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The Philadelphia Eagles have overemphasized offensive line depth before it was a cool thing to do. They don’t win the Super Bowl without key reserves like Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Stefen Wisniewski stepping into starting roles in 2017. Blocking wins championships.
The team that started that trend heads into training camp doubling down on it. They used a second-round pick on Cam Jurgens in 2022, then invested a third-rounder on Tyler Steen in 2023. The goal was to improve depth along the offensive line after losing Andre Dillard and Isaac Seumalo in free agency. As general manager Howie Roseman famously said: “When we talk about our overall philosophy and our team building, we always talk about the lines of scrimmage.”
That talk has allowed the Eagles to churn out a dominant offensive line year after year after year. Now comes the hard part: paying those current and future Pro Bowlers. Starting left guard Landon Dickerson is the first player up for a contract extension, one that could be worth up to $74 million. The next one? Jack Driscoll.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine included the fourth-year swing tackle in a list of “Top Contract Extension Priorities” for the Eagles heading into camp:
Jack Driscoll has been an underrated part of that depth.
The former fourth-round pick has shown the versatility to play either guard or tackle position while playing in 37 games and making 16 starts over the last three seasons. As Lane Johnson continues to get older, it’s more important to have a solid succession plan at right tackle.
Their depth at tackle took a hit this offseason as Andre Dillard left in free agency to go to the Tennessee Titans. Now, it’ll be up to Driscoll to sub in at either tackle spot if Jordan Mailata or Johnson go down.
Jack Driscoll getting ready to fill in for Lane Johnson at right tackle. Big responsibility against Cam Jordan today.
Entering the Fourth Year of Rookie Contract
Jack Driscoll is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. The former fourth-round pick (145th overall) out of Auburn will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason unless the Eagles offer him a contract extension. He is due $1.01 million in 2023, with a $1.13 million cap hit.
Sacks allowed last season — min. 300 snaps played:
• Lane Johnson: 0
• Jason Kelce: 1
• Jack Driscoll: 1
• Andre Dillard: 1
• Landon Dickerson (rookie): 2
• Jordan Mailata: 3 (2 allowed at RT)
Jeff Stoutland = 🐐
Driscoll has seen action in 37 games (16 starts) over his first three NFL seasons. He started three games in 2022, including two at right tackle and one at left tackle when injuries sidelined Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Head coach Nick Sirianni was very complimentary of the fourth-year player at the time.
“He doesn’t get a lot of the reps, but he’s ready to go at all the different positions,” Sirianni told reporters, via The Inquirer. “So it shows you how high his football IQ is. It shows you how hard he works to do that because that just doesn’t come just because he’s smart. He works hard to do that, and then just what type of teammate and player that he is.”
Offensive Line Depth: No Andre Dillard
It’s easy to dismiss Andre Dillard’s loss as nothing to worry about. The former first-round pick was largely labeled a bust after failing to win a starting job. However, the Eagles will enter the 2023 campaign with a bunch of unknowns behind the first team.
Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen will battle for the starting spot at right guard, with versatile veteran Sua Opeta waiting in the wings. Jack Driscoll stands to be the primary backup at right tackle, then it gets a bit murky. Roderick Johnson and Fred Johnson sit behind Jordan Mailata and round out the depth chart at left tackle.
The biggest question mark is Josh Sills who awaits trial on rape and kidnapping charges. The undrafted rookie was impressive last summer and snaked a roster spot on the final 53-man roster against all odds.
Here are the rest of the guys competing for spots:
#Eagles have a bunch of unknowns competing for backup spots at camp along the offensive line:
G/OT Julian Good-Jones
OT Chim Okorafor
OT Trevor Reid
OT Fred Johnson
OT Roderick Johnson
G/OT Brett Toth
G Tyrese Robinson
C Cameron Tom
G Josh Sills
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Eagles Urged to Sign ‘Underrated’ Player to Contract Extension