When it comes to possibly having to replace NFL All-Pro right offensive tackle Lane Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles will probably want to swing for the fences.
If Johnson decides the 2025 season was his last and retires, that replacement could likely come via the 2026 NFL draft, where Bleacher Report’s first post-Super Bowl mock draft predicts the Eagles will draft 6-foot-7, 360-pound University of Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor in the first round (No. 23 overall).
From B/R: “Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor was viewed as a potential top-10 draft pick entering the 2025 campaign. A slow start caused concern, though the 20-year-old prospect played much better during the second half of the season. Still, the massive blocker remains a work-in-progress with immense upside if placed in the right situation to properly develop.”
Proctor declared his intentions to enter the draft via an Instagram post on January 7 and after just 3 seasons playing for the Crimson Tide, including an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2025.
“It is time for me to take the next step on my journey and pursue my dream of playing in the NFL,” Proctor wrote. “The work does not stop here. The best is yet to come.”
Proctor Once-in-a-Generation College Prospect
Proctor was originally committed to stay in his home state and play for the University of Iowa out of Southeast Polk High School in Centerville, Iowa,, before he flipped his commitment to Alabama.
Ranked as a 5-star prospect, he also won the Anthony Munoz Award as the nation’s top high school offensive lineman in 2022 after leading his school to consecutive state championshiips.
Proctor was a 5-star recruit and Iowa’s top-ranked player in 2023 coming out of Southeast Polk, where he helped the Rams win state championships in 2021 and 2022 and was the No. 1 offensive line prospect in the nation.
247Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu projected Proctor as a first round draft pick … when he was still in high school.
“Has prototypical size and has short area burst and twitch at that size,” Trieu wrote. “Can run when asked to pull and make blocks in space. Has good strength and looks to finish blocks and plays with good general tenacity … Has the physical ability to play very early (at Alabama) and can be an All-American and early draft choice.”
After Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired following the 2023 season, Proctor briefly transferred to Iowa before returning to Alabama for 2 more seasons.
Johnson May Retire Following Stoutland’s Exit
Johnson, 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, missed the final 7 games of the regular season and the Eagle’s 23-10 NFC Wild Card Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers with a foot injury.
He was Philadelphia’s first round pick (No. 4 overall) in the 2013 NFL draft and is a 2-time Super Bowl champion, 5-time NFL All-Pro and 6-time Pro Bowler.
With that type of CV and $163.4 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season, there is absolutely nothing left for Johnson to prove as a professional football player.
“With that Lisfranc injury that (Johnson) had … there was speculation he needed to have surgery and he hasn’t had surgery,” former Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas said during a radio appearance on February 5. “I don’t mean to be that guy, but I think he’s done. You would think at this point we would have an update on surgery if he’s had surgery … I’m recklessly speculating but I’m being honest. I think he’s gone. I think he’s just waiting to make the announcement.”
Eagles Urged to Replace All-Pro With 6-foot-7, 366-Pound SEC Star