Philadelphia Eagles Pre-Draft Depth Chart: Offense
Oct 13, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (62) gets ready to hike the ball as he line up on the line of scrimmage against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Eagles Starting Offensive Line in 2014: Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Todd Herremans, Lane Johnson
Eagles Starting Offensive Line in 2015: Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Andrew Gardner, Lane Johnson
Despite all the injuries that the Eagles incurred on their offensive line last season, the Eagles offensive line still ranked as the second best line in football and first in run blocking according to ProFootballFocus.com.
Jason Peter is a rock at left tackle and is arguably the best left tackle in football. He is very strong, yet ver athletic, as he is able to get to the second level with ease. Every quarterback in the league wishes they had a left tackle like Jason Peters protecting their blind-side because he very rarely makes a mistake. In the run game, Peters creates huge holes for the Eagles running backs and on many occasions over the past few years, Peters was providing blocks for the running backs, ten to fifteen yards up field.
On the opposite side of the line, Lane Johnson has been a good player for the Eagles over his two years in the league. He is very athletic and he is still getting stronger week by week. I expect Johnson to have a breakout season next year, heading into year three, as he looks to become one of the best right tackles in football.
The Eagles currently have the best guard in football with Evan Mathis. Mathis, much like Peters, can do it all. He is strong and athletic. He can get to the second level and provide great blocks with ease. Unlike Peters, however, Mathis has been in the papers due to trade speculation over the past few weeks. Mathis hasn’t been traded yet and hopefully he wont be traded any time soon because has been such an important player for the Eagles over the past few seasons.
Andrew Gardner will compete with Matt Tobin and Allen Barbre for the other guard position now that Herremans is out-of-town. Herremans had played poorly for the past two years and it was time to move on. Gardner, Tobin and Barbre all played well when their number was called last year and regardless of who wins the job, the Eagles feel confident that one of those guys will be an upgrade at right guard over Todd Herremans.
Jason Kelce is arguably one of the best centers in the league. He is young, athletic, strong and is the quarterback of the Eagles offensive line. Kelce does a very good job in pass protection and he is phenomenal as a run blocker. He does everything you want from a center and more. Kelce will be the leader of the Eagles offensive line for years to come and I expect him to make a few more Pro Bowls during that period as well.
Grade: A ~ The Eagles offensive line is getting a bit older, but their production has yet to drop off, meaning the Eagles and their fans should expect more of the same from their offensive line in 2015.