It was certainly a seismic week for the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line. On Tuesday, future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement. Approximately 24 hours later, the team traded Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens.
These moves effectively closed the final chapter of the previous era of Eagles football, which succeeded largely because of one of the best offensive lines in the league. The only remaining players from the line that helped Philadelphia reach two Super Bowls in three seasons are Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson.
We are now left to wonder: Is Philadelphia prepared for this?
The Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman have always been very vocal and very action-oriented about building through the trenches. But even the best-prepared teams can be caught flat-footed by major changes like these.
How prepared are the Eagles to handle these changes, and what could they mean for Philadelphia's 2027 NFL Draft plans?
Lane Johnson's retirement puts the spotlight on Markel Bell
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. It was a classic Eagles selection, taking the very toolsy Bell, who is over 6-foot-9 with arms measuring over 36 inches. It was pretty well known that Lane Johnson would be retiring soon, so it made sense to take Bell a year early to develop, since he was considered a raw player coming out of college.
The only bright side to Johnson retiring now, for the Eagles, is that they get the rest of the year to evaluate Bell before making a major decision in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Bell started his first career game last week against the Rams, and he showed what made him a worthy gamble, but also what makes him a project.
Bell used his size and coordination effectively. On zone-blocking plays or down blocks in the run game, he used his size to get in the way of defenders and push piles. And in pass protection, he worked up the arc nicely in his set and used his length to stay in the play with faster edge rushers.
But as expected, Bell was mostly just trying to survive in his first start. He did not create many lanes or move many bodies himself in the run game, and in pass protection, he was always a step behind. He's not yet confident enough to use independent hands or throw punches to combat edge rushers, which limits his upside in the passing game.
He also has a hard time maintaining blocks; defenders fall off Bell's blocks pretty easily when changing direction. I'm not sure whether this is a play-strength concern, a conditioning issue, or some combination of both at this point.
Bell is well worth a look at right tackle for the rest of this season, but right now I'm sure Philadelphia is wishing Jeff Stoutland were still in the building to help him develop. If this is his level of play all year long, however, drafting a tackle in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft is a real possibility.
Cam Jurgens trade signals confidence in Drew Kendall
The trade of Cam Jurgens was interesting and surprising, to say the least. Jurgens, at one time, was a top-five center in the league, and the Eagles paid him accordingly, making him the second-highest-paid center at the time he got his second contract.
But injuries slowed him down in 2025 after playing through a back injury in 2024, and due to the injury to Landon Dickerson, Jurgens was playing guard in 2026. Jurgens is a more natural center, so he hasn't been playing his best so far this season in place of Dickerson.
But the Eagles felt their best five linemen included Drew Kendall, a 2025 fifth-round pick, who right now is considered a "center-only" prospect. Jurgens, meanwhile, played guard in his second year with the team while serving as the center-in-waiting behind Jason Kelce.
Kendall is a capable center, though. He's got good size at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, and he's quick off the line. After snapping the ball, he does a good job of getting into his stance and firing his hands out quickly to make first contact with the defensive lineman.
The Jurgens trade netted the Eagles a second-round pick in 2028, while swapping their seventh-round pick for Baltimore's fifth-round pick in 2027. The 2028 pick is the key here, with Philadelphia now having two firsts and two seconds in 2028.
That gives Roseman additional flexibility down the road, but it also makes Kendall's development especially important. If he proves he can handle the starting job, Philadelphia can turn its attention to other positions along the offensive line.
With other questions along the line, center is not going to be a high priority for Philadelphia with Kendall on the roster. But the interior of the line as a whole is going to need some attention.
4 offensive linemen the Eagles could target in the 2027 NFL Draft
Depending on how the 2026 season plays out, the Eagles could approach the 2027 NFL Draft with very different offensive line priorities. Whether they need an immediate starter or simply more depth, these four prospects offer some intriguing possibilities.
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