Pair of Eagles named top-10 tackles by PFF

Even with Jason Kelce gone, there’s still plenty of talent on the Eagles’ offensive line according to the latest rankings by Pro Football Focus.

Concentrating solely on offensive tackle, PFF’s Zoltán Buday identified the NFL’s best by ranking the top 10. Philadelphia did well.

Jordan Mailata (No. 5)

Philadelphia’s 6-foot-8, 365-pound left tackle started as a professional rugby player and hadn’t played a down of organized football when the Eagles drafted him in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Now he’s one of the best left tackles in the league, earning high marks from PFF:

"Philadelphia’s left tackle got off to a terrific start in 2023, as he was PFF’s second-highest graded offensive tackle after eight weeks. And at that point, he was the only player at the position with run-blocking and pass-blocking grades of at least 84.0. While he was unable to continue that form for the entire season, he still finished the campaign with an 84.8 overall grade that ranked third at the position."

Mailata is still searching for his first Pro Bowl appearance. That could change with another strong performance in 2024.

Lane Johnson (No. 6)

Unlike Mailata, Johnson has made five Pro Bowls and has been an anchor at right tackle since joining the team as the fourth-overall pick in 2013. He’s also earned two All-Pro nominations in 11 years with the team but would have had more if not for a pair of suspensions for PEDs in 2014 and 2016.

The former college tight end isn’t quite the player he once was, but he’s close according to Buday:

"While Johnson remains one of the best right tackles in the league, his 80.1 overall grade in 2023 was tied for his second-lowest mark since 2015. Still, he was the only right tackle to rank among the top 15 in both pass-blocking and run-blocking grades."

After signing a one-year extension in 2023, Johnson doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. "I plan on finishing my career strong," he told reporters. "I think I have a few good years left and I'm going to take it to the limit."

With a contract that runs through 2027, expect to see Johnson back on future lists.