Eagles at Pick 23: Stop Dreaming About Lane Johnson's Replacement and Draft a Starter

Every year around combine time, Eagles fans start dreaming about the perfect draft. This year's fantasy? Take an offensive tackle at 23 to be Lane Johnson's heir apparent.

It sounds logical. Johnson is 36. He can't play forever. Get ahead of it.

Except it's not logical at all. It might be the worst use of a first-round pick the Eagles could make this April.

The Math Doesn't Work

Lane Johnson was the FOURTH overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Fourth. You don't replace a Hall of Fame-caliber player taken at 4 with a guy picked at 23 — especially not in a draft class where there are maybe 12-13 legitimate first-round talents.

By the time pick 23 rolls around, you're not getting a franchise left tackle. You're getting a second-round talent who got bumped up because of team needs. The chances of landing another Quinyon Mitchell or Cooper DeJean at 23? A million to one. You're more likely to end up with another Sydney Brown or Nolan Smith — guys who flash but don't change your franchise trajectory.

Draft for Today, Not Tomorrow

The Eagles are installing a brand-new offensive scheme. They have holes at multiple positions. Jaelan Phillips might walk in free agency. The secondary needs depth. And you want to use your first-round pick on a guy who's going to sit on the bench behind Lane Johnson?

Or worse — you draft a tackle, move him to guard, and suddenly Tyler Steen's third-round investment is a bust. Now you've got two third-round picks (Steen and Sydney Brown) collecting dust on the bench while your first-round rookie plays out of position. That's not team-building. That's creating problems.

The smart play is drafting someone who starts Day 1. An edge rusher. A defensive playmaker. Someone who fills a hole that exists RIGHT NOW, not one that might exist in two years.

Steen Fits the New Offense

Here's something nobody's talking about: Tyler Steen might actually be a perfect fit for the Eagles' new scheme. He's athletic, he can get to the perimeter, and outside zone concepts play to his strengths more than the power scheme he was stuck in.

If you believe in your new offensive identity — and the Eagles better, because they just blew up everything to install it — then Steen at right guard makes sense. He's a starter. He's under a cheap contract. And he showed enough last year to earn another shot.

The Bottom Line

Nick Sirianni might not be here in two years. The new offense might look completely different by then. Draft picks should be about winning NOW. With only 12-13 true first-round talents in this class, every pick is precious.

Don't waste pick 23 on a developmental tackle when there are starters to be found. Johnson's replacement can come in next year's draft, or the year after. This year, fill the holes that actually exist. The Eagles need impact players, not insurance policies.