Alright, Emerald City, listen up. While we're grinding here, trying to figure out our early season vibe, the word coming out of Philadelphia is crystal clear: their whole Super Bowl push? It all starts and ends with two offensive tackles, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. Forget the QB hype for a second, because a whole heck of a lot of NFL coaches and decision-makers are all pointing to these guys as the absolute foundation of that team. Every Super Bowl contender needs players they can't afford to lose, and for the Eagles, it's their bookend tackles.
Philly's Untouchable Strength
ESPN analyst Mike Clay isn't pulling punches, straight-up calling offensive tackle Philadelphia's greatest strength in their recent ranking of projected starting lineups. And honestly, it's hard to argue when you look at what Mailata and Johnson are doing. Mailata, man, he's turned into one of football's premier left tackles, period. We're talking three straight seasons among Pro Football Focus's top-ranked tackles. He went from being one of the league's most remarkable projects to one of its most dominant players. That's a glow-up.Defying Father Time and Dominating the Edges
Then you got Johnson, absolutely defying Father Time. This dude's in his 14th NFL season and still playing at an elite level. Even after battling injuries last year, he remained one of the most effective right tackles in the entire league, both in protecting the passer and opening up holes in the running game. Seriously, how many teams can boast a duo like that? Few teams can match what the Eagles put on the field at offensive tackle, and their value extends way beyond just keeping Jalen Hurts clean. Whether it's Saquon Barkley pounding the rock or Hurts himself on the move, Philadelphia's rushing attack *starts* with controlling those edges, and that's Mailata and Johnson. Their play-action game, those deep-passing concepts, the *entire* offensive identity they want to run? All of it is more effective when these two are healthy and performing at their usual standard. Their importance? It goes way beyond any individual accolade, it's about the whole team clicking. So, as the early season chatter picks up, Philadelphia knows exactly where their bread is buttered. With Mailata and Johnson anchoring that line, they've got a foundation few teams can match. It's clear their championship aspirations hinge heavily on these two absolute studs. For Eagles fans, keeping those guys healthy and dominant is the biggest storyline heading into their season, because that's what their whole Super Bowl push is built on.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.