Among all the other things the Philadelphia Eagles did this last offseason with general manager Howie Roseman at the helm, they selected Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis with the 13th overall pick. They did so because the Eagles ranked 24th in defensive Adjusted Line Yards, also allowing 4.69 running back yards per carry. That’s not going to work if you consider your team a Super Bowl contender, and Roseman clearly did.
As Davis worked his way onto the field, the effect of his presence was clear. From Weeks 1-8, per Sports Info Solutions, the Eagles allowed 6.3 yards per carry on the 67 opponent rushing attempts in which he wasn’t on the field, and 4.3 yards per carry on the 60 carries in which he was. Yards after contact for Philly’s opposing runners dropped from 2.5 to 2.2 yards per carry when Davis was on the field, and the Eagles’ blown tackle rate in the run game dropped from 7.5% to 5.0% when Davis was out there.
