracy) Rocker has done with him to keep him motivated and keep him going. It's early. We want to see that day in and day out.”
Through three practices this summer, Davis has been lining up as a starter in the middle of the Eagles’ defense. What is most notable is not that he’s been on the field as the nose tackle in the Eagles’ five-man front but that he’s also been staying on the field in the four-man front next to Fletcher Cox.
Eventually, it seems likely Davis will lose plenty of third-down, pass-rushing snaps to Jalen Carter or Milton Williams. But the Eagles still hope he’s able to show off his pass-rushing ability in Year 2. Many expect Davis to be an elite run defender in the NFL but his untapped potential as a pass-rusher is a big part of his ceiling.
Why do the Eagles think he can rush the passer?
“You see him,” Desai said. “Go find another human being that looks like him, so I think that part of it. There are not many people built like that. He's strong. He's fast. He's quick. He's powerful. It's about putting it all together and then us helping him put it all together and getting the right combination of guys in there and being impactful. But we just need guys to be really great right now with the techniques that they're learning and the fundamentals. That's really the primary focus of this.”
Davis, 23, played in 13 games with 5 starts last season in the regular season but is looking forward to having a bigger role this season. In fact, he expects it.
And he knows that he can’t rest this early into training camp. The pads haven’t even come on yet.
“You can get conditioned all you want in the offseason but when there’s like 600 pounds pushing on you, that’s real football shape,” Davis said. “Just stacking these days, getting into football shape. It feels great to be out there with the guys, to see everybody developing. Just keep stacking those days.”
The good news for Davis is that as he enters his second season in the NFL, he is feeling comfortable at the NovaCare Complex and sees that as a distinct advantage. Even though the Eagles have a new DC and a slightly different scheme, he knows what life in the NFL is like and having one season under his belt matters.
He also knows his new home a little better. When asked about the best foods he has eaten in Philly, Davis was quick to point out Angelo’s on 9th Street and a hibachi food truck on Spruce. In fact, Davis said he took someone to Angelo’s the day before practice on Sunday.
Davis is still a big dude who loves food … even if he doesn’t look like it as much this summer.
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