PHILADELPHIA - Perhaps the biggest advantage the Eagles have on the offensive side of the football isn’t their litany of playmakers; it’s the luxury of setting their offensive tackles on autopilot.
“You can’t play offense in this league if you can’t block people,” a former NFL GM told Eagles On SI.
Under the tutelage of Jeff Stoutland, Philadelphia arguably has the best offensive line in the sport, and as good as the interior is, the tackle positions are an embarrassment of riches led by future Hall of Famer Lane Johnson on the right side and second-team All-Pro Jordan Mailata at left tackle.
The Eagles’ game-planning process is a collaborative effort and no matter where the buck stops from head coach Nick Sirianni or past offensive coordinators like Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson and Kellen Moore up unto the current OC and play-caller, Kevin Patullo, the understanding is you can leave Johnson and Mailata on their respective islands and concentrate on everything else.
No other team has that luxury.
The depth is impressive as well, even after 2024-25 swing tackle Fred Johnson left for Jacksonville in free agency. GM Howie Roseman signed veterans Kendall Lamm, 33, and Matt Pryor, 30, in the offseason, players who have a combined 83 NFL starts.
Roseman and his personnel staff also invested in two Day 3 picks with high upsides for Stoutland to tool around with: fifth-rounder Myles Hinton, the son of former All-Pro Chris Hinton, and sixth-rounder Cameron Williams.
The organization is also high on third-year player Darian Kinnard, who has right-side versatility at both tackle and guard, as well as 6-foot-8, 341-pound Rutgers undrafted rookie Hollin Pierce.
The Eagles will also use their international player exemption on Laekin Vakalahi for a second straight season, an indication that Stoutland believes Vakalahi is progressing as the organization tries to get lightning to strike twice with Australian rugby players.
Reserves like Brett Toth, Kenyon Green and undrafted rookie Marcus Tate also have OT experience, even if they are projected on the inside to start.
Depth Chart: (There is plenty of cross-training and versatility expected out of the backups. With the 90-man roster, we start with the default settings while understanding things will change as things are whittled down, especially with Pryor, who has four-position versatility.)
LT: Jordan Mailata; Kendall Lamm; Myles Hinton; Laekin Vakalahi
RT: Lane Johnson; Darian Kinnard; Cameron Williams
WHAT’S CHANGED: Fred Johnson did a solid job as the swing tackle last season, but the Eagles have a wave of bodies to replace him, with Lamm, who started 15 games for Miami over the past two seasons, leading the pack.
If Pryor doesn’t factor in at right guard, he can also handle the OT positions, while there are members of the Eagles’ personnel department very high on Hinton.
Williams probably needs more developmental time, but he’s got Day 1 traits, and who better to teach him than Stoutland?
COACHING: You can read about Stoutland and his assistant, Greg Austin, in our interior offensive line preview.
THE CEILING: Johnson and Mailata both move from second-team to first-team All-Pros, and Lamm has enough left in the tank to give the Eagles their most serviceable swing tackle in years.
THE LONGSHOT: Kinnard is an NFL player but the numbers here are daunting, especially with three Day 3 picks (add center Drew Kendall to Hinton and Williams) Roseman will not want to subject to waivers.
WHO STAYS/GOES: Johnson and Mailata will be joined by Lamm and Pryor as long as the thirtysomethings prove they still have it in training camp. From there, Roseman will do everything possible to give Stoutland the time to turn Hinton and Williams into players.
