Philadelphia, PA – June 25, 2025
In an NFL news cycle dominated by overreactions and debatable rankings, one judgment stands out for being so obvious it barely needs defending. Philadelphia’s defensive line just earned the No. 2 spot in Pro Football Focus’ league-wide unit rankings—and for once, no one in Eagles Nation is complaining. In fact, it might be the one list they actually got right.
Despite losing notable veterans in free agency, the Eagles’ front four remains a certified problem. This isn’t a unit built on hype—it’s built on disruption. In 2024, they generated pressure on 36% of plays without blitzing, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. Their success wasn’t driven by edge dominance or fluke sacks, but by interior violence and discipline at the point of attack.
At the heart of it is Jalen Carter, whose 84.4 PFF pass-rush grade ranked fourth among all interior defenders last season. Alongside him, Moro Ojomo quietly posted an 82.4—sixth at the position—while Jordan Davis continued anchoring the run game with freakish strength. “Carter was fifth, Davis was 28th, and Ojomo was 32nd in PFF’s top 32 D-linemen,” Zoltán Buday of PFF wrote, calling the group “relentless and ascending.”
Even with a sack total that only ranked 15th in the league (41 total), Philadelphia's line consistently collapsed pockets and shut down rushing lanes, finishing 10th in run defense. Their dominance wasn’t always reflected in box scores—but it showed up in quarterback discomfort, downfield chaos, and third-down wins.
The edges are still under construction. With Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff both gone, the Eagles are betting on upside: Nolan Smith Jr., fresh off a 6.5-sack campaign, is penciled in as the top edge rusher, while rising talent Jalyx Hunt looks poised to grab the other starting role. Questions remain, but the infrastructure is strong.
This isn’t a defensive line built to win headlines—it’s built to win games. And in a city that knows trench warfare better than most, being ranked just behind Pittsburgh doesn’t feel like an insult. It feels like motivation.
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