The Philadelphia Eagles have become the Georgia Eagles, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith have established themselves as leaders on the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL last season — and all four have been drafted over the last three seasons. There have been other Georgia players from the 2020 to 2022 Georgia defense to join the Eagles since then, the latest being Azeez Ojulari.
The Eagles signed Ojulari to a one-year deal Monday. He played for Georgia in 2020 with Davis, Carter, Smith and Dean. Were they the reasons he decided to reunite with them again in Philadelphia?
“Having that chemistry and that brotherhood with those guys before, it’s just amazing to come back here and keep it going on,” Ojulari told reporters on a Zoom call Wednesday. “It’s amazing just to have those guys again.
“I’m just happy to have this opportunity to come out here. I’m gonna be ready to compete and learn and play with my brothers again. I let my agent do all the work and he did a great job. Now I’m here and ready to work.”
The Eagles have seven Georgia players from the 2020-2022 defense on that side of the ball with the addition of Ojulari, all coming within the last three years.
Georgia players on Eagles defense
|
Jordan Davis |
2022 |
Drafted (1st round) |
|
Nakobe Dean |
2022 |
Drafted (3rd round) |
|
Jalen Carter |
2023 |
Drafted (1st round) |
|
Nolan Smith |
2023 |
Drafted (1st round) |
| 2023 |
Drafted (4th round) |
|
| 2024 |
Signed to practice squad |
|
|
Azeez Ojulari |
2025 |
Signed as free agent |
Ojulari will have some work to do to make the roster, as the Eagles pass rush is still in flux. He signed a one-year contract worth $4 million, so nothing is guaranteed toward a roster spot. He had 22 pressures and 6.0 sacks last season, a pressure rate of 11.6% in 380 snaps.
There are spots to be had in the pass-rush rotation, which gives Ojulari an opportunity to revive his career in Philadelphia.
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“I’ve had up and downs with injuries and trying to put that behind me this year, continue to do everything I can to stay on the field and be 100 percent healthy, whatever it is,” Ojulari said. “I’m just trying to focus on one day at a time and keep attacking that every single day to prove to myself I can be out there for all 17 games and do whatever I can to stay out there for the long run.
“I feel it’s gonna be a great fit. Seeing the Eagles play last year and how dominant they were and watching the Super Bowl and seeing how they got after the Chiefs. I feel it’s going to be great.”
