The Eagles’ team-building philosophy for decades has been to start in the trenches.
So it should be no surprise that their offensive line has been ranked by ProFootballFocus as the best unit in the entire NFL heading into the 2022 season.
PFF’s Michael Renner put four offensive lines in Tier 1 and led off with the Eagles at No. 1 overall, followed by the Browns, Lions and Buccaneers.
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Here’s what Renner wrote about the Eagles’ OL:
“There may not be a single below-average starter along the Eagles' offensive line. Pair that with arguably the best tackle duo in the NFL, and there’s no debate about which team's offensive line belongs at No. 1 heading into 2022. Jordan Mailata's incredible development at left tackle can't be understated. After not playing a snap in his first two NFL seasons, Mailata went from spot starter at left tackle in 2020 to the third-highest-graded player at the position in the NFL last season.”
Based on what we saw at OTAs and based on the way the Eagles’ coaching staff talked about the right guard position, it clearly seems like it’s Isaac Seumalo’s to lose. Seumalo, the former starting left guard, has been flipped to the right side of the line to replace recently retired Brandon Brooks, who missed most of the 2021 season.
So here’s a look at the Eagles’ projected starting offensive line:
NFL
LT: Jordan Mailata
LG: Landon Dickerson
C: Jason Kelce
RG: Isaac Seumalo
RT: Lane Johnson
The combination of Mailata and Johnson as the bookend tackles might be the best in the entire league. Last year, Mailata ranked as PFF’s No. 3 tackle in the NFL and Johnson came in at No. 10.
And then on the interior of the line, Kelce is 34 now but was an All-Pro again in 2021. Meanwhile, Dickerson after a rough start to his rookie season played so well at left guard that the Eagles decided to keep him there. Seumalo was a solid left guard at one point in his career and is the weak spot of this line as he comes back from a Lisfranc injury. But if he’s able to stay healthy, should be their best option there.
This doesn’t even mention the Eagles’ depth on the OL. Even after cutting Nate Herbig, the Eagles have solid depth: Andre Dillard, Cam Jurgens, Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, Le’Raven Clark and more are all on their bench.
If you’re wondering about the other offensive lines in the NFC East, the Cowboys ranked at No. 6, the Commanders at No. 15 and the Giants at No. 18.
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