Friends Turn 'Enemies' for Eagles Matchup with Vikings

PHILADELPHIA - The Minnesota Vikings are known for their skill-position talent, an impressive group headlined by star receiver Justin Jefferson.

You rarely get the sizzle without the steak, however, and that's where Pro Bowl right tackle Brian O'Neill enters the equation, a player both Lane Johnson and Brandon Graham raved about this week.

Johnson, coined as the best RT in the world by his head coach Nick Sirianni, called O'Neill one of the best in the NFL, and Graham, who typically rushes from the left side called his Monday night adversary as technically sound and athletic as it gets.

"He's really good, he's very athletic and he can move great for size," said Graham. "He's really difficult to move because he plays with balance and can match you with his speed."

O'Neill, a Pitt product and Delaware native who developed into a second-round pick in 2018, mirrors Johnson in a lot of ways.

The Eagles' star RT was a quarterback as late as junior college before moving to tight end at Oklahoma and slowly morphing into a stellar offensive lineman with the Sooners.

In high school, O'Neill was a tight end and a star basketball player being named the Delaware Player of the Year as a senior despite the presence of future NBA player Donte DiVincenzo on his team. He started at Pitt as a TE before being asked to gain weight and kick inside to OT.

Like Johnson, O'Neill had the frame to support the added weight and kept the scary athleticism that sets the two apart.

O'Neill ran the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds at over 300 pounds, the fastest time among all offensive linemen in 2018 and the best time for a lineman in five years. The effort also was the fourth-fastest recorded time for an offensive lineman at the combine since 2006, trailing only Johnson (4.72), Terron Armstead (4.71), and Aviante Collins (4.77).

"He's really athletic," Johnson said. "We both got bigger and kept the athleticism."

While Eagles fans might not like O'Neill on Monday night, at least two of the Eagles' players consider the Vikings RT to be part of their inner circles

In many ways, O'Neill is responsible for the fast friendship that developed between his former college teammate, Avonte Maddox, and tight end Dallas Goedert.

O'Neill and Goedert met and became close while working out together after the two signed with the same agency leading up to the 2018 draft.

Goedert ended up being selected at No. 49 overall and O'Neill went off the board to Minnesota 13 picks later. The next day rolled around and the Eagles drafted Maddox in the fourth round and O'Neill gave Goedert the seal of approval when it came to Maddox.

Goedert and Maddox became fast friends and ultimately roommates in South Jersey through their rookie deals until big-money extensions forced them to give up "The Odd Couple" shtick.

In the offseason, however, O'Neill, who got his own massive second contract from Minnesota, Goedert, and Maddox all live together for an offseason training program in Southern California from February to the start of OTAs in April.

For this week, however, the NFL's version of "Friends" gets paused.

O'Neill turned 27 on Thursday and Goedert texted his buddy to wish him a happy birthday.

The Vikings' star shot back with tongue planted firmly in cheek: "We're enemies now. Don't talk to me until after the game."

With enemies like that who needs friends?

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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