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Futures Eagles Fits: Digging into 2027 interior OL class
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- Futures Eagles Fits: Digging into 2027 interior OL class
Futures Eagles Fits: Digging into 2027 interior OL class originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Yes, it's September. There's a lot of football still to be played across the country, and draft boards will change plenty between now and April. But this is where the evaluation starts.
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Forget the generic top-10 lists and surface-level highlight clips. Every week, we're going inside the tape and looking at prospects through an Eagles-centric lens — breaking down the traits, technique, athletic profile, positional versatility and scheme fit that could ultimately determine whether a player makes sense in Philadelphia.
As the college season unfolds and teams begin to reshape their evaluations, I'll also bring you information gathered from around the league to help paint a clearer picture of how these prospects are actually being viewed. One week, that could mean diving into a loaded wide receiver class filled with separation specialists. The next, it could be rangy downhill safeties, explosive pass rushers, physical linebackers, or versatile interior offensive linemen.
The position will change, the objective won't: figure out why a prospect could – or couldn't – fit the Eagles.
So, let's kick this off in the trenches.
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With Sean Mannion's offense leaning into wide-zone concepts, heavy motion and fast-paced interior play-action, the demands on Philadelphia's interior offensive line are significant. The Eagles aren't simply looking for 330-pound road-graders. They need athletic linemen who can reach and climb in space, generate movement on wide-zone concepts, anchor against power and provide the versatility to line up at multiple spots.
With questions surrounding the long-term makeup of the interior in front of Jalen Hurts, now is the time to start identifying the next wave.
Here are four interior offensive linemen to know for the 2027 NFL Draft — two projected first-rounders, one Day 2 target and one Day 3 name — and exactly what makes each of them an intriguing fit for the Eagles.
Day 1: Kade Pieper, Iowa | 6'3", 298 lbs (verified measurements)
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A converted tight end on the lighter side, Pieper is the premier interior zone blocker in the class. He has the movement ability to execute pulls and climbs to the second level, while also possessing the play strength to uproot defenders with hands like spring-loaded cinderblocks. He's a treat to study in the ground game as he flies out of his stance showcasing explosive hips and upper-body power to displace defenders looking to work downhill at the point of attack. His movement in space is effortless, allowing him to consistently seal running lanes on stretch plays and clear paths at the second level – a current need inside Mannion's scheme.
But his success doesn't stop there, as the first-team All-American has been just as good in pass protection. Across 442 career pass pro snaps, Pieper has surrendered just a single sack, including a completely clean sheet through his first 75 snaps in 2026. While his lighter frame can be challenged by larger nose tackles in tight quarters, his technique, baseline power, and high-end movement skills give him the ceiling of an elite starting zone guard or center, with a high floor as an immediate movement-scheme backup as he continues to add muscle. In conversations with scouts, Pieper has mid to late Day 1 grades across the board and is expected to light up the pre-draft process as he currently holds the program record among guards in the vertical jump (37.4").
Day 1: Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame | 6'3", 299 lbs (verified)
A two-year starting left tackle for the Irish, Knapp has drifted inside to left guard for 2026 to the spot where scouts believe is his NFL future. What makes him special on tape is his elite hands and overwhelming power that can flat out dominate the man in front of him. Look no further than his tape against Indiana a few years back where he absolutely rag dolled a Hoosiers edge rusher to clear the runway on Jeremiyah Love's 98-yard touchdown run. In pass pro, his anchor inside is rock solid, and his football IQ shines when picking up stunts and blitzes. He is also a much better second-level mover than he receives credit for where his ability to process angles quickly to meet linebackers in open space shines on tape – a key in wide-zone blocking.
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For the Eagles, the organization has a recent history of taking former versatile college linemen and kicking them inside to create an athletic, hyper-smart guard – a pipeline that made Tyler Steen (former LT at Alabama) – a core starter. For Knapp, a 2026 preseason All-American, he doesn't need to be a tackle that lives on an island in Philadelphia; he can step into an athletic guard room, benefit from Chris Kuper's coaching, and provide immediate pop as the Eagles re-tool their interior. In conversations with teams, Knapp currently projects as a late Day 1 selection who is a "high-effort, high-character technician who could lock down a guard spot for a decade," a source said.
Day 2: Samson Okunlola, Miami | 6'6", 324 lbs (verified)
Evaluating Okunlola is an exercise in patience, but you can't deny that his raw traits are undeniable. A former five-star recruit, he took time in Coral Gables before breaking into the rotation in 2025, serving as a rotational force at left guard throughout Miami's 16-game CFP run. The film he put together during that stretch was extremely promising as he allowed just five total pressures all year, per PFF, posting shutouts against Ohio State and Indiana (National Championship) when it mattered most. His foundation is built on elite athleticism, flexibility in his lower half, and a massive frame that naturally creates movement in the run game by establishing angles and washing defenders down the line of scrimmage. His ability to sink and drive in his lower half is unique for a player of his stature, as larger athletes usually bend at the hips, not the knees, which can cause them to lose reps consistently against more agile defenders. Not Okunlola.
However, the developmental hurdles are real and also why context is important when discussing players and scheme fit. It's not a linear path from college dominance to NFL success, and things can take time. Physical fronts like Texas A&M managed to expose his frame when attacking him head-on, while speed and counters from Virginia Tech and Florida highlighted pass sets that remain uneven rep-to-rep. Originally brought to college as a tackle, his true future lies on the interior where his instincts as a run blocker can shine without leaving him on an island against NFL edge-rushers.
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For the Eagles, Okunlola is an extremely intriguing fit for a motion-heavy, wide-zone offense. Mannion's scheme requires interior linemen who carry weight comfortably without compromising lateral quickness allowing them to stretch perimeter run lanes and reach second-level linebackers, and Okunlola's movement and ability to work into angles could fit naturally within Philadelphia's front.
Day 3: Luke Montgomery, Ohio State | 6'5", 310 lbs (verified)
A natural fit at left guard with over 1,200 snaps accrued in the Big Ten, Montgomery's tape showcased two different evaluation windows. Throughout the regular campaign in 2025, he looked like a completely finished product: starting 14 games at left guard, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors, taking all 800-plus snaps for the Buckeyes. A former four-star recruit at tackle, his length and frame discipline transferred inside cleanly. He isn't the most athletic mover nor will he dominate physically from rep-to-rep, but he's a mature linemen up front with positional flex and an elite understanding of how to counter varying body types within the trenches. However, the postseason exposed his developmental edge where he allowed half of his season total in pressures against Miami and Texas. He looked like a Top 100 pick during the regular season, but high end talents at either program showcased a player whose technique in both the run/pass are still coming together.
For Philly, Montgomery represents an ideal long-term interior target should they opt to pass on a player in the earlier portions of the draft. Guards with his tackle-like length (verified 34-inch arms), and feel for moving bodies on the run are built to thrive in wide-zone schemes where establishing reach angles and movement on double-teams are vital. Although refinement is needed against quicker, more nuanced interior rushers before he takes full-time NFL snaps, his baseline run-blocking pedigree and high-end physical trajectory make him a nice option in the latter half of the draft.
