Inside The Line

The youth-infused contingent of interior defenders is expected to serve as a critical component to a new-look Eagles defense. Gone is veteran Milton Williams, who signed a lucrative free-agent deal with the New England Patriots, elevating the importance of Moro Ojomo and Jordan Davis continuing their progression.

The group is highlighted by rising star Jalen Carter, who becomes the centerpiece of coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense. Carter’s unique blend of power and athleticism arms the unit with a ferocious interior presence equipped to terrorize offensive linemen on any given play. The third-year pro played 84% of the defensive snaps during the regular season in 2024 and 88% in the postseason, and it doesn’t appear Fangio intends to reduce his usage. Carter is heralded among the elite at his position and could see an uptick in sacks.

With a host of new faces on the roster, and with competition in key areas at play, now is the time to begin brushing up on the various position groups.

Our position preview series continues with a comprehensive look at what’s behind Carter in the defensive tackle room.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles DTs Moro Ojo,o (97) and Jalen Carter will play big roles in 2025.

Jordan Davis

The Eagles this spring unsurprisingly exercised Davis’ fifth-year option, but the fourth-year pro will be called upon to undertake a more prominent role after playing 37% of the defensive snaps during the regular season and 21% in the playoffs. For this rotation to thrive, those numbers will assuredly need to rise. Davis, a stout run defender, notched a sack in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl LIX and again looks to be in terrific shape, as he’s primed to use the end of last season as fuel toward a breakthrough 2025. The Eagles are banking on it.

Moro Ojomo

Ojomo, a third-year pro, is positioned to inherit the bulk of the snaps vacated by the loss of Williams. Ojomo, 23, played 37% of the defensive snaps last season in a critical rotational role and has developed into an intriguing, trusted option. Boasting first-step burst, short-area quickness and heavy, violent hands, Ojomo projects as a disruptive interior presence who should pair nicely alongside Jalen Carter. He’s shown marked improvement in each of his first two seasons.

Ty Robinson

A fourth-round pick in April, Robinson provides college positional experience, toughness and a balanced skill set. The 6-foot-6, 310 pounder figures to bring plenty of juice to the lineup as a rotational piece and should develop nicely under defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. He’ll slot in as No. 4 in the pecking order behind Carter, Davis and Ojomo, but I get the sense Robinson becomes a factor early and contributes.

Thomas Booker IV

With Williams no longer in the fold, Booker, 25, becomes the elder stateman of a young defensive line room. Showcasing an unrelenting motor and interior power last summer, Booker played his way onto the 53-man roster, appearing in all 17 regular season games and accounting for 16% of the defensive snaps. While his playing time was limited, Booker maximized his snaps, picking up a sack, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. I often noticed Booker when he was on the field. Also the backup nose, Booker carries added appeal for his ability to play multiple positions. The Stanford product has the inside track for a roster spot entering camp, but Booker will be pushed by the two remaining players listed.

Byron Young

A third-round pick (No. 70) of the Raiders two years ago, Young appeared in six games as a rookie but was waived last summer during cutdowns. The Eagles were awarded Young off waivers, but the Alabama product would land on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and appeared in no games. It’s been a couple of seasons since Young last played meaningful football, but the 6-foot-3, 292 pounder will be in contention for a roster spot. He carries some appeal due to positional versatility and potential upside. The Eagles invested in Young, and he’ll presumably get a long look.

Gabe Hall

Among the more intriguing rookie free agent signings last spring, Hall spent the entirety of the 2024 season on the Eagles’ practice squad. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Hall, who can play any position along the line, noted to me last season the value of going up against Landon Dickerson, a three-time Pro Bowl guard, in practice every day before adding that the battles were one-sided in Dickerson’s favor. A year of honing his skills under the tutelage of Hurtt should give Hall a boost this summer in his roster bid. He’ll need to be more consistent and take advantage of his opportunities, but Hall carries athleticism, versatility and a cost-effective contract. Hall is my dark horse roster candidate of the bunch in contention.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.