Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

More Praise for the OL

Posted July 23rd, 2026 | Comments Off on More Praise for the OL

The consensus among people who do rankings is that the Eagles have the best OL in the NFC and second best unit in the league, only trailing Denver. OL guru Brandon Thorn released his rankings this week and had the Eagles #2 as well.

2. Eagles (Chris Kuper)

LT Jordan Mailata
LG Landon Dickerson
C Cam Jurgens
RG Tyler Steen
RT Lane Johnson

Unit Profile: Elite bookend-driven unit with rare tackle play, high-end left-side power, and enough center stability to offset the clear RG weak link.

Notes: The Eagles had a tumultuous 2025 season due to injuries to Landon Dickerson, who played through a preseason knee injury all year, and Lane Johnson, who missed the final eight games with a Lisfranc injury, along with schematic issues that contributed to the retirement of legendary OL coach Jeff Stoutland. This remains a star-studded line built around an elite tackle duo, including the best pass-protecting tackle in football in Johnson, whose timing, positioning, and one-on-one dominance still separate him from the field. Jordan Mailata remains a high-quality starter with rare run-game impact, while Cam Jurgens gives the unit a solid center with rebound potential if his health returns closer to the baseline. Dickerson is still an elite guard when healthy and, at minimum, a stout, powerful presence on the left side. That core gives Philadelphia enough top-end quality to mask the unit’s weak link, Tyler Steen, whose first full year as a starter showed serviceable run-game play but clear pass-protection limitations. With all five starters returning and a Shanahan-esque structure built on under-center play-action and the zone run game, the unit should have more built-in pass-protection help than ever before. The starting five is more fragile than in recent years due to wear and tear, but the talent remains among the league’s best. Markel Bell was drafted to compete with Fred Johnson at swing tackle, while Drew Kendall headlines the competition for the swing interior role.

Let’s talk about the players.

Mailata – One of the best LTs in the league. Tremendous size and length. Has good feet and is a natural athlete. Very good kick slide for a man of his size. Powerful blocker who can dominate in the run game. Can collapse DL when he down blocks. Good on the move and in space. Occasionally will struggle with short pass rushers who get under his pads.

Dickerson – At his best is a dominant run blocker. Has outstanding size and power which allows him to get movement in the run game. Key blocker on the Tush Push because of his ability to fire off the ball and create room. Solid pass protector as well. Locks down rushers if he’s able to get his hands on them cleanly. Some athletic DTs will give him problems.

Jurgens – Highly athletic interior OL. Has started at G and C. Still young, with only 41 career starts. Hasn’t come close to his peak. It took Jason Kelce several years to learn how to maximize his ability and Jurgens has a similar profile.

Those clips show how athletic Jurgens is. You also see him with heavy hands, able to shock defenders and get them off balance. Like most guys his size, big powerful DTs can give him some issues. When he plays with good leverage, is able to hold his own.

Steen – Thorn is right that Steen is a better run blocker than pass protector. He’s at his best getting to the second level and taking on LBs. Good athlete. Uses his hands well. Can be good at point of attack when he uses his feet and gets good position. Isn’t going to physically overwhelm anyone and drive them far (like Dickerson can). While Steen doesn’t have special potential, he can get better as he hones his skills. Good OL involves technique as well as physical gifts. I think the new scheme will be a good fit for Steen.

L Johnson – Still the best RT in football. Great combination of skill, technique, size, strength and athleticism. Special player who is on his way to Canton. Age has showed some cracks in the armor, but few and far between. We’ll see if there is any drop-off in 2026.

Kendall – Has a chance to be top backup at C/G. Good athlete with solid size at 6-4, 308. Didn’t play much as a rookie, but started the season finale and showed good potential. He does a good job with snaps so he can play C or G. He is quick off the ball and plays with good leverage. Good feet. Moves well and can block on the move. Needs to do a better job of sustaining blocks and finishing blocks. Jimmy Bama has some clips of Kendall here.

F Johnson – Has 22 career starts. Can play LT or RT. Good size. Better pass blocker than run blocker. There are times when he looks really good. Other times he is too upright and will reach/lunge. This is when he will struggle. Needs to be more consistent with knee-bend and pad level. Good swing tackle, but not someone you ideally want as extended starter.

Bell – Massive rookie OT who could be RT of the future. Has better feet than many realize. Doesn’t just win with size. Didn’t give up a sack as Miami’s LT in 2025 and that was over 16 games, some against elite competition. Can block on the move. Played RT and LT in the spring. Will be interesting to see how he plays this summer. The Eagles are very high on him.

M Morris – Another rookie with promising potential. Has NFL size and athleticism.

Morris needs to play with better technique and to be more consistent. But you can’t ignore the physical gifts. Definitely the kind of OL you want to try to develop because of his potential.

*****

Interesting info here.

As great a coach as Stout is, it doesn’t sound like he was open to change. You need all the coaches on the same page and working together for the scheme to truly succeed.

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Year 3 for the D

Posted July 22nd, 2026 | Comments Off on Year 3 for the D

We have spent a lot of the offseason fixated on the Eagles offense. There is a new scheme, new coordinator, new OL coach and some new faces. It makes sense that we focused on the offense. Still, the defense will be the real key for this team. They won the Super Bowl in 2024 when the defense finished #1. If the defense can have another great season, the Eagles have a good chance to go far.

We know the Eagles have the right scheme.

We know Vic Fangio is a great defensive coordinator. The big question is whether the Eagles have the right players. There is no disputing they are very talented, but you still need the right combination of skill sets and personalities. I think the real key is Jalen Carter. He can be a true difference-maker up front. If he’s healthy and locked in, I think the defense will be great. Carter wasn’t in top form or completely healthy last season and the defense was erratic at times. When he’s right, the D is on a different level.

The secondary should be one of the best in the league with Riq Woolen as CB2. Quinyon Mitchell might be the best CB in the league and is critical to how Fangio plans his looks and coverages.

This is Year 3 with Fangio running the scheme. He’s got a handful of key players who have been with him since he got here.

DL Jordan Davis
DL Jalen Carter
DL Moro Ojomo
ED Nolan Smith
ED Jalyx Hunt
LB Zack Baun
NB Cooper DeJean
CB Quinyon Mitchell

Marcus Epps, Jihaad Campbell, Drew Mukuba and Byron Young are all in Year 2 playing for Fangio. That kind of continuity is important when you want to run coverages with a lot of disguises and different looks. Defense is more team oriented than offense. You need all 11 guys on the same page. They have to see the same thing and execute their assignments correctly. One mistake can lead to a big play or TD.

Jonny Page did a good write-up of Mukuba for BGN.

I’m excited to see what Mukuba does this season. He was playing his best football by midseason last year when he got hurt. Fangio really likes him, which inspires confidence in the young player.

The Eagles did lose Christian Parker, a key coach for them. Joe Kasper is replacing him and could prove to be a good promotion. The Athletic listed him as the young Eagles coach to keep an eye on.

If a young assistant coach can stick around — and even thrive — under top defensive mind Vic Fangio, he is often destined for bigger things. Kasper has worked for Fangio in both Miami and Philadelphia, and is poised for a bigger role now that former colleague Christian Parker (another Fangio disciple) is in Dallas. Nguyen, our senior writer, noted that the “two-high trend will continue to grow and it seems like coaches that can successfully implement some of Fangio’s ideas into their systems take it to another level.”

High expectations also surround first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who is expected to bring elements of Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay/Shanahan-derived system to Philadelphia.

One of the most important additions will be veteran pass rusher Jonathan Greenard. He seems genuinely excited about joining a team with SB potential. PE.com has a good piece on him.

While Greenard hasn’t been able to participate in team drills, the former Florida Gator has been practicing with the team throughout the offseason in OTAs and minicamp. Already, he is impressed with the team culture.

“We work as a championship team,” Greenard said. “Attention to detail is there, we are working our tails off. Even after practice, we’re doing extra drills just to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Many things stand out to Greenard, like the relentless nature of his teammates and the continuous work they are putting in to get back to the Super Bowl.

“They’re not going to settle for nothing less. It’s infectious, so you either get with the program or you get left. That’s not hard for me. I just get out there and work my tail off with the boys,” Greenard said.

With this kind of buy in from a veteran addition, it feels like the defense is in very good shape heading into 2026. Greenard feels worlds different than Bryce Huff. He wanted to do his thing. Greenard wants to win.

This could end up being a special unit.

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