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Eagles Place Both Starters on top-10 List of NFL's Best Tackles
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- Eagles Place Both Starters on top-10 List of NFL's Best Tackles
It's widely accepted the Philadelphia Eagles have the NFL's best tackle corps , and the ESPN-compiled top-10 list did nothing to affect that perception.
Both Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson landed on the top-10 list that is voted on by scouts, executives and coaches.
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler compiled the list, which was voted on by more than 70 personnel evaluators from around the NFL . Mailata, who to some is the best tackle in football, climbed from No. 5 to fourth on this list, and Johnson was fell from third to No. 7.
Each looked up at top-ranked tackle Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions .
Jordan Mailata Ranked No. 4 on List of NFL's Best Tackles
The Eagles offense had a down year under since-fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. But Mailata got a pass from voters, since he was ranked on every voter's list and received at least one vote as the best tackle.
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"He was the best tackle in the NFL by far [in 2024]," a NFL team personnel executive told Fowler. "He regressed some last year, but that wasn't all his fault."
Many would take Mailata's "regression," since he still was elite. He ranked 10th among 89 qualifying tackles in overall grade from Pro-Football Focus (83.4) and was top-15 in both pass-blocking grade (80.4, 9th) and run-blocking grade (15th, 79.9).
"He does everything consistently well," an NFL coordinator told Fowler. "That's rare."
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Lane Johnson Deemed NFL's 7th-Best Tackle
A Lisfranc foot sprain limited Johnson to just 10 games in 2025, and that helped doom an otherwise promising first half of the Eagles season.
After an 8-2 start, the Eagles were 5-5 without Johnson, including their 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round. In reduced action, he played the 73rd-most snaps among qualifying tackles, Johnson did not allow a sack or QB hit and surrendered just three pressures per PFF data.
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"I know they had a tough year as an offense, but the play was still elite," a veteran NFL defensive coach told Fowler. "He's a guy you can trust more than just about any other tackle to play at a high level. I just don't know if the body will hold up at this stage."
To that point, Johnson just turned 36 in May and is set to enter his 14th season with the Eagles -- which could be his last . The Eagles have to be considering a succession plan, since they have picked three tackles in the past two drafts.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
