Eagles Most Impactful Defensive Players Fall on the Line
After a sluggish start to the season, Philadelphia’s Week 11 performance over the Lions showed everyone the defensive dominance that has been dormant since the 2024 campaign. The Eagles’ defense under coordinator Vic Fangio has always been tough to defeat, and this year is proving to be no exception. This season, players like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell have been stabilizing the secondary, but what’s been even more impactful is what's happening in the trenches. Some of the most dominant forces in Philadelphia fall on the defensive line, so here’s a list of 2025’s most impactful defenders for the Eagles.
Jordan Davis
An unlikely defensive tackle who has become a dominant force on the line this season is Jordan Davis. Last week against the Lions, Davis batted three passes from Jared Goff, and one even deflected into the hands of DeJean for an interception. For his efforts, he earned Defensive Player of the Week, the first time an Eagles defensive tackle has done so in seven years. Earlier in the season, he earned Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a field goal and recovering it for a touchdown to secure the win over the Rams. Davis has made franchise history as the first player to win both awards within the same season. Since last year, Davis has gotten in much better shape. Now, he has played in 60% of the snaps in the Birds’ 2025 run, and his hard work is clearly paying off.
Jaelan Phillips
In the short time that Jaelan Phillips has been with the Eagles, he has made a huge impact. The team needed a solid edge rusher since their defense took a hit earlier this season due to retirements and injuries, and Phillips has been more than filling this role. In Week 11, he notched two QB hits and his first sack in Philadelphia, and the week before that, he recovered a fumble in a close game with the Packers. Since the defensive end joined the Birds, they now rank in the top 10 against both the pass and run game for Weeks 10 and 11. As soon as he came to Philly, the line truly took a dominant shape. The Eagles' defense was solid but mostly average from week to week before he was traded, but his impact has propelled them right back to their 2024 championship form.
Moro Ojomo
Moro Ojomo is having his breakout season as an Eagles defensive tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Ojomo has the third most pressures with 35 and leads with 29 hurries among defensive tackles in the league. He also leads the team with four sacks. More importantly, Ojomo has stepped into the role of a key communicator on the line. For example, in a crucial fourth-and-one moment during the game against the Packers, he called out an inside zone before the snap, which led them to a stop and ultimately, the victory. His football IQ and ability to communicate his quick thinking mark exceptional growth since his performance last season. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are the more obvious stars on the line, but to leave Ojomo off this list would be a disservice to his impact.
