Offensive linemen have gone unappreciated by the general NFL world for way too long. Week in and week out, we see how bad offensive lines make lives an absolute living hell for everybody, and great offensive lines make lives amazing for everybody.
The Philadelphia Eagles perennially have one of, if not the best, offensive lines in the league under Jeff Stoutland. The NFL finally made an award for the best offensive lineman in the NFL, the “Protector of the Year,” and the Eagles have a couple of front-runners on their hands.
Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson: Champions of Stoutland University
The big news of the May owners' meetings was that Mark Murphy and Roger Goodell went home with their tails between their legs and without a ban on the Brotherly Shove. The second-biggest news was that the NFL is finally going to give recognition to offensive linemen by introducing the “Protector of the Year” award.
There are a lot of good offensive linemen in the NFL. Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs, Detroit’s Penei Sewell, and San Francisco’s Trent Williams have been All-Pro-level tackles for the past four years. That being said, those guys don’t have what Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson have: chips on their shoulders and Jeff Stoutland as their offensive line coach.
Last season, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata were the second-team All-Pro right and left tackles, respectively. They (specifically Johnson) took that as a slight. Penei Sewell was the first-team right tackle, so Johnson taped a stat comparison on his locker that showed he should’ve had the first-team nod over Sewell. Truly petty and awesome.
As good as Johnson is, Mailata is right up there. Take it with a grain of salt, but he was not just PFF’s highest rated tackle, but he was their highest rated player at any position in the 2024 season.
The difference is that Mailata is a left tackle, and with Jalen Hurts being right-handed, that means Mailata is protecting Hurts’ blind side. That’s the second most important job on the offense.
It’s going to be up to the voters to decide what’s more worthy of the award: being nearly perfect at a more important job (Mailata), or being absolutely perfect for a slightly less important job (Johnson). Regardless of who it is, it’s an award for the Eagles' offensive line, and when one of them wins it, they’re going to hand it straight to Jeff Stoutland.
Just as much as the offensive linemen took pride in Saquon Barkley rushing for over 2,000 yards last season, they’re all going to take pride in the guy who wins The Protector.
Side note: It’s not a great name for the award either. Give it five or ten years of Eagles offensive linemen winning, and it’ll be called the Stout. That’s infinitely better.