Philadelphia Eagles fans hope Landon Dickerson can erase a bad memory

Welcome to the portion of the NFL offseason, where fans, Philadelphia Eagles fans included, and members of the media have too much time on their hands. That’s when stories like the following happen. How many of you have thought about rookie offensive lineman Landon Dickerson and drifted off into thoughts about Sidney Jones. It seems impossible, but there is a strange parallel between the two.

Back in 2017, Jones was one of the more sought-after cornerbacks in that year’s draft class, but his stock took a hit when he suffered an ACL injury prior to the selection meeting at a Washington Huskies’ Pro Day on March 11th. Philly saw the potential and drafted him anyway, knowing that Jones would basically have to be redshirted as a rookie.

Fast forward, and the Philadelphia Eagles are back in a familiar spot. They’ve again drafted one of the best at his position. They’ve again invested a lot into a rookie that’s coming off of an injury, but this time, that rookie’s name is Landon Dickerson. This time, the hope is that things won’t turn out the same way that they did with Sidney Jones.

Can Landon Dickerson make Philadelphia Eagles fans forget about Sidney Jones?

In some ways, the Philadelphia Eagles can look at landing Landon Dickerson in Round 2 as a win. There were many draft pundits that saw him as being the best interior lineman of the entire class. Had he not gotten injured in 2020 and finished the campaign on the sideline, he would have gone in Round 1.

Like Jones, Dickerson was a second-rounder. Unlike Jones, Philly is expecting a contribution from Landon in year one, and not only is he a nice option for this team at guard in the future but he’s also someone that can take over for Jason Kelce at the center position when the franchise legend decides to call it a career.

Don’t rule out the possibility of Dickerson starting in 2021 either. There are whispers that he could be ahead of a couple of Eagles starters right now, and if his body doesn’t fail him, which is always a concern for young guys who are coming off of an injury, he could be a great puzzle piece for this team for a long time to come. That will definitely ease the pain of a fanbase that, in some ways, still hasn’t recovered from watching its team gamble on a prospect that wasn’t ready to play a little over four years ago.