A Special Player

We live in an era that can be prone to hyperbole. I think a lot of that is due to the internet and social media. Everyone can have an opinion these days, and share it with the world. I had strong opinions back in 1995, but the only ones listening to them were the people sitting next to me at the bar. The challenge now is getting people to pay attention to your opinions. I assume people pay attention to me because of my boyish good looks. Or maybe they enjoy the insane ramblings of the lunatic mind.

One thing people love to do these days is make bold statements. That starts an argument and gets them attention. There are a lot of dumb opinions out there. Fortunately, there are some smart people out there sharing interesting, insightful opinions.

Based on last year’s film this is pretty undeniable. We should start having the conversation about Lane being the best RT of all time sooner rather than later. https://t.co/VcKKZCHMB5

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) June 16, 2025

Brandon evaluates OL/DL play. He studies line play on a daily basis so this isn’t a flippant opinion. He’s not an Eagles fan. Brandon doesn’t have an agenda. He studies the tape and makes his evaluations.

Let’s talk about what makes Johnson special. He has good frame at 6-6. He weighed 303 at the 2013 Scouting Combine, but is well above that now. The Eagles list him at 325. Johnson has 35-inch arms, which is the kind of length you want for an OT.

Johnson is a freak athlete. Remember that while he was in junior college Johnson played TE and even QB. He grew from an athletic guy with some size to a freakish combination of size and athleticism. Johnson played strictly OL at Oklahoma and was great for two seasons. He played both RT and LT and was great on both sides.

Much of OT success is based on footwork. Johnson’s kick-slide doesn’t look real. His feet are incredibly quick and also balanced. He’s able to move back quickly, but also stay under control so that he can handle the power of the rusher. Johnson’s ability to move and achor is insanely good. Big men aren’t meant to be that quick and that strong.

Lane Johnson put on an absolute show in Week 9. He’s the best offensive tackle in pro football pic.twitter.com/vLzTtC4zOE

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) November 4, 2024

Athleticism doesn’t guarantee anything. Andre Dillard was a good athlete. To be fair, Johnson is a great athlete and that difference isn’t meaningless when you’re talking about blocking pass rushers. What pushes Johnson to a different level is that he also is a tough, physical blocker. Here is something I wrote about him coming out of college.

Johnson is a great athlete. His Combine workout would have been solid for a running back or linebacker, but it was phenomenal for an offensive tackle. He ran faster in the 40-yard dash than Anquan Boldin did at the Combine. Johnson is also strong, agile and explosive. His arms are 35 inches long, giving him an ideal frame for the offensive tackle position. Don’t think of Johnson as a finesse athlete. He has a big-time mean streak. He loves to run block and wants to bury his opponent in the ground. Johnson has excellent potential and could develop into a Pro Bowl player.

I can’t stress enough how important that final point is. Lane Johnson has some Jon Runyan to his game. He likes to knock the crap out of guys. He wants to block you and make you pay. I think Kelly will love the fact that he got a freaky athlete that has a killer instinct.  Usually the guys with the nasty streak are less-talented, overachiever types.

Think about what I wrote there. Johnson ran a faster 40 time than Anquan Boldin, but also had the kind of mean streak that reminds you of Jon Runyan. That is a rare, rare dude.

How do you get into the rare air of all time best RT? Johnson is a driven, ultra-competitive person who hasn’t rested on his laurels. He continually works to improve his craft. Shawn Andrews had rare ability, but he liked playing video games more than he liked playing football. The only thing that seems to come close to football for Johnson is working out. That’s how he stays in such phenomenal shape. There are rookies who would kill for his physique.

Johnson spends a lot of time working on his craft. He is looking for any possible advantage. He goes to the OL Mastermind meetings to talk to other linemen about different ideas and techniques for shutting down rushers. Johnson is physically gifted enough that he doesn’t have to do this. He does it because he wants more than greatness. He wants to be special. And he is.

Best of all time?

Thorn says is top four RTs are Ron Yary, Jackie Slater, Willie Anderson and Johnson. I did watch Anderson play a lot in his career. I saw Slater, but was younger when watching him so I can’t offer an opinion. Yary played for the Vikings in their glory days. I’ve only seen highlights of him. I can’t say definitively that Johnson is the best RT of all time. I can say that he’s the best RT I’ve ever seen play.

Johnson will be a first ballot Hall of Fame player. Eagles fans have been lucky to watch him for a long time. Johnson is still at the top of his game and seems to be as driven as ever. That’s good news for the Eagles and bad news for the rest of the league.

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Here is more of what I wrote about Johnson for the 2013 draft. He is the player I projected the Eagles to take so he’s someone I was very high on, as I think you’ll see.

I had a fascination with Lane that began the first time I watched him play and has stayed with me ever since. Big, long, athletic OTs are not easy to find. When you see one, he gets your attention.

Johnson is not just athletic, though. His physical gifts translate to the football field. The 2 most important things for a good OT are feet and hands. You can have speed, strength, size, agility, and so on, but if you don’t move your feet smoothly and naturally or you don’t use your hands well…all that athleticism is wasted.  Johnson is a good athlete and a good football player.

The first thing that stands out is his wide base and how naturally he moves. Some players get in that base, but struggle to slide left and right. Or they can’t anchor and get driven backward. A good OT must be able to get in a good stance, but be able to move and stay in that stance. Johnson is second only to Luke Joeckel at doing this. Lane just looks natural out there.

Not only can Johnson slide laterally to mirror the rusher, he is able to do so under control. This is critical for when rushers try power moves. If a OT gets off balance, the defender can push him around easily. Johnson is able to re-set his feet and anchor. He’ll give up a step or two, but recovers well.  There is no panic in his game.

A very underrated skill for OTs is the ability to continue moving one’s feet while making contact with the hands. Not every player can sync up his hands and feet. That leads to reaching, lunging, or grabbing. The feet put the player in position to make the block, but the hands must make contact and preferably control the rusher.  Johnson does this well.

He is also a good run blocker. Johnson is able to fire off the ball and aggressively engage defenders. He shows his nasty streak by sustaining his blocks as long as possible and if a defender hits the ground, Johnson piles on him. He wants to punish that guy.  Johnson isn’t a dominant drive blocker the way that a 330-pounder might be, but he’ll play the angles and control his guy.

Johnson does need work.  He’s only been at OT for 2 years. He hasn’t faced anything like an actual NFL pass rusher. Johnson must hone his technique so that he can play with the best of the best.  OL coach Jeff Stoutland will be all over Johnson.

I think Johnson is coming to a great setting. He’ll be playing for a team that wants to run the ball, which should bring out the best in his game. Johnson will play RT for the Eagles, for the first year or two.  He will then slide over to the left side. By that time, Johnson will have adjusted to life in the NFL and he’ll know the playbook inside-out. Moving to LT won’t be nearly as complicated. (Obviously I didn’t count on Jason Peters playing as long as he did)

I think the Eagles made an outstanding pick. Lane Johnson has the highest ceiling of any OL in the draft. If he’s able to put everything together, he can be a special OL. The sky is the limit for Johnson. If he works hard and develops to his full potential, he could be a Tony Boselli type of player. If Johnson doesn’t get that far, he can still be an above-average OT.

This is one evaluation I got right.

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I also liked what I saw of him at the Senior Bowl.

“The South team has some very good OL.  I was most impressed with Lane Johnson.  He played LT at Oklahoma and is a natural athlete.  The former TE showed that athleticism in pass blocking drills.  He was able to mirror rushers smoothly.  When he does miss, he’s able to recover.  Johnson isn’t just a finesse player, though.  He can anchor in pass pro.  He can re-set when initially driven back.  He has good feet and looked natural at both LT and RT.”

“I thought OT Lane Johnson had another impressive day in pass pro.  He gets a wide base and uses his hands well to engage the rusher.  He’s able to re-set and anchor if the rusher tries to use power.  Johnson can slide left or right as the rusher tries to get by him.  Looks like a 1st round pick.”

“LT Lane Johnson had another strong day.  He was outstanding in the blocking drills all week long.  He is a natural pass protector.  My favorite moment from him on Wednesday came in the team drills when he caved in a DT and opened a massive hole for the RB.  Johnson might not look like a typical OL (former TE with a sleek build), but he is a good run blocker.  He can be physical.”

One of the great things about Johnson is that he passed every test.

• Great during regular season
• Great at Senior Bowl
• Great at Combine

I’m just thankful he fell to the Eagles.

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