Eagles film: 4 plays where Georgia’s Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean wreaked havoc

The Eagles are building their defense around Georgia’s dominant football program that has won the last two national championships and produced several NFL-caliber players.

Jalen Carter (ninth overall) and Nolan Smith (30th overall) will join 2022 draft selections Jordan Davis (13th overall) and Nakobe Dean (83rd overall) on the Eagles defense, with the potential for all four being core contributors over the next couple of seasons.

During the 2021 season at Georgia, Smith, Dean, and Davis were starters on the vaunted defense, while Carter was a rotational player who provided several flashy plays that would translate into him becoming one of the best and most talented players in college football during the 2022 season.

There were times when all four future Eagles were on the field causing havoc for opposing offenses and combining their physical abilities with Carter’s unique blend of power and athleticism, Davis’ strength to knock offensive linemen back, Smith’s quick-twitch athleticism and relentlessness, and Dean’s intelligence and closing speed. Here’s a look at four plays on film from the 2021 season where their activity blew up plays on both running and passing downs.

In 2021, Georgia’s base defense featured a four-man front that usually consisted of Davis, Smith, Deonte Wyatt, a 2022 first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, and Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in that same draft. Based on that group alone, there wasn’t an abundance of opportunities for the four Bulldogs-turned-Eagles players to be on the field at the same time.

When they were, just based on certain down and distances, or their rotations among the front seven aligned, exciting, negative yardage plays were created. An example of this came against Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal game when Smith collected a monster eight tackles (one for loss), one sack, and a forced fumble in Georgia’s 34-11 dominant win.

On the read-option play below, the Bulldogs defense was gap- and assignment-sound, allowing Smith to make a one-on-one play in space against Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Carter, aligned at three technique, uses a quick swim move to blow up the running back at the mesh point. Davis, aligned as a one shade technique to the left of the center, splits the double team and controls the A-gap. Dean fills the backside B-gap and beats the center to the spot who is trying to root him out, while Smith squares up McCarthy and uses his speed to close off the sideline.

One thing Georgia coach Kirby Smart preached to his defense was non-stop pursuit to the football. Even in the play above, Carter flies to the football despite Smith wrapping up the quarterback in the open field. A well-coached, effort-filled football team is tough to beat, let alone twice, and Alabama found that out the hard way when it faced Georgia in the National Championship at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

» READ MORE: Evaluating film of Georgia’s Jalen Carter and how he would fit along the Eagles’ defensive line

In the clip below, with just Davis, Smith, and Carter on the field, the talented trio out-leverage the Crimson Tide on the perimeter. Smith, aligned as a standup seven technique, takes on the crack-replace block from the tight end, fights to keep his outside shoulder free and runs down the running back on the perimeter. Davis, aligned as a three-technique, defeats a double-team block, maintains leverage, and runs his way into the play. Carter, at one technique between the center and right guard, defeats the cut block and is in position to make a play on a potential cutback. The relentless pursuit is something that will translate to the Eagles defense.

» READ MORE: ‘Georgia Philly Dawgs’: Eagles draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith are tied together upon arrival

The Eagles were known for running “games” on passing downs, utilizing their talented defensive line on stunts such as twists to create confusion among the offensive line. Whether it was a twist from Josh Sweat and Javon Hargrave or Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham, the chaos created can open up free paths to the quarterback.

The Bulldogs defense incorporated similar concepts, especially on passing downs, where Carter and Smith were on the field together to cause havoc. Against Florida during the 2021 season, a twist from Carter and Smith created a free run for the ninth overall pick to sack Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson. Smith, aligning as a standup rusher, uses his explosiveness to split both the guard and tackle on an inside track, forcing Richardson to move in the pocket. Carter, aligning in a 2i technique, makes a tight loop and comes free to nearly come away with a strip sack.

Davis, also aligned as a 2i, uses his upper body strength to push the left guard into the lap of the quarterback, while leaving his outside arm free to chase down Richardson if he escaped free.

Sometimes, the Bulldogs defense allowed its players to pin their ears back and rush upfield in one-on-one situations. Against Michigan in the CFP semifinal, a four-man rush was enough to flush both Wolverine quarterbacks, McCarthy and Cade McNamara, outside of the pocket, forcing them to make plays on the move and out of their comfort zones. Most of the time when Davis and Carter played together in the interior involved stopping the run, but the play below had both in, showcasing their own unique styles of rushing the passer.

Starting with Carter, aligned as a three-technique, wins on an outside track against the right guard, using his speed to win, but at the same time, Davis, at one technique, bull rushes the center after faking as if he were rushing towards the left guard, forcing McNamara to climb and leave the pocket. Smith, who doesn’t get home with his initial rush, uses his closing speed to chase down the quarterback, forcing a fumble in the process. The activity in the interior from Carter and Davis allows Smith to be an athlete in space.

If the Eagles can create isolation situations for each player, allowing them to have one-on-one matchups, there’s a good chance one will come free and make the play. The sky is the limit for the Birds defense, as the Georgia to Philadelphia pipeline strengthened after the 2023 NFL draft.