Eagles Offensive Lineman Plays Iron Man: "You Have To Earn It At This Time Of Year"

Lane Johnson likes what he has seen from an under-the-radar teammate who played 100 percnt of the snaps in Eagles' preseason opener.

Eagles OL Darian Kinnard / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – He was out there the whole time. No. 72. All 83 snaps, 100 percent. In a preseason game.

“He was dog-ass tired,” said teammate Lane Johnson. “Stout says, it’s part of the game, so you have to go earn it at this time of the year.”

Darian Kinnard could be earning it – a spot on the 53-man roster. He played the enitre game in the Eagles' 16-13 preseason win over the Baltirmore Ravens last week. We will see what he does for an encore when the Eagles play the New England Patriots on Tuhrsday night (7).

After two years in Kansas City, where he was a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2022, Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland could be working his magic with the 6-5, 322-pound offensive lineman.

Kinnard was in the spotlight early in training camp, stepping in as the first option at right guard when Tyler Steen went down mid-practice with an ankle injury. Now, Kinnard is playing right tackle. That's where he lined in Baltimore.

“He’s really made a step up this past week,” said Johnson. “He’s played primarily guard, I think, in the in the league. He was a tackle at Kentucky, but after a couple practices, I got in his ear, said, ‘Hey man, take one kick and settle.’ He’s so big and athletic, really turning it on. If there’s a guy whose name is increasingly rising it’s DK.”

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson stretches before a training camp practice. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Kinnard signed a futures contract with the Eagles on Jan. 22.

The kind of versatility he offers, with the ability to play both tackle and guard, should only help his case to make the 53-man roster over someone like Fred Johnson, who hasn’t taken any guard reps.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore liked what he saw of Kinnard, and certainly, after playing all 83 offensive snaps, there was a good body of work to review. The OC didn’t quite answer why Kinnard played every snap against the Raven, cryptically saying: “There's just different rotations, different opportunities.”

But he liked what Kinnard delivered in time against Baltimore.

“We're really excited to let him play that thing at right tackle. Play a lot of snaps, and I thought his play style really came out. His physicality where he finished on blocks, so a lot of positives.

“We're really excited to let him play that thing at right tackle,’ said Moore. “Play a lot of snaps, and I thought his play style really came out. His physicality where he finished on blocks, so a lot of positives.”

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