Jalen Carter destroys Eagles O-lineman as Jordan Davis chases Hurts at training camp, Day 2

You always look for signs at training camp.

So when Eagles defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis teamed up to put pressure on quarterback Jalen Hurts, as they did during a team drill Thursday, it's easy to see both taking off from where they were last season.

That's when Carter, as a rookie, had six sacks before tiring down the stretch while Davis had 2½ before he, too, wore down.

Both had said during the spring that they devoted much of their offseason to conditioning, knowing that both will have to play much more after Fletcher Cox's retirement.

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So there was Carter, literally tossing aside center Cam Jurgens, then blowing past left guard Mekhi Becton to flush Hurts from the pocket. Hurts started running to his left, where Davis was giving chase after he had gotten past his man.

Hurts did well to avoid Davis and throw a sideline pass to DeVonta Smith, who was well out of bounds as Davis closed in. Quarterbacks, of course, are not allowed to be hit, but Carter and/or Davis showed the kind of havoc they can wreak on an opposing quarterback and offensive line.

The Eagles desperately need that this season.

"It was just a play call that the coach put in, and we executed it," Carter said. Then he laughed and said "nah, there were a lot of bodies flying,” when asked if he remembered the linemen he had gotten past.

Whether Carter really didn't remember or he didn't want to single out the players doesn't matter as much as the fact that Carter and Davis are showing they're way ahead of where they were last season.

Before Day 2 of training camp even began, new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Davis was showing "a lot more bend" than he did last season. That's a big compliment for Davis, who's 6-foot-6, 350 pounds and thus doesn't bend that easily.

"When you’re not tired, you can bend a little more," Davis said. "When you get tired, that’s when you start to slack off in your technique and stuff like that."

Carter, meanwhile, said he learned a lot as a rookie, mostly from Cox, and that he's ready for a big season to come.

When he was asked what's new about his game this season, Carter responded: "What’s new? I’m about to show you on the field."

Then he added: "I know what my potential is, and what I could do on the field is have a big impact."

In all, the first-team defensive line had a strong day. Bryce Huff, the edge rusher signed in free agency to essentially replace the departed Haason Reddick, had a so-called sack. But it was Carter and Davis who provided the push up the middle.

Huff said both Carter and Davis are "very disruptive" and that helps the entire offensive line.

As for Carter, he said last summer that his goal was to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he seemed well on his way until tiring out late in the season. Will Anderson of the Texans ended up with the Associated Press award.

"I’m gonna keep my goals personal this year," Carter said. "But my main goal is to work with the team, get the team to connect and have a connection on the field, so we can all play together as one."

Carter was then asked how much better he thinks he'll be this season.

"A lot better," he said. "I'm preparing myself to get better every year."

Added Davis about him and Carter: "We’re just excited to play in this scheme, moving a lot more. We have a lot more opportunities to make plays. That’s not knocking the past coordinators. It’s just a breath of fresh air for the defensive line. It just kind of feels familiar for us − me and Jalen − because that’s the kind of scheme that we played at Georgia.

"It just feels very familiar, and we like it."

Training camp observations, Day 2

• It was another strong day for Hurts and the first-team offense. Hurts' best pass was a deep sideline pass over A.J. Brown's outside shoulder with cornerback Darius Slay in coverage. Unlike the spring, Hurts has shown so far that he knows where the ball needs to go, whether it's deep or dumping off to another receiver.
• The defense made some nice plays too. Nickel corner Avonte Maddox dove to break up Hurts' very next pass intended for tight end C.J. Uzomah.
• For the second straight day, Devin White and Zack Baun began drills with the first team. But Nakobe Dean also worked in with White and then Baun on the first team, and all got second-team reps. Fangio said that inside linebacker and cornerback would be the most intense competitions in camp.
• At corner, Kelee Ringo was with the first team opposite Slay after Isaiah Rodgers was Slay's partner Wednesday. Rookie Quinyon Mitchell, meanwhile, got several snaps at nickel with the second unit. For the second straight day, James Bradberry was at safety with the second unit. Maddox got snaps at safety next to Bradberry as well.
• Linebacker Terrell Lewis had one of the nicest defensive plays of the day, skying to bat down a Kenny Pickett pass.
• As for injuries, rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter left practice on a cart after injuring his leg on the last play of practice. Left guard Landon Dickerson practiced on a limited basis after missing Wednesday's practice with a toe laceration. OL Brett Toth (hamstring) and LB Oren Burks (knee) did not practice.
• The Eagles are holding a walkthrough practice Friday that is not open to the media. They'll have a full practice Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Jalen Carter destroys Eagles O-lineman as Jordan Davis chases Hurts at training camp, Day 2