Several Georgia Bulldogs pepper the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive depth chart. The early reports from training camp are positively glowing.
The Philadelphia Eagles made waves in the 2023 NFL Draft with their decision to select two Georgia Bulldogs in the first round. Jalen Carter was the No. 9 pick and Nolan Smith at the No. 30 pick. Both fell further than expected. Howie Roseman and the front office then tripled down in the fourth round with the selection of UGA's Kelee Ringo at No. 106.
This came on the heels of Philadelphia selecting Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis early in the 2022 NFL Draft. That's five UGA defensive players in two years. Not a bad investment, frankly. The Bulldogs' defense has achieved legendary status during UGA's consecutive championship runs. Kirby Smart recruits better than any coach on the defensive end. The best defensive players in the country tend to come from between the hedges.
As the Eagles transition from training camp into preseason action, the NFC champs are looking to build on 2022's impressive results. Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni are the media figureheads in Philadelphia, but any successful Eagles run starts with the defense. And, when it comes to training camp reports, the positive buzz is heavily flavored with Dawgs.
Philadelphia Eagles' stash of UGA defenders generating positive buzz at training camp
Jalen Carter has been the natural center of attention at Eagles camp. His first NFL snap resulted in immediate pressure on the QB and he has been tearing up the offensive line in camp. The Eagles have maybe the best O-line in football and Carter has forced them to entirely change the script.
"Jalen Carter, the way he's moving around. Already the guards are talking about different things to try and do against him," Eagles veteran Jason Kelce told reporters. "We're talking about him, I think I'll be interested to really look at the tape and see what it looks like."
That's high praise from the crème de la crème on the offensive line. Carter was widely considered the best prospect in April's NFL Draft, but off-field controversy and concerns about his conditioning tanked his stock. The Eagles filtered out the noise and bet on Carter's obvious talent. It's hard to imagine the front office is feeling any reservations about that decision right now.
Carter isn't the only UGA product tearing up camp in PA. Zach Berman's Eagles camp notes for The Athletic feature a heavy dose of Dawgs.
"Nolan Smith finds his way into my notebook every practice," writes Berman. The UGA linebacker put consistent pressure on backup QB Marcus Mariota in last Thursday's practice, which has evidently been a common theme all camp. The Eagles' preseason opener was Smith's first game action since October after Smith suffered a torn pectoral muscle and missed the final seven weeks of his UGA career.
Nakobe Dean is also making waves after returning from an injury of his own. He took first team snaps upon his return to Thursday's practice and was a full participant. Berman expects him to remain the top linebacker in the Eagles' defense.
Kelee Ringo made an impression with a difficult pass break-up in the Eagles' preseason opener. For Jordan Davis, year two is all about rebuilding confidence after an ankle injury disrupted his rookie campaign. He is expected to back up Jalen Carter at left tackle.
The Eagles are tentative favorites in the NFC next season, and their top-ranked defense is a major reason why. All five Dawgs are expected to play significant roles. Carter and Dean are day-one starters and will receive the most attention as a result, but Smith and Davis will see regular snaps all season. Ringo is buried deeper in the depth chart at cornerback, but he was a dynamic playmaker at UGA and there's every reason to believe he can translate his talent to the professional game.