Previewing Eagles' Draft: Interior Offensive Line

The Eagles believe in building up front so you can never rule out the offensive line when talking about the draft

The Eagles remain talented and deep on the interior offensive line even after the retirement of Brandon Brooks but there is some uncertainty as to where the pieces may fit.

Losing Brooks, at one time perhaps the best right guard in the NFL, isn’t as devastating as it seems on the surface because he had been out of the mix since 2019 anyway, playing a total of two games over the past two seasons due to an Achilles’ and pec tears.

The constant rehab wore Brooks down and quality of life was his main goal when walking away at the age of 32.

The good news is that Jason Kelce, who is also mulling retirement and taking things year-to-year these days at 34, decided he had another season left in him, and the three-time All-Pro will again quarterback Jeff Stoutland’s offensive line.

The other starters are set as well but where they line up is still somewhat of a question.

If you’re a betting man, figure on the Eagles leaving well enough alone and keeping Landon Dickerson at left guard after the 2021 rookie moved there once injuries to Brooks and Isaac Seumalo forced a reshuffling.

Dickerson and left tackle Jordan Mailata ultimately teamed up to give the Eagles a dominant left side, especially when it came to run-blocking which fueled the league’s No. 1 ground game. Also playing into that end game is Seumalo’s versatility and ability to maneuver just about anywhere on the O-Line.

Stoutland is a huge Seumalo fan and he will be given every opportunity to hold down right guard in his return from a Lisfranc injury.

The depth is also impressive.

Jack Driscoll, a natural right tackle, did a nice job at RG and became a Nick Sirianni favorite until an ankle injury shut him down for the season. Injuries are a concern for Driscoll as he enters his third NFL season but he’s a nice insurance policy to the right of Kelce either inside or out.

Also available is jack-of-all-trade Nate Herbig, who the Eagles tendered at a second-round level. Herbig can play any of the interior positions although he’s not a natural center and does have trouble with shotgun snaps at times.

Kelce-coined Tesla stock Sua Opeta returns as do versatile backups Jack Anderson and Brett Toth, although Toth is a natural OT and coming off a torn ACL in Week 18.

Because the Eagles place such a high priority on the offensive line and Kelce is likely embarking on his final season you can never rule out the front as something the Eagles will invest valuable draft assets in.

EAGLES IOL DEPTH CHART:

C - Jason Kelce, Nate Herbig, Jack Anderson, Brett Toth (coming off torn ACL)

LG - Landon Dickerson, Nate Herbig

RG - Isaac Seumalo (coming off Lisfranc injury), Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta

EAGLES TODAY TOP 10:

1. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

2. Kenyon Green G, Texas A&M

3. Zion Johnson, G, Boston College

4. Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska

5. Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia

6. Darian Kinnard, G, Kentucky

7. Dylan Parham, C, Memphis

8. Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan

9. Marquis Hayes, G, Oklahoma

10. Cole Strange, C, Chatanooga

Sleeper - Nick Zakelj, G, Fordam

Boom or Bust - Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

BUILDING THE PERFECT IOL

Pass blocking - G Chris Paul, Tulsa - Paul is the most advanced when it comes to footwork and mirroring pass rushers.

Run blocking - G Sean Rhyan, UCLA - The road-grader of the bunch with the ability to push people around from any angle.

Pulling and Trapping - Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa - Athleticism is the undersized Linderbaum's game and the only knock on him is if he can anchor against big, strong defensive tackles

Downfield blocking - Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa - Linderbaum gets compared to Kelce for a reason with serious speed to get downfield to block on the second and third levels.

Strength - Kody Russey, C, Houston - When it comes to the weight room, Russey is going to win most competitions after putting up 225, 38 times.

Eagles Potential Picks:

Day 1 - Tyler Linderbaum, Kenyon Green

It’s unlikely that the Eagles go on the interior of the offensive line, especially at Nos. 15 and 18, but if they have a host of players on the board at 18 and feel comfortable trading down, Linderbaum and Green would certainly be two of the prospects on that list as potential long-term replacements for Kelce and Brooks.

Day 2 - Sean Rhyan

Rhyan is ahead of the curve when it comes to the angles of blocks, something Stoutland is generally obsessed with so it’s not hard to imagine the Eagles’ OL coach pounding the table for a player like that in Round 3.

Day 3 - Alec Lindstrom, C,  Chris Paul, G

The Eagles are most likely to add a body on the interior on Day 3.

Stoutland always wants a developmental center around who is natural to the position even though he has a host of bodies who could play OC if needed (Dickerson, Seumalo, Herbig, Toth, Anderson).

Lindstrom, the younger brother of one-time Atlanta first-round pick Chris Lindstrom, is a cerebral legacy on the OL like Driscoll and that’s a natural fit for what Stoutland likes.

Like a lot of college offensive linemen, Paul needs to get stronger but he has starting potential as his ceiling on the interior and Philadelphia would give him an opportunity to sit and learn while adding that strength.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen