Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson form an elite duo

There are a lot of question marks on the Philadelphia Eagles this fall, good question marks, but question marks nonetheless.

How will Hasson Reddick fit in the new strongside linebacker position? Which linebacker position will Nakobe Dean play, weakside or middle? Is Marcus Epps ready to start at safety full time? And what about Jalen Hurts? Will he be able to take advantage of the Eagles’ new collection of offensive weapons to silence any doubts about his future as a franchise quarterback?

Buckle up folks; this is going to be fun to watch.

Fortunately, there are some areas of the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster that are anything but question marks. Jake Elliott should be good, as should the dynamic duo of Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and, most importantly of all, Jalen Hurts’ life should be made just a little bit easier by having the best one-two tackle tandem in the NFL.

Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are a compounding victory for the Philadelphia Eagles.

As you’ve probably already seen via the reporting of Jimmy Kempski – read it here – Lane Johnson didn’t allow a single sack for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021.

Impressive? You bet; even after missing a few games in the middle of the season for personal reasons – plus Week 18 – Johnson still played 821 offensive snaps, which accounted for 73.3 percent of the team’s total offensive snaps and was the sixth-highest mark on the team.

But do you want to know what’s even better than having one tackle who was able to hold down opposing rushers on the right side of the line? Having two offensive linemen capable of doing so.

While Jordan Mailata didn’t pitch a proverbial no-fitter in only his second full-time season as a starter, he surrendered just three sacks versus 914 offensive snaps- including 416 explicitly versus the pass – and had a snap-to-sack ratio of 304.7-to-1.

All in all not too shabby for a former seventh round pick who was playing rugby when Johnson was drafted.

Despite his relative inexperience, Mailata might just be the most physically impressive left tackle in the NFL. He’s uber athletic, with fantastic burst and long speed, and despite his massive stature, standing 6-foot-8, 365 pounds, Mailata has the nimble footwork of a dancer both versus the pass and the run.

But hey, don’t just take my word for it; check out what Johnson himself said about Mailata’s traits via Jakib Sports.

I mean hey, Johnson did join the no sacks club in 2021 and played opposite Jason Peters for the better part of a decade; he seems like an authority of good offensive line play.

There’s no doubt about it, the Philadelphia Eagles have two elite offensive tackles in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, so a very solid tandem behind them in fourth-year former first round pick Andre Dillard and third-year swingman Jack Driscoll. Howie Roseman’s commitment to building a strong foundation in the trenches is a big reason why the Birds were able to make the playoffs in 2021 and why many a national personality has declared them the top team in the NFC East. If Jalen Hurts can continue his progression as a passer, this team is going to be a problem.