Eagles GM probably already cooking up plan to replace Lane Johnson in NFL draft

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles locked in offensive tackle Jordan Mailata through 2028.

Mailata and the Eagles reached a three-year, $66 million extension that includes $48 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The Eagles' former 2018 seventh-round pick wasn't the only one on the o-line to receive an extension this offseason as left guard Landon Dickerson also inked a hefty new deal. 

But just because the Eagles have those positions and the rest of the offensive line mostly solidified for 2023 doesn't mean that they will ignore bolstering the trenches even further in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.    

ESPN's Matt Miller believes the Eagles could skip over their many defensive needs and be a "sneaky" team to grab an offensive tackle with their first-round pick.

Miller points to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman's draft history, Lane Johnson's age and Jason Kelce retiring as reasons the Birds might target a guy like Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton at No. 22 overall: 

"Keep an eye on the Philadelphia Eagles as a sneaky offensive tackle team in Round 1, even after Thursday's extension of Jordan Mailata. General manager Howie Roseman drafts ahead of need better and more aggressively than any other decision-maker in football while also building through the trenches with premium picks. With right tackle Lane Johnson entering his age-34 season and center Jason Kelce retiring this offseason, don't be shocked if a player like Oklahoma's Guyton is tabbed as a Week 1 starting right guard and an eventual replacement for Johnson," ESPN's Matt Miller. 

Guyton is Already in Contact with Lane Johnson

The Eagles have expressed interest in Guyton and met with him at the Reese's Senior Bowl and plan to host him on a top-30 visit this month. 

Furthermore, Guyton told reporters at the Senior Bowl that he has been in contact with Lane Johnson, who also went to Oklahoma.

"He's meant a lot to me," Guyton said of Johnson. "Being a right tackle I think he's the best right tackle to ever play football. I talk to him all of the time. He's become a mentor to me, like a big brother. And learning from him elevates my game and I feel like it's also more challenge for him to make me better. It's like a big brother-little brother relationship."

Guyton is widely considered one of the most athletically gifted offensive linemen in this year's draft class and can play left or right tackle. 

His exceptional pass protection and versatility have him slated to go off the draft board on Day 1 or early Day 2. 

In his final and lone season with the Sooners, Guyton allowed zero sacks on 335 pass blocking snaps (per PFF). 

The Eagles let Kelce pick his replacement a center in Cam Jurgens back in 2022, which was two years before he officially called it quits. There's a chance that Howie is planning for the future and having Johnson do the same as he enters his 12th NFL season with the club.