Getty Images Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
The Philadelphia Eagles have philosophically been committed to building an offensive line capable of sustained success during general manager Howie Roseman‘s tenure and could double down on that commitment during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Already this offseason, the Eagles have signed both guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata to massive contract extensions, and even with stalwart All-Pro Lane Johnson anchoring the right tackle position, Philadelphia could continue building out depth along the line of scrimmage later this month.
According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, there’s a belief inside the NFL that the Eagles could select a right tackle as early as the first round of this year’s draft.
“I continue to hear in conversations with scouts around the league that general manager Howie Roseman could look to solidify the right tackle position early in this draft,” Miller writes for ESPN. “Even in Round 1.
“Tyler Guyton has spent time in the pre-draft process training with current Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson. The Eagles started planning ahead at center before Jason Kelce’s retirement, and drafting Guyton — who started just 14 games in college — would allow him to learn and develop under Johnson and famed offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.”
Philadelphia has few pressing needs after bolstering veteran receiver depth behind DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, but could use an infusion of young talent at cornerback and perhaps depth at safety.
But, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Roseman and the Eagles to push those areas down the priority board to continue upgrading the offensive line.
After all, the Eagles drafted Jordan Mailata with future Hall of Fame left tackle Jason Peters on the roster, selected Cam Jurgens at the behest of All-Pro Future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce, and seem to find value in upgrading the second-team on the depth chart along both lines of scrimmage.
Tyler Guyton NFL Draft Scouting Report
Guyton might be the ideal offensive line prospect for Roseman and the Eagles to target, given that he wouldn’t be thrust into action immediately, as Mailata wasn’t, and could develop under Stoutland’s tutelage behind Johnson.
“He plays with a high center of gravity and needs to get stronger,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of the Oklahoma tackle. “But leveraged hand strikes can help overcome those concerns. He should continue to get better as a run blocker but might never shine in that department.
“Guyton’s value comes with his pass protection, as he has the length, feet, and body control to become a human roadblock. He should become a talented starter at either tackle position.”
As Pro Football Focus points out, Guyton allowed only two sacks across 26 games for the Sooners, while garnering a strong 72.9 pass-blocking grade.
If the Eagles believe Johnson, who was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2023, could retire sometime in the next three seasons, Guyton could be a first-round target to watch for Philadelphia.
Nick Sirianni Addresses Eagles’ Offensive Line Depth
The Eagles finished the 2023 campaign as the league’s No. 1 ranked offensive line, by Pro Football Focus, but it doesn’t sound like the organization plans on resting on those laurels.
During the NFL Annual Meeting, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni suggested that the team could look to add to its veteran core up front.
“We’re excited about the players we have,” Sirianni told reporters. “I know we lost some good pieces, depth pieces that we’ve had. Over the last couple years, those guys contributed, played awesome minutes, and contributed to wins, but excited about the pieces with Hennessy…
“As we sit right now, I like our guys. We got guys with major experience. We have four guys back with major experience and a couple guys who played a lot of plays, too. …We’ll see how that goes.”