We’ll be breaking down every position on the Philadelphia Eagles in the coming weeks, determining which players are most likely to return and which ones most likely won’t. We’ll examine the offensive tackles today.
Please note that the polls below reflect your opinion on what you believe the Eagles should do rather than what you believe they will do. Please consider them more like player approval surveys.
Johnson Lane
In 2023, Johnson earned his third consecutive All-Pro selection and his fifth Pro Bowl appearance in seven years. He was still an outstanding right tackle who, as usual, won his games without assistance and decisively each week.
Eagles fans were occasionally reminded of how indispensable Johnson is after he was forced to leave the team’s Week 6 loss to the Jets, as Jack Driscoll was completely destroyed by Jets edge rushers the remainder of the day and the offense didn’t seem the same. Even so, Johnson’s performance in his eleventh NFL season seemed to wane. In my view, Johnson has been among the best 15-20 players in the NFL for the past five to six years, even if national media sources have largely failed to acknowledge him as such. Even though he was still excellent, in 2023 he was not a top 20 player.
Jimmy Johnson, who turns 34 in May, stated in the locker room following the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Buccaneers that he believes he has “a few good years left,” dispelling rumors that he could announce his retirement this summer.
Jordan Mailata
In my opinion, Mailata was a quietly excellent player in 2023, both in the run game and pass protection, on an offensive line that had two future Hall of Famers. Despite his deservingness, he was not selected to the Pro Bowl. Mailata is committed to the team until the 2025 season and is not planning on leaving. Remain.
If the Eagles choose an offensive lineman in the draft who is more at ease playing on the left side, one option down the road is a flip to the right side to replace Johnson.
Driscoll Jack
As was already said, Driscoll struggled in Week 6 against the Jets, which hurt the Eagles. To his credit, Driscoll played well in his subsequent replacement for an injured Johnson against the Bills.
Driscoll appeared to be on a starting trajectory early in his career because he performed admirably in his rookie seasons as an RG in 2021 and RT in 2020, but he faltered in 2022 and 2023. Driscoll has made 17 NFL starts and possesses some guard-tackle versatility. The number of his career snaps does not include the times he has filled in as the sixth offensive lineman. Many teams in the league are always in need of offensive line support, so it will be fascinating to see whether Driscoll is signed with the intention of giving him a starting opportunity.
