Eagles Have Next Milton Williams

When the Philadelphia Eagles lost Milton Williams to the New England Patriots in free agency, the move was expected.

Williams wanted to be back in Philadelphia, but the Eagles weren't going to pay the price he deserved in free agency. The Eagles already had Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis on the roster, and a rising young player in Moro Ojomo.

There were always signs Ojomo was going to shine in an elevated role -- the role that belonged to Williams for several seasons before he left for a massive contract elsewhere.

It wasn't a surprise Williams shined in New England. It wasn't a surprise Ojomo shined in Philadelphia either.

Getting the opportunity to be the No. 3 defensive tackle, Ojomo was one of the Eagles breakout players last season. Ojomo had 6.0 sacks, 49 pressures, 12 quarterback hits, and a pressure rate of 11.6% while playing in all 17 games.

Not bad for a former seventh-round pick, a player the Eagles tabbed to replace Williams. Ojomo has more pressures and sacks than Williams (36 pressures, 3.5 sacks), but Williams only played 12 games. Williams also had a higher pressure rate at 13.2%.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Eagles have their next version of Milton Williams in Moro Ojomo. The franchise better enjoy Ojomo while he's here.

Why Ojomo is the next Williams

Ojomo already has proven on the field why he's on a similar career path to Williams.

A seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Ojomo played well enough in training camp to earn a 53-man roster spot and develop behind the likes of Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, and Williams. Ojomo was also in the same draft class as Jalen Carter, who started in his rookie season being a top-10 pick.

The Eagles could allow Ojomo to grow in their defensive tackle rotation, similar to Williams when the Eagles had Cox and Javon Hargrave.

Since Williams was a third-round pick, his snap count total was significantly higher than Ojomo. Williams played 41% of the snaps in his rookie season and 36% in year two. Ojomo played just 13% in year one due to the depth at defensive tackle, but that percentage increased to 37% by year two.

Once Williams departed, Ojomo broke out as the No. 3 defensive tackle. His breakout season came one year earlier than Williams, who had 40 pressures, 5.0 sacks, 10 QB hits, and a 14.2% pressure rate in 2024.

There was a lot of untapped potential in Williams, and the same can be said with Ojomo. The Eagles will get at least one more seaosn of Ojomo's production.

Why Eagles better enjoy Ojomo this season

Ojomo is set to be a free agent after this season, and there's a very slim chance the Eagles are bringing him back.

The Eagles just gave Jordan Davis an average annual salary of $26 million a year. Jalen Carter will make significantly more if the Eagles get an extension done -- likely north of $35 million a season.

That's $61 million per season for two defensive tackles. The Eagles do have a salary cap for every position.

Ojomo may be in line to get north of $20 million a year if he has another season similar to his breakout campaign of 2025. He had better numbers than Williams did in his final season with the Eagles -- and Williams received $26 million per year.

Highly unlikely Ojomo will be back unless the Eagles extension talks with carter go ridiculously south. The Eagles are drafting and developing Uar Bernard for this exact reason, as Bernard can learn behind Carter, Davis, and Ojomo.

Byron Young is a free agent after this season and will be a cheaper alternative. The Eagles also have to hope Ty Robinson develops, since he was a former fourth-round pick.

Defensive tackle is the deepest position on the Eagles roster, so they have options. They could afford to part with Williams, and can do the same with Ojomo.

Ojomo is a great player, but he deserves to get paid. The Eagles likely won't be doing the latter.

Today's best reads

• Eagles' Deepest Position Produces Another Rising Star: Moro Ojomo Is No. 14
• Why Eagles Have to Prioritize Jalen Carter Contract Extension Over Moro Ojomo
• Eagles Are Going To Be Patient With Uar Bernard With Deep DT Room -- How Long Is The Leash?
• 4 Eagles We Are Unsure That Will Be Back After This Season
• Eagles OLB Nolan Smith: Facing Uncertain Future, Still Checks In At No. 18 In Top 25

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Eagles Have Next Milton Williams .

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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM.