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Next man up? That's Jake Majors, who will likely make his first NFL start Sunday
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- Next man up? That's Jake Majors, who will likely make his first NFL start Sunday
Next man up? That's Jake Majors, who will likely make his first NFL start Sunday originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Hey, Jake Majors? You're next.
With Landon Dickerson on Injured Reserve, Cam Jurgens now with the Ravens, Drew Kendall missing the first two practices of the week and Willie Lampkin already filling in, Majors will likely make his NFL debut Sunday either at left guard or center – probably center – when the Eagles face the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.
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Majors, 24, made the Eagles' practice squad last year as an undrafted rookie out of Texas and after a much-improved summer this year made a roster push, although he ultimately wound up back on the practice squad.
But with the o-line racked by injuries, Majors looks like the next guy up.
"The coaches have done a good job instilling confidence into me," he said at his locker after practice Thursday. "And then going out there during practice has put confidence towards myself. So my goal every week is to prepare like a starter.
"It was good to be out there with the guys and put those plays that we've gone over into fruition and then watch the film, see how it is and then we'll just keep getting better."
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If Kendall isn't available Sunday, there are a couple ways the Eagle could go. They could play Lampkin at center and rookie 6th-round pick Micah Morris at left guard, play Majors at center with Lampkin at left guard or even go with Majors at left guard and Lampkin at center.
Jordan Mailata > Lampkin > Majors > Tyler Steen > Markel Bell appears most likely.
Lampkin and Majors (or Morris) will be making their first pro starts and rookie 3rd-round pick Markell Bell will be making his second at right tackle in place of the retired Lane Johnson.
This will be the first time since opening day 1944 the Eagles will start three offensive linemen with one or fewer career starts.
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Majors is a product of the Eagles' developmental program that helps prepare young, inexperienced players who don't normally get reps.
Majors spent last year learning how to be a pro in the developmental sessions following regular practice.
"This program does a good job of the development, and I owe credit to (head of football development) Connor Barwin and (assistant offensive line coach) Greg Austin, the guys that have been in my ear since I've gotten here, and just instilling confidence into me to just keep showing up every day and getting better. And I think that's allowed me to be in the position I am right now.
"Last year was rocky for me, for sure. But to have confidence from the organization that didn't really know much of me and then brought me in and they were like, 'Hey, listen, we want to see you develop.' And now I'm here today having the opportunity to play. It's pretty cool. It's a great experience, very blessed."
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There aren't a lot of veterans on this offensive line, especially now that Johnson is gone, but Jordan Mailata in particular has been tireless in the work he's put in with the young linemen at practice, in meetings, really 24 hours a day.
"He's been our anchor, man," Majors said. "He's been the guy that's kind of kept everybody in homeostasis and just like, 'Hey, listen, this is what we have right now and this is what we got to deal with. So, how are we going to react? How are we going to respond?' And I think he's been a great leader and just kind of been our anchor and just keeping us still and being present in the moment."
Majors, who started a program-record 56 games at Texas, had the luxury of spending some time this offseason with future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce, who worked on some technique things with Majors and also helped him instill confidence in a fellow under-sized interior lineman.
"Just kind of picking his brain on what it means to be an offensive lineman in this system and for an organization like the Philadelphia Eagles," he said. "Even if you are undersized, just be confident who you are because you're here for a reason."
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The Eagles have a long history of undrafted offensive linemen playing at a high level – does the name Jason Peters ring a bell? – and they'll likely have two on Sunday, both making their first career start.
For both Lampkin and Majors it's important that they're not just physically prepared but mentally ready for the challenge they're about to face.
"Everybody you go against, whether it's practice or games, preseason games that I've had so far, everybody's there for a reason," Majors said. "They're professionals, and so just the mindset of there's no plays off, like every play someone's out there to beat you, and it's your job to protect, you know, your livelihood.
"So I'm just very thankful to vets that are in my room that have stayed in my ear, and I'm just excited to see what happens. I prepare every week like a starter, so nothing's changed."
