PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles may have one of the deepest interior defensive line groups in football, and the talent is easy to spot. Jalen Carter is already emerging as a superstar.
Jordan Davis brings a longtime connection that goes back to Georgia. Moro Ojomo keeps ascending with a sharp football mind.
Byron Young is underrated. Ty Robinson is a second-year player whose switch is starting to turn on.
But for Eagles associate head coach/defensive line Clint Hurtt, the real reason the room works goes beyond talent. It comes down to how the group leads - and how each player does it in a way that fits his own personality.
Hurtt said the room’s chemistry is built on authenticity, with Carter, Davis and Ojomo setting the tone in different but complementary ways.
“I think you have to be true to who you are as a leader,” the rising assistant said. “Like, a lot of times, everybody wants to see like this, maybe a Ray Lewis type personality, if I had to throw a name out. Like, certain people do it in different ways.
“There’s guys that lead by what they do. They’re a lead-by-example person. Some are more of a verbal communicator with their leadership skills.”
Hurtt broke his group down plainly: Carter as the strong and silent type, Davis as the energetic presence, and Ojomo as the one who leads through example.
For Hurtt, the central message never changes.
“The biggest thing I tell those guys is, you have to be true to who you are, be comfortable in your own skin,” said Hurtt. “Because if you try to force somebody to be something that is not within their personality, then they’re not being authentic, and then their teammates are gonna see them as a real person.”
Carter’s leadership shows up in quiet moments, away from the spotlight.
“JC is a person that’s going to do it quietly on the side. You’ve seen him grab Uar [Bernard]. He’s grabbed young guys to talk to them about the things that he sees and whatnot, and how he works on his craft.”
Davis, meanwhile, brings the kind of energy that matters when the grind starts to wear on everybody.
“JD is a little bit more, he’s like the encourager,” Hurtt said. “The positive vibes, the days that you go out there and it’s 96 degrees on the field, and you don’t want to do anything. JD’s the guy that’s bringing the energy and juice.”
Ojomo’s influence comes from the standard he sets every day.
“Moro’s a guy that’s gonna challenge you,” he said. “You gotta try to match his work ethic and his energy every single day.”
That mix, Hurtt said, is what makes the room special.
“So they each have their own quality of how they do it, which to me is great leadership,” said Hurtt. “And they all understand their roles and how they fit in together, which is why the unselfishness in the room is so good.”
In Other News...
Eagles Added An Under The Radar Pass Rusher Fans Should Track
The Eagles have finished setting their 53-man roster and practice squad for the 2026 season, and one of the quieter additions is edge rusher Mason Reiger. An undrafted rookie with stops at Louisville and Wisconsin, Reiger first surfaced with the Dolphins after a preseason showing before Miami waived him, and Philadelphia has now brought him onto the practice squad as it continues sorting through its pass-rush depth.
Reiger is not near the top of the depth chart right now, but that is part of what makes him worth keeping an eye on. The Eagles have a habit of looking for developmental pieces along the front, and Reiger gives them another option to monitor if injuries hit or if his game starts translating the way his college production suggested it could. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Already Have A New Edge Rusher Fans Should Watch
Arnold Ebiketie arrived in Philadelphia on a one-year deal in March, and the early buzz around him has come from the kind of place Eagles fans always notice: the defensive line room. Defensive ends coach Jeremiah Washburn has already spoken highly of Ebiketies skill set and how it fits what the Eagles want up front, which matters in a city that tends to judge edge rushers by how quickly they can make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Ebiketie comes with a familiar kind of appeal for this roster, too. He spent four seasons with the Falcons before coming to Philadelphia, and his Penn State background gives him another local hook for fans who remember him from college. With the Eagles always looking for the next disruptive piece on the edge, he is the sort of newcomer worth tracking closely once practices and preseason work start to show how much of that praise translates onto the field. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Fans Just Gave One Newcomer A Very Philly Welcome
Eagles fans at Dolans Barn in Ridley Park found a special way to celebrate one of the newest members of the organization, throwing a surprise party for Uar Bernard after he joined the practice squad. The gathering was more than a simple welcome, turning into a warm neighborhood moment that reflected how quickly Philadelphia supporters can make a player feel like he belongs.
Bernards path makes the gesture even more striking. Originally from Nigeria, he is still getting used to American football while also adjusting to life in the United States, and the reception from fans underscored the citys reputation for backing its athletes with real energy. For a newcomer trying to settle in, it was a reminder that in Philadelphia, the welcome can be as loud off the field as it is on it. [Read more 🡒]