Eagles Could Lean Toward Offensive Line in First Round of Draft

Many mock drafts have the Philadelphia Eagles taking a cornerback in the opening round of the NFL Draft, but the math shows a deficiency in the enrollment of Jeff Stoutland University

PHILADELPHIA – Enrollment at Stoutland University is down a bit.

The math would indicate the Philadelphia Eagles will take an offensive lineman or two next month when the three-day NFL draft begins on April 25 and enroll him in class with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.

Deduct Jason Kelce, Sua Opeta, and Jack Driscoll. Add Matt Hennessy and Darian Kinnard. That would seem to leave the Eagles one offensive lineman short.

Aside from the four starters – Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson - the inventory on hand not counting the two newcomers – the inventory includes tackle/guards Tyler Steen, Le’Raven Clark, Brett Toth, tackle Fred Johnson, and versatile Lecitus Smith.

Meanwhile, as defensive backs, there are several young players who the Eagles like already there, including Kelee Ringo, Sydney Brown, Eli Ricks, Josh Jobe and Mekhi Garner. Even if the Eagles get rid of James Bradberry maybe they believe Ringo is ready to become a full-time starter.

Cornerback is a popular position for the Eagles to draft per many mock drafters, including myself, who, in my mock draft 1.0, had Philly trading up to select Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. In Daniel Jeremiah’s most-recent mock draft he had the Eagles taking Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 22nd overall pick.

I’m starting to think it could be an offensive lineman they lean toward, and maybe try to trade up if one they really, really like is still there.

It’s a deep draft for tackles, and who’s to say the Eagles won’t try to find Johnson’s eventual replacement, like they tried three times to do with Kelce?

More questions about the rostered O-line:

Do you see a back-up center here, assuming Jurgens starts there?

How about a starting right guard? As of now, it looks like Tyler Steen, who played 71 snaps with one start as a rookie last year.

The rest of the reserves don’t have much experience, either.

Clark, who turns 31 at the end of next month, has the most experience. He has played 64 games with 18 starts, though just four games and one start in Philly on his first-go-round here in 2021.

Johnson’s work has been limited the past three seasons. He started six games with 496 snaps in his second season, back in 2020, but has played just 127 snaps since then.

Smith hasn’t played since 2022 when he got 30 percent of the snaps with the Arizona Cardinals and Toth has made two starts in his so-far-brief three-year career, though he had an ACL injury to overcome during that stretch.

Kinnard may be someone to watch once spring workouts begin and then training camp. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago, so he already has two Super Bowl rings even though he has only played one game and that was as a rookie.

It just didn’t feel like enough, so you have to figure the Eagles will take an offensive lineman in the first two days of the draft, where they own picks No. 50 and 53 in the second round, and given their history of building from the inside out in the first round, an O-lineman cannot be ruled out at No. 22.