Lane Johnson Calls Himself Smallest Eagle as Offensive Line Breaks Size Records
When 35-year-old Lane Johnson, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 325 pounds, describes himself as "one of the smaller guys" in his position room, you know the Philadelphia Eagles have assembled something special along their offensive line.
Advertisement
The Eagles' starting offensive line averages 6-foot-6 and 338 pounds, making them the tallest and heaviest offensive lineup in Super Bowl history.
This unprecedented size advantage has become a cornerstone of the team's championship formula, helping fuel a ground attack that rushed for a franchise-record 3,048 yards in 2024—sixth-most in NFL history.
The Eagles' size advantage is staggering compared to league standards. The average NFL offensive lineman stands at 6 feet, 4.9 inches and weighs around 315 pounds, meaning Philadelphia's starting five towers nearly two inches taller and outweighs the average by more than 20 pounds per player.
Even elite units like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills, both considered among the league's best offensive lines, rely more on technique and athleticism than pure mass to achieve their success.
Advertisement
Philadelphia's current starting lineup from left to right features Jordan Mailata (6-8, 365 pounds), Landon Dickerson (6-6, 332 pounds), Cam Jurgens (6-3, 303 pounds), Mekhi Becton (6-7, 364 pounds) and Johnson (6-6, 325 pounds).
According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata led the entire NFL in offensive grade (96.9) and run-blocking grade (94.9), while Johnson ranked first among NFL right tackles in pass-blocking grade (88.1).
The depth chart tells an even more impressive story about the franchise's commitment to size. Johnson referenced the young prospects behind him: draft picks Myles Hinton (6-6, 323), Cameron Williams (6-5, 317), and undrafted free agent Hollin Pierce (6-8, 341).
Even among these developmental players, Johnson noted he might be 'one of the smaller guys.'
Advertisement
'They're big,' Johnson said about his position room. 'Everybody's big. When you look at our room and the size that we have in that room, when I'm one of the smaller guys in that room, that's impressive, and that's how it really is.'
The rookie additions to the offensive line room represent more than just depth—they're insurance for the future. Johnson praised the newcomers' football intelligence: 'In the meeting rooms and coaches are asking questions about what is this, what is that, they're very smart, they're in tune. They've been a lot of fun so far.'
While other teams focus on speed and athleticism, the Eagles have doubled down on pure size and strength. The results speak for themselves. In an era where defensive players are getting faster and more athletic, the Eagles have found success by going bigger and stronger.
When Lane Johnson—a 6-6, 325-pound All-Pro—considers himself among the smaller players in his position room, it signals a paradigm shift that could influence offensive line construction across the league for years to come.
Advertisement
Related: Eagles' Jalen Carter Projected To Set Market With Next Contract
Related: Eagles Urged To Sign Veteran Super Bowl Champion Defensive Back
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jhoan Durán earns a save in his Philly debut as Philadelphia rallies to beat the Tigers 5-4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jhoan Durán earned a save in his Philadelphia debut after Bryson Stott beat a throw to first base and was ruled safe on an overturned review call for the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning as the Phillies beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Friday night. The Phillies trailed 3-0 in the seventh and 4-3 in the eighth, rallying each time against the AL Central leaders and setting the stage for Durán's ballyhooed debut. With former WWE star The Undertaker's gong setting the soundtrack, Durán entered with only iPhone lights on in the ballpark and flames on the big screen to create the dramatic mood. Duran did the rest in his first appearance since his trade-deadline acquisition from Minnesota. He retired the side in order in the ninth inning — on four pitches — for his 17th save. The Phillies rallied without slugger Bryce Harper, ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a called third strike on a check swing. Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer off Phillies starter Ranger Suárez in the third inning for the early lead. Stott had a sacrifice fly and Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber added run-scoring singles against Detroit's bullpen to make it 3-all. Wenceel Pérez hit a solo homer off Phillies reliver Orion Kerkering (6-4) in the eighth to give Detroit the 4-3 lead. Otto Kemp tied the game at 4 with an RBI double and the Phillies caught a break with two outs when Edmundo Sosa's slow roller in front of the plate was snagged by reliever Brenan Hanifee (3-3). His wild throw pulled first baseman Spencer Torkelson off the bag, allowing Sosa to reach and give the Phillies new life. Stott was ruled out on a grounder into the hole at short, but replay confirmed he was safe, giving Philadelphia a 5-4 lead. Key moment Hanifee's error doomed Detroit. Key stat Torres had three hits Up next The Phillies send ace RHP Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.56 ERA) to the mound against Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.09). ___ AP MLB:

Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mabrey and Charles help Connecticut beat short-handed New York 78-62
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Marina Mabrey scored 18 points and Tina Charles added 15 to help the Connecticut Sun beat the short-handed New York Liberty 78-62 on Friday night. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Liberty (17-10), who were missing Breanna Stewart. The star forward is recovering from a bone bruise in her right knee. New York also was without Nyara Sabally (knee) and Kennedy Burke (right calf strain) and only had eight healthy players. The team is in the midst of its longest losing streak since 2022 when the franchise had five-game and seven-game skids. Emma Meesseman joined the squad on Friday and the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP suited up, but didn't play as she was still getting acclimated to the squad. Coach Sandy Brondello expects her to be in the lineup on Sunday when the teams play again in Connecticut. For the Sun (5-21), it was a big victory for a young team looking to establish its identity. Reserves Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Leila Lacan each had 16. Connecticut trailed 20-15 after the first quarter before getting hot in the second. The Sun took a 44-37 lead at the break when Charles hit a jumper just before the halftime buzzer. The Sun shot 50% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The team kept it going in the third and extended its advantage to 56-46 on Mabrey's 3-pointer with 3:36 left in the period. New York, which was playing its sixth game in 11 days, got within 69-62 on Stephanie Talbot's layup with 5:08 left. But those were the last points the team scored. Sabrina Ionescu scored 23 points and Jonquel Jones add 14 for New York, which had 21 turnovers. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers' bullpen blows lead after Jack Flaherty stars in 5-4 loss to Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty has struggled in most of his starts this season, but he might be back to his dominance of last season. That's how it looked in his latest performance. Flaherty allowed just one run in six-plus innings, but the Tigers' bullpen squandered his dominance in a 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Aug. 1, in the first of three games at Citizens Bank Park. Four relievers gave up five runs in the seventh and eighth innings. JEFF SEIDEL: New Detroit Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan was born in Detroit, already sounds like us The Phillies took the lead on Bryson Stott's infield single, which drove in the game-winning run in the eighth inning. After that, new Phillies closer Jhoan Duran — acquired from the Minnesota Twins for two top-100 prospects at the trade deadline — slammed the door on the Tigers in the ninth inning. The Tigers (64-47) lost for the first time in five games. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Jack Flaherty stars in Philadelphia Flaherty allowed one run on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in six-plus innings, throwing 60 of 95 pitches for strikes. The Phillies didn't get their first hit until two outs in the fifth inning. The 29-year-old has a 4.36 ERA in 22 starts. Celebrate 125 seasons of Tigers magic! For the first hit, Edmundo Sosa connected on a two-strike slider for a long fly ball to left field. The ball bounced off the top of the wall, allowing Sosa to pull in for a double. Flaherty walked the next batter, but he stranded runners on the corners by getting Trea Turner to pop out, ending the fifth. In the sixth, he sent down three batters in a row — Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto — in his third time through the heart of the lineup. He struck out Harper with a nasty slider. Flaherty generated 15 whiffs on 44 swings for a 34.1% whiff rate: three fastballs, seven sliders, five curveballs. The velocity was up on all of his pitches, including a 1.5 mph increase on his slider. Gleyber Torres hits milestone OH, THAT BULLPEN: Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch reacts to 'a lot of options' added at trade deadline For the Phillies, left-hander Ranger Suárez shut down the Tigers for the majority of his 92-pitch performance, but he still allowed three runs on four hits and zero walks with five strikeouts across seven innings — all because of Gleyber Torres. In the third inning, Torres hit a three-run home run against Suárez's up-and-in cutter after he refused to swing at four outside pitches, working a 3-1 count. The three-ball count got him a good pitch to hit. And Torres didn't miss. It was the 150th home run of his MLB career. Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers waste Jack Flaherty gem in 5-4 loss to Phillies