Heading into the 2026 season, the Philadelphia Eagles had plenty of questions not just about their offensive line, but about their offense as a whole. Beyond firing Kevin Patullo and hiring Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator, the Eagles also moved on from offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland, bringing in NFL veteran Chris Kuper.
While the Eagles' offense did "sputter" in their first preseason game against the Ravens, ultimately only putting up seven points in their 24-7 loss, the team did see plenty of upside from their young corps of offensive lineman in their first or second year.
Per Ryan Fowler of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Jake Majors, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin, Markel Bell, and Drew Kendall all were perfect when it came to pass protection reps last weekend. Majors and Morris did most of the "heavy lifting," with 19 pass-protection snaps; however, Lampkin, Bell, and Kendall got six to 13 reps. The young "corps" all put together clean performances, allowing no QB hits, hurries, hits, or sacks.
Eagles' young offensive line dominated the competition in preseason
This news comes despite a stellar performance from the young offensive linemen; the Eagles quarterbacks combined for 13-of-25, 92 yards, and one touchdown from Cole Payton to Erik Ezukanma in the fourth quarter.
While preseason games and performances can often be "inflated" (or deflated), the promise from a young group, dealing with a coaching transition, cannot, and should not go unnoticed. The Eagles, for the past several years, have seen plenty of overlooked prospects flourish, like Jason Kelce or Jordan Malaita, who developed into top-tier offensive linemen under Stoutland; however, with the offensive line guru no longer on staff, plenty of questions will arise about whether Kuper can have the same level of success.
Throughout training camp, the younger unit has received plenty of praise, especially for Bell and Lampkin, whom many consider opposites. Bell owns a 6-foot-9, 340-pound frame, while Lampkin is considered undersized at 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11 and weighs between 280 and 290 pounds. Regardless, both players have put together a competitive sample size against live competition (and in practice), and could become key pieces for Philadelphia in the future, possibly even in the 2026 season.
Read more: DeVonta Smith gave Eagles fans a reason to forget about preseason dumpster fire
While the sample size is limited, the young offensive line will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves in the next couple of weeks, with the Eagles having two more preseason games this summer. The Eagles are scheduled to face the New England Patriots on August 22 as they prepare for the regular season this fall.
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