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Lane Johnson gets motivated by the slightest hint of disrespect and the recent ranking of offensive tackles by ESPN.com should have the Eagles star roaring and ready for the 2020 NFL season to start.
In a changing of the guard in some sense, Johnson finished outside the top-5, landing at No. 6 on the list behind Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints who was No. 5 on the list.
6. Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 30 | Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 12Johnson has been doing serious work at right tackle for a while now, and 2019 featured some of his best. Johnson produced the highest run-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus and won on 90.2% of his pass blocks while committing a respectable four penalties.
But his career wasn’t always trending that way in the eyes of some.
“Along lines of Tunsil — didn’t think much of him early, turned into a quality starting tackle,” a long-time defensive assistant said. “I thought he was a bust, but to his credit, he changed the conversation.”
Johnson is an ideal fit for today’s NFL that prioritizes athleticism in space, with one executive calling him “on a different level” than most from an athletical standpoint.
“Nowadays there aren’t any power-type guys where you say, ‘Oh man, he’s so powerful,'” an AFC exec said. “Aren’t a lot of guys who create movement. It’s about matching up athletically and giving your offense time. And Lane can do that.”
Johnson was a stud in 2019, but the four missed games at crucial points in the season seemed to hinder his ranking entering the 2020 NFL season.
In the ranking, Johnson maintained his status as the top right tackle in the NFL as well. Dallas Cowboys star left tackle Tyron Smith was No. 1 on the list.
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