5 Positions where 2021’s Philadelphia Eagles must begin their rebuild
By Joe Walls
54. . . . Offensive tackle. 1. player
The Philadelphia Eagles’ O-Line has carried them for the better part of 20 years.
One noticeable omission from the list is wide-receiver. If this list were the Eagles’ worst position groups ranked, wideout would be number one. There’s also this to consider. Any team that’s rebuilding should never worry about the wide receiver position, and that should also be the least of the Eagles’ worries.
Team’s finish their rebuild with skill position players. They shouldn’t begin there, so relax. If the most critical aspect of defensive strategy is pressure, the most important aspect of winning on offense is protecting the quarterback.
During the 2020 season, it seemed as though the Eagles offensive line took social distancing a little too seriously. Defenders were cruising through six-foot-wide gaps on seemingly every snap. Unsurprisingly, Wentz had some horsepower added to his regression, and when Jalen Hurts stepped in, he was running around like a Spaniard with a bull fetish.
Philly is old up front. Jason Peters just scheduled his first colonoscopy. Jason Kelce ponders retirement with every cup of morning coffee, and Lane Johnson, as tough as he is, also began to show signs of mortality.
With those three, Philly’s offensive line drew the envy of every opposing coach for years, but with age has come this team’s fracturing. Now, the questions center around whether or not Kelce will come back and if Lane Johnson can stay on the field.
Trending. 4 NFL Draft prospects the Eagles must avoid at six. light
Hopefully, the potential that young guys like Jack Driscoll and Jordan Mailata showed in 2020 is legitimate. If top O-line prospect, Penei Sewell out of Oregon, is somehow still available at the sixth draft position, and the Eagles go with someone else, the next time Howie Roseman shows himself in public, it better be as the guy flipping the sign in front of a Little Ceasars.
Give an honorable mention to the quarterback position, but as of right now, the offensive line is where Philly should invest a ton of their resources.