Lane Johnson and his rotating cast of right guards continues

The left side of the Eagles’ offensive line is manned by Jordan Mailata at left tackle and Landon Dickerson at left guard. They’re two of the best offensive linemen in the NFL and they’re best friends on and off the field. It’s a perfect setup.

The right side of the Eagles’ offensive line?

It’s manned by All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson and an ever-revolving cast of characters lining up at right guard next to him.

“Honestly, I feel bad for Lane,” Mailata said this spring. “Lane does a hell of a job. No one ever talks about that. How many right guards has Lane played next to? And he has a stellar performance every year. If it wasn’t for Stout (offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland) and Lane, Lane being able to adapt and be as great as he is. That is the reason why we’re able to fill in that position.”

No one ever talks about that? So let’s talk about it.

Johnson, 35, has been with the Eagles since they drafted him in the first round (No. 4 overall) back in 2013 and he’s the only piece of the offensive line to be on both Super Bowl-winning teams in franchise history. He has put together an impressive Hall of Fame resume but for the last several years, he has lacked continuity with the position next to him.

From 2016-19, every game that Johnson started, his right guard was his close buddy Brandon Brooks, who was a three-time Pro Bowler during that stretch. But since then, that right guard position has changed every year and Johnson’s play hasn’t dipped.

That has really impressed Mailata, who tried to put the feat into perspective.

“Me and Landon, we have about 10,000 reps together,” he said. “If we count our time we first started together, practice, OTAs, about 10,000. That’s a lot of reps. You know the timing, you get the rhythm, you get the feel. And it’s very important and I think it shows on the film. 

“When you don’t have that synchronicity, the timing’s off, the rhythm’s off, the feel’s off. But for Lane, he’s able to adapt. He’s able to find that rhythm with whoever he’s playing next to.”

In the year’s since Brooks’ prime run, Johnson has started next to nine different right guards. It seems like every time Johnson starts to get familiarity with a right guard, they’re gone. Last year, every one of Johnson’s starts came next to Mekhi Becton, who left to join the Chargers in free agency this offseason.

This spring, former third-round pick Tyler Steen was back at right guard in the spring. At least Johnson has some experience with him.

“Yeah it helps,” Johnson said. “And everybody is a little bit different in terms of timing. But we have played some snaps together. Matt Pryor, we played some snaps together. I think collectively looking at our room, it’s going to be an open spot for that position. But I’m confident with Steen and how he’s played and the stuff that he showed on film.”

In Johnson’s 12-year NFL career, he has started a game next to 13 different right guards. Here’s a breakdown of those 13 and how many starts (regular and postseason) they have made next to Johnson:

Brandon Brooks (2016-20): 55
Todd Herremans (2013-14): 21
Mekhi Becton (2024): 19
Isaac Seumalo (2022): 18
Matt Tobin (2014-15): 13
Cam Jurgens (2023): 11
Andrew Gardner (2014-15): 9
Nate Herbig (2020-21): 6
Jack Driscoll (2021): 6
Sua Opeta (2021, 2023): 6
Matt Pryor (2020): 5
Tyler Steen (2023-24): 2
Landon Dickerson (2021): 1

What does it take for Johnson to play next to all these different guards?

“Just understand the stuff they like in the game,” he said. “For us, it’s a lot about the relationships … Making sure that with every pass set, that we’re not creating a lot of space in between us to become susceptible to games and things like that. I just think for as many reps as we get, y’all see it at practice. But when we go to walkthrough we’re running like 80-100 plays. It’s a day-to-day thing. 

“For me, it’s about getting off the snap and then all the set lines we take, we take so many reps with Stout and we’re allowed to get into rhythm and get the hang of things. I think that and communication. I think we communicate really good for our group.”

While Steen got all of the first-team reps at right guard in the three practices open to reporters this spring, there’s clearly a competition for that position entering training camp next month. Steen might be in the pole position but there are other competitors like Pryor and Kenyon Green.

Remember, Steen was the expected starter this time last year too. But then he suffered a minor ankle injury early in training camp and was replaced by Becton, who never gave the job back.

But it if ends up being Steen in 2025, Johnson is good with that.

“Steen has developed a lot,” Johnson said. “I think when you look at him, he’s just a physically gifted dude, man. He’s a lot stronger than what he was when he first arrived. I think his playing strength is starting to show. I know he’s ready for camp to start. He’s just been putting in work. You’ve seen traits of him where he can be a dominating player so now it’s just about trying to do it every play.”