Philadelphia Eagles: Lucas Niang could be the new and improved Big V

After allowing Halapoulivaati Vaitai to walk in free agency for the greener pastures of Detroit, the Philadelphia Eagles could draft his heir in TCU tackle Lucas Niang.

Howie Roseman has a thing for TCU offensive linemen.

He just does.

Of the five Texas Christian offensive lineman currently in the NFL right now, only three – Los Angeles Rams left guard Joseph Noteboom, New England Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon, and Minnesota Vikings swing tackles Aviante Collins – haven’t either played for the Philadelphia Eagles at one point or play for them currently.

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Two of the four offensive linemen Roseman has drafted since returning to power in 2016 were from TCU, and for how unlikely it is to select an offensive lineman who doesn’t even put their hands on the ground on offensive plays, there’s something about the Horned Frogs’ zone-blocking scheme that really appeals to Doug Pederson, Duce Staley, and/or Jeff Stoutland.

That may all be a coincidence, but what are the chances, really? TCU isn’t exactly Alabama.

So needless to say, with Halapoulivaati Vaitai a member of the Detroit Lions (more on that here) and Matt Pryor an unproven commodity as a four-position reserve (more on that here), Roseman has to be on the lookout for his next TCU tackle, guard, or combination of the two, right? Bonus points if said player is, ya know, actually good.

Good news Philly fans, this year’s offering, Lucas Niang, may have the best TCU tackle product of this generation.

Measuring in at 6-foot-7, 328 pounds with 34-plus-inch arms, and a massive frame, Niang was a four-year contributor for the Horned Frogs from 2016-19, where he appeared in 44 games with 27 starts. Despite his massive size, and unknowable athletic testing numbers thanks to a torn hip labrum robbing the 21-year-old of a chance to participate at the 2020 NFL Combine, Niang looks every bit as dominant in Gary Patterson‘s scheme as Big V before him.

I mean that in both a good and a bad way.

Like Vaitai, Niang is physically massive, a solid back peddler, and a people move in the running game. He’s also a tad slow, an average-at-best athlete, and plays with poor leverage against the pass. While Niang is clearly a better prospect than Vaitai was coming out of college, he’s not the kind of sure-fire player teams want to trot out Week 1 as a full-time rookie starter at right tackle.

Fortunately, Niang won’t have to – well can’t really – because of his November hip surgery.

According to NFL Draft analyst Scott Wright, Niang’s potential unavailability may drop him from a Day 2 prospect all the way to the fourth or even fifth round.

That, my friends, would be a draft day miracle for Howie Roseman and company.

If Niang is able to go at some point in 2020, he would instantly slot in as the Eagles’ top reserve offensive lineman next to Pryor, who he started eight games next to in 2017. Whether he takes the brunt of his snaps on the left side and allows Pryor to stay on his natural right, or the Eagles opt to use Pryor as a backup guard and Niang as exclusively a backup tackle, having two former teammates active on game day would all but surely help both stay ready in case of disaster.

Barring the return of Jason Peters, the Eagles will have to invest in some sort of plus-backup for Andre Dillard just in case things go south. While Niang played almost exclusively on the right side in college, his experience playing in TCU’s scheme may actually help his transition to the left side if need be, as he doesn’t put either hand on the ground when the play starts.

Granted, drafting a backup offensive lineman isn’t the kind of, um, ‘sultry’ pick that puts butts in seats or jerseys on backs, but in Pederson’s scheme, it’s not an ‘only in emergencies’ sort of position. As fans in Philly already know, Pederson likes to deploy an extra offensive tackle to bolster his run game, and create, um, creative pulling opportunities to open up zones across the line. While Niang isn’t going to make anyone forget about Lane Johnson from an athletic standpoint, he is still capable of moving defensive ends off the line and linebackers into the second level with ease.

And here’s the thing about Niang that almost no one is talking about, but really should be: He could be a really, really good guard with some work.

If the Eagles do end up selecting Niang in the 2020 NFL Draft – regardless of whether that’s in the second or fifth round – they should 100 percent put him on the Big V cross-training plan and get him snaps at both guard and tackle through whatever sort of training camp is allowed to open later this year. It may not happen this week, this season, or even next, but eventually, Jason Kelce is going to retire, and the Eagles appear set on kicking Isaac Seumalo inside to center to fill the All-Pro’s albeit very big Mummers boots.

Niang is a tad taller than your prototypical NFL guard, but his average athleticism would be seriously mitigated on the inside.

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Could Lucas Niang be the guy who plays a decade between Isaac Seumalo and Andre Dillard on the left side of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line? Or is he better suited as a tackle only backup who inevitably leaves for a starting opportunity when his rookie deal expires in 2023? Either way, he’s the type of player I’d rather have on the roster come Week 1 than have to find down the line when a more pressing need inevitably rears its ugly head.

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