Former Sooners OL Lane Johnson makes NFL’s Top 100 Players list

Lane Johnson has been a force in the NFL for almost a decade.

The National Football League is right in the middle of revealing their list of the Top 100 Players of 2024 as training camps begin. But the [autotag]NFL[/autotag] puts a unique twist on their list, revealing players in increments of ten and allowing the athletes to vote to make up the list.

On Friday, the first former Oklahoma Sooner made his way onto the list. Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman [autotag]Lane Johnson[/autotag] checks in at No. 41 in the rankings.

Here’s what NFL Network’s Coral Smith had to say about Johnson, who has spent his entire career in Philly.

“Johnson has been a model of consistency over his 11 seasons, as shown by the tackle’s identical Top 100 ranking to last year’s, emphasizing his steady nature on the Eagles’ powerful offensive line,” Smith said. “After earning a pay bump and extension heading into the year, Johnson proved he remains one of the premier tackles in the game, allowing just three sacks while recording a 80.9 player grade, per PFF, on his way to a fifth Pro Bowl.”

Johnson was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he started his college football career at Kilgore College in Texas, playing quarterback and tight end. He transferred to OU before the 2009 season, and initially served as a practice squad quarterback during his redshirt season. He transitioned to the tight end position in 2010, before switching again to defensive end in 2011.

The pivotal moment in Johnson’s Oklahoma career came early in the 2011 season. Injuries had ravaged the offensive line unit, and he was asked to try out as a backup. His tryout went so well that he was promptly switched to offensive tackle, eventually earning the starting job. Johnson was a natural at right tackle and started twelve games in 2011.

Johnson was moved to left tackle for the 2012 season, helping lead the way for an offensive line that protected starting quarterback [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag] extremely well in the pocket. That same offensive line paved the way for the “Belldozer” package featuring backup quarterback [autotag]Blake Bell[/autotag], which was very effective in both 2011 and 2012.

Since being chosen by the Eagles, Johnson has started every game he’s played in for Philadelphia. The right tackle has made five Pro Bowls and has been a first-team All-Pro twice. He was an integral part of the 2017 Eagles squad that won Super Bowl LII.

One of the finest players of the [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] era in Norman, he’s been a steady force for eleven seasons in Philadelphia.