The Eagles Need to Draft an Offensive Tackle in Round 1 — And They Know It

Lane Johnson is coming back. He said it himself — 14th season, flexed emoji, let's ride. And Eagles fans exhaled. But here's the thing nobody in this city wants to say out loud: the clock is ticking on the best offensive line era in franchise history, and Howie Roseman needs to act before the whole thing crumbles.

Johnson is 35. He missed seven games last season with a Lisfranc injury. He's under contract through 2027, but let's be real — this is year-to-year territory now. And the man who turned seventh-round picks and Australian rugby players into All-Pros? Jeff Stoutland is gone. The greatest offensive line coach in Eagles history walked away, and no amount of Chris Kuper's coaching ability changes the fact that the development pipeline just lost its architect.

The Left Side Is Locked — The Right Side Is a Question Mark

Credit where it's due: the Eagles' left side is elite and stable. Jordan Mailata signed a three-year, $66 million extension last April that locks him in through 2028. He was the one true stalwart on the offensive line in 2025 while everything around him wobbled. Landon Dickerson is back. Cam Jurgens held it down at center. That left side isn't going anywhere.

The right side? That's where the anxiety lives. Tyler Steen's long-term viability at right guard is a legitimate debate — he's fine, not great, and "fine" doesn't win Super Bowls. And then there's Lane Johnson's spot at right tackle, which is the real ticking time bomb. When Johnson missed those final seven games plus the playoffs, Fred Johnson stepped in and played admirably. But Fred Johnson is now a pending free agent, and "admirably" is a long way from "Lane Johnson."

The Development Cupboard Isn't Empty — But It's Not Full Either

The Eagles did try to get ahead of this. Cameron Williams and Myles Hinton were both Day 3 picks in the 2025 draft, developmental tackles who were supposed to marinate behind the starters. Williams showed some flashes — enough to make the roster — but neither guy is anywhere close to starting-caliber right now. Drew Kendall and Jake Majors add interior depth, but neither is a tackle answer.

Here's the problem: you can't develop offensive linemen the same way without Stoutland. The man literally turned Jordan Mailata — a rugby player who had never played a snap of football — into a top-five left tackle in the NFL. That kind of player development doesn't just transfer to the next guy. Kuper is solid, but Stoutland was generational. The Eagles need to draft more pro-ready linemen now because the margin for developmental projects just got thinner.

Pick 23 Should Be an Offensive Tackle

Multiple mock drafts are already linking the Eagles to offensive tackles at pick 23, and they should be. FantasyPros has them taking Blake Miller out of Clemson — a 6-foot-6, 315-pound right tackle who set the Clemson record for career snaps with 54 starts. The guy is plug-and-play. FOX Sports mocked Max Iheanachor from Arizona State, who showed up to the combine at 352 pounds and ran a 4.91-second 40. Both are first-round talents who could learn behind Lane Johnson for a year and then step into the starting role.

This is the Howie Roseman special. The Eagles' best draft picks in recent history have been offensive linemen — Mailata, Jurgens, Dickerson. The organization knows how to evaluate and develop trench talent. And with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the entire offensive infrastructure built around a dominant run game, the offensive line isn't just important — it's THE foundation. You don't let that foundation crack.

The Super Bowl Window Demands It

The Eagles' championship window is open right now, but it won't stay open forever. Hurts is locked in. Barkley is in his prime. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are elite. Vic Fangio's defense is nasty. But windows close fast in the NFL, and they usually close when the offensive line falls apart. Ask the Cowboys what happened when they let their line erode. Ask the Rams how their Super Bowl hangover went.

Drafting a tackle at 23 isn't a luxury pick — it's a championship move. You get a first-round talent who sits behind Lane Johnson, learns the system, and is ready to step in the moment Johnson hangs it up or his body says enough. That's how smart organizations operate. You don't wait until the problem is staring you in the face. You solve it a year early.

The Bottom Line

Lane Johnson coming back for 2026 is great news. But it's also a gift — one more year to get the succession plan right. The Eagles have Mailata locked up on the left. They need his equivalent on the right. Whether it's Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor, or another first-round tackle, Howie Roseman should be making this the priority at pick 23. The Eagles built their dynasty on the offensive line. Don't let it die there too.