Eagles 12 most intriguing: No. 4 will be best OL in team history − ahead of Kelce, Peters
Johnson is 35 years old, entering his 13th season, and has long been considered the top right tackle in the NFL.
Here's the scary part − for Eagles opponents:"I'm 35 and I feel like I'm better than when I was 29, 30," Johnson said. "I feel like I'm getting close to maybe my peak. As weird as it is to say, that's truly how I feel."
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But that doesn't tell the entire story of Johnson's dominance, and how he will likely go down as the best offensive lineman in Eagles' history. Yes, better than Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and anybody else.
That's why Johnson is No. 4 on our list of 12 most intriguing Eagles heading into the start of training camp on July 22. We're counting them down each weekday from No. 12 to No. 1. The series began July 7 and will culminate with the start of camp.
There's the longevity factor.
Over the past two seasons, franchise icons Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Kelce retired. That leaves Johnson, who was the Eagles' first-round pick (No. 4 overall) in 2013, as the longest-tenured Eagle. By far.
The next closest to Johnson is kicker Jake Elliott, who was signed in 2017. After that, it's left tackle Jordan Mailata and tight end Dallas Goedert, both drafted in 2018.
Incredibly, as dominant as the Eagles' offensive line has been over the last several years, right guard, the position next to Johnson, has been a revolving door. Since 2021, the Eagles have had a different starter there every season.
That will be the case this season, too, whether Tyler Steen or Kenyon Green or somebody else wins the job after Mekhi Becton played there last season.
"No one ever talks about that − how many guards has he played next to, and has had stellar performances year after year?" Mailata said. "If it wasn't for (offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland) and Lane being able to adapt and be as great as he is, that's the reason why we're able to fill in that position."
Johnson isn't close to being done, either.
Johnson had his contract extended last spring through the 2027 season, when Johnson will be 37 years old. That would be his 15th season, tying Brandon Graham for the longest tenure in Eagles' history.
If Johnson plays in 49 of the 51 games over these next three seasons, he will surpass Graham's franchise record of games played. Graham played in 206; Johnson is at 158. Johnson has missed five games over the last three seasons.
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In addition, Johnson has been selected for the Pro Bowl six times, including each of the last three seasons. If Johnson gets one more Pro Bowl nod, he'll tie Peters, Kelce, Brian Dawkins and Reggie White for second most in Eagles history with seven.
If Johnson gets two more, he'll tie Chuck Bednarik for first place. And three more will put Johnson alone in the Eagles' record book with nine.
All of which is possible, even as Johnson ages into his late 30s.
Have you seen Johnson's workouts?
There's one video posted on social media in which Johnson is carrying an entire weight set, estimated at 705 pounds, at least 20-30 yards.
Johnson, who's listed at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, does all of it to stay ahead of not only Father Time, but all of the bigger linemen coming into the NFL. The Eagles drafted three linemen last spring − tackles Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams, and center/guard Drew Kendall.
Hinton is 6-7, 323; Williams is 6-6, 317; and Kendall is 6-4, 308. That's in addition to Mailata, who's 6-8, 365; and left guard Landon Dickerson, who's 6-6, 332.
"They're big," Johnson said about the young players. "Everybody's big. ... They're very smart; they're in tune. They've been a lot of fun so far."
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Lane Johnson: Philadelphia Eagles 12 most intriguing players in 2025
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