3 opposing offensive lines the Eagles defense should feast on in 2022
The Eagles’ defensive line should see a spike in production, and facing some weak offensive lines in 2022 should aid that.
Only one offensive line can be labeled as the best in the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles can boast that they’re the owners of said title. They’re the standard. They’re the model to which other franchises look. Other teams wish they were as lucky to field the talent Philly does, but every team won’t be able to do so.
The line is the heartbeat of any great offensive attack as they dictate everything. If there are leaks, the quarterback won’t flourish. If they’re on top of their game, everything works, including the running game, and there’s no better aid to a confident and capable signal-caller than a healthy and productive dose of the running game.
Every team needs a solid defensive front too. Philly’s defense ranked 31st in sacks last season with 29. Only the Atlanta Falcons were worse at getting to the quarterback. The Eagles have the big boys to get the ball with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham. They’ve also added Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Haason Reddick. This team should be fun to watch.
Cox and Graham are looking to bounce back this season. Fletcher had an off-year. Graham tore his Achilles in 2021. Hargrave and Sweat, Philly’s co-leaders in sacks with 7.5 a piece, are looking to build on solid seasons that concluded with Pro Bowl appearances, the first for each of them.
The new guys, Davis, Dean, and Reddick, should help bring more pressure that will push those sacks numbers back to respectability.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has no excuse this year. The hope is he’ll be more aggressive in his game plan. He most certainly has the guys with which to wreak havoc.
Think about it, when people generally think of those great Birds defenses, they think of an aggressive and attacking style of play that usually leads to turnovers or dragging the quarterback to the turf. That’s what everyone is hoping to see during the 2022-2023 NFL season. Here are a few offensive lines that could assist with seeing the D-line return to the upper echelon of pro football.