Eagles 2025 Position Group Report Cards: Defensive Line
The Eagles' defensive line entered the 2025 season with a massive question mark hanging over it.
Eagles 2025 Position Group Report Cards: Defensive Line
The Eagles' defensive line entered the 2025 season with a massive question mark hanging over it. After losing both Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency — Sweat departing for a lucrative deal and Williams signing a $26 million AAV contract with New England — this unit needed players to step up. The short answer? They did. But it wasn't always pretty, and the inconsistency down the stretch ultimately contributed to a Wild Card exit against San Francisco.
Grade: B
Jalen Carter: The Unquestioned Anchor
Let's start with the obvious. Jalen Carter is a monster, and his second Pro Bowl selection in as many years only begins to tell the story. When healthy, Carter was the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the NFC, drawing constant double teams that opened up opportunities for everyone around him. His signature moment came in the Divisional Round of the previous year's Super Bowl run, but in 2025, Carter remained a force — finishing with 3.0 sacks in just 11 games after missing three contests with shoulder injuries that required a mid-season procedure on both shoulders.
The concern here isn't talent. It's durability. Carter's absence during Weeks 14-16 was felt immediately, and while the Eagles managed to clinch the NFC East without him, the defense looked noticeably less disruptive up front. For a player who just turned 24 and is approaching a massive extension, the Eagles need Carter available for 17 games. Period. When he's on the field, he's a top-five interior defender in football. When he's not, there's a void nobody can fully fill.
Jordan Davis: The Breakout We've Been Waiting For
If there's a single player who defined the defensive line's 2025 story, it's Jordan Davis. The former first-round pick posted career highs across the board — 72 tackles, 4.5 sacks, six pass deflections, and even a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. PFF graded him with an 86.3 pass-rush grade during the mid-season surge, and Next Gen Stats ranked him fourth among NFL defensive tackles in run stops.
Davis stepped into a leadership role vacated by years of veteran presence, and he didn't just fill it — he owned it. Even after Brandon Graham came out of retirement and moved inside to defensive tackle, it was Davis running the room. The $8,000-fine era from his early career feels like ancient history. This is a grown man who plays with purpose now, and the Eagles' decision to invest in him at pick 13 in 2022 finally looks like the home run everyone projected.
The question going forward is whether Davis can sustain this level. His snap count increased significantly, and maintaining this production over a full 17-game slate plus playoffs will be the 2026 test.
Moro Ojomo: The Seventh-Round Gem
Ojomo's rise has been one of the quieter success stories on this roster. A seventh-round pick in 2023, Ojomo earned an 82.4 PFF pass-rush grade during the Super Bowl LIX run and carried that momentum into 2025. He led the team's defensive tackles in run-defense grade at 85.6 during the mid-season stretch and proved he belongs in a significant rotational role.
He didn't stuff the stat sheet with sacks, but his 39 pressures during the championship season showed a player who consistently wins his matchups. Ojomo is the kind of depth piece that separates good defensive lines from great ones, and the Eagles would be wise to lock him up before he prices himself out of Philadelphia.
Brandon Graham: One More Ride
What do you even say about BG at this point? The legend came out of retirement midway through the season, switched to defensive tackle, and gave the Eagles quality snaps when they needed them most — particularly during Carter's absence. Graham didn't put up gaudy numbers, but his presence in the locker room and his ability to mentor Davis and the younger players was invaluable.
Whether this was truly Graham's last ride remains to be seen, but his willingness to answer the call at 37 years old speaks volumes about what this franchise means to him.
The Depth: Gabe Hall, Byron Young, Ty Robinson
The rotation pieces were fine. Not spectacular, not disastrous — just fine. Gabe Hall showed flashes of his raw athleticism, and Byron Young provided adequate run defense in limited snaps. But this is an area where the loss of Milton Williams was most felt. The Eagles went from having a deep, versatile rotation to one that was adequate but lacked a true difference-maker behind Carter and Davis.
Edge Rush: Jalyx Hunt and the Next Generation
With Sweat gone, the edge rush needed new blood. Jalyx Hunt led the group with six pressures during a key mid-season stretch and showed the kind of burst that made him a draft-day riser. Jaelan Phillips and Joshua Uche provided veteran presence, but the edge group as a whole lacked the consistent pressure that Sweat provided for years. Azeez Ojulari's season-ending injury didn't help matters.
The Bottom Line
This defensive line accomplished a lot with less star power than the Super Bowl LIX unit. Davis' breakout was the headline, Carter remained elite when available, and Ojomo proved he's a building block. But the Wild Card loss to San Francisco exposed the depth issues that losing Sweat and Williams created. The Eagles need to address edge rush in the 2026 draft, and they need Carter healthy for a full season.
A B grade feels right. The ceiling was A-plus when everyone was healthy and clicking. The floor — the three-game losing streak in Weeks 11-13 when Carter was out — was closer to C-plus. Split the difference, and you've got a unit that did its job but left you wanting more.
Enjoying this article?
JAKIB members get premium articles, ad-free shows, exclusive content, and community access. Starting at $4.99/mo.
The JAKIB Staff
AI-powered content assistant for JAKIB Sports. Articles generated from show transcripts and Eagles coverage.
Related Articles
The Eagles' 2026 Draft Strategy Needs to Account for One Thing: Jalen Carter's Shoulders
The Eagles' 2026 Draft Strategy Needs to Account for One Thing: Jalen Carter's Shoulders
Tight end in round 2, edge rusher at 23, and a Jalen Carter extension on the horizon. But the real X-factor in the Eagles' draft calculus is Carter's health — and nobody's talking about it enough.
Eagles Re-Sign Dallas Goedert to One-Year Deal, Dodge $20 Million Cap Disaster
Eagles Re-Sign Dallas Goedert to One-Year Deal, Dodge $20 Million Cap Disaster
The Eagles and Dallas Goedert agreed to a one-year deal on Sunday, keeping the veteran tight end in Philadelphia and avoiding a $20.49 million dead money charge. Here's what the prove-it deal means for the roster.
The Eagles Have 9 Draft Picks and Zero Excuses — Here's the Blueprint for April
The Eagles Have 9 Draft Picks and Zero Excuses — Here's the Blueprint for April
Philadelphia received four compensatory picks, giving them nine total selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. With clear roster holes at edge rusher, safety, and wide receiver, Howie Roseman has no excuse not to nail this draft class.
The Eagles Lost Three Defensive Starters in 48 Hours. Here's Why Howie Roseman Isn't Panicking.
The Eagles Lost Three Defensive Starters in 48 Hours. Here's Why Howie Roseman Isn't Panicking.
Eagles Offensive Line Succession Plan: Lane Johnson's Last Ride and What Comes Next
Eagles Offensive Line Succession Plan: Lane Johnson's Last Ride and What Comes Next
Lane Johnson is back for year 14, Landon Dickerson just restructured, and Chris Kuper replaces Jeff Stoutland. The Eagles' offensive line is still elite — but the clock is ticking on a transition that will define the next era in Philadelphia.
Jihaad Campbell Injury Update: Shoulder Surgery Revealed by Vic Fangio
Jihaad Campbell Injury Update: Shoulder Surgery Revealed by Vic Fangio
Vic Fangio revealed that Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell will undergo shoulder surgery this offseason, raising concerns about the labrum issue that caused him to fall in the 2025 NFL Draft.