The Philadelphia Eagles emerged from the 2025 NFL Draft with 10 overall selections, a massive haul for a team that’s said goodbye to a number of key starters and contributors from its 2024 Super Bowl championship roster so far this offseason.
The Eagles took a curious approach to this year’s draft, opting against big moves up the board in the early rounds. Instead, Roseman moved back multiple times and stockpiled a motherload of Day 3 capital — eight selections overall — allowing the team to address several areas of need on a roster that needed some sharpening around the edges.
One of the needs Philly addressed was defensive tackle, which was imperative given the loss of Milton Williams in free agency. The Eagles made Nebraska’s Ty Robinson the 111th overall pick, taking him early in Round 4. Robinson has an intriguing athletic profile and brings some serious pass-rushing chops to Philly, and he should slot in right away in a rotation with Moro Ojomo and Thomas Booker IV to help fill the void left by Williams’ departure.
MORE: Eagles NFL Draft grades: How Philly's 10-player class is viewed by Mel Kiper Jr., other experts
Robinson does not, however, project as a gap-stuffing nose tackle like Jordan Davis, Philly’s former first-round pick whose fifth-year option deadline is looming on Thursday.
With the team apparently passing on Davis’ potential successor in the draft, and no real threats for his job currently on the depth chart, could the trail of breadcrumbs lead towards Philly exercising a near $12.9 million fifth-year option to keep Davis under team control through the 2026 season?
Bill Colarulo of 97.5 The Fanatic urged the Eagles to pull that lever on Davis, who despite his limited snap share in 2024 would be a bargain in 2026 compared to his NFL peers:
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“If they do this, it’s gonna cost them $12.9 million dollars,” Colarulo said. “A lot of people are reluctant, because they’re saying, ‘Jordan Davis only played 37% of the snaps last season. He’s not a true three-down defensive tackle,’ But I think they should do it. If they can’t agree to an extension, at least lock him up for that fifth year. He’s a great run stopper, and look around the NFL at what defensive tackles are being paid. Reminder, Milton Williams is making $26 million dollars a year. Javon Hargrave, at 32 years old coming off an injury, is making $15 million dollars a year.
“When you look at Jordan Davis,” Colarulo added, “he has a true skillset of being a run-stopper, and I still think there’s the potential for him to be able to create a pass rush. If you can get him for under $13 million, which is what the fifth-year option is, you gotta do it.”
Davis made a strong case for himself in the playoffs, as he was one of Philly’s most impactful defensive players regardless of the box score numbers. He racked up four total QB pressures and a pair of sacks in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl.
What makes this situation a true mystery is the snap counts. While Davis excelled in the playoffs and played his best football, he only averaged 14.25 total snaps per game over that period. Davis’ fifth-year option for 2026 would be fully guaranteed, so the decision here for the Eagles boils down to their projections for the player and how that aligns with what would be a weighty cap hit on next year’s books.
Our assumption is that the Eagles will decline the fifth-year option on Davis, opting for the more salary-cap friendly route of negotiating an extension. But given how the offseason has played out so far both in free agency and the draft, Davis has been among the team’s biggest winners.
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