On Friday, Pro Football Focus released its All-Decade Run-Blocking Team, and it's safe to say the Philadelphia Eagles were well-represented. In fact, the Eagles dominated the selections with 60% of the line consisting of former or current Eagles. Representing the Birds on the team were current Eagles Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce and former Bird Evan Mathis.
While it's somewhat shocking to see one team so heavily represented, each selection is well-deserved.
After being selected fourth overall by the Eagles in 2013, Johnson has turned into a staple on the Philadelphia line. He's started 92 games for the Birds over the last seven seasons, was named to his third straight Pro Bowl this season, and was an All-Pro in 2017. He's developed into a leader and culture-setter on the team, and has certainly lived up to his lofty draft slot.
If Johnson has lived up to his draft position, Kelce has far exceeded it. A sixth-round pick in 2011, he's anchored the Eagles' line at the center position for nine seasons, piling up 126 starts in midnight green. Along the way he's earned three Pro Bowl nods and was named All-Pro for the third straight season in 2019. His versatility and ability to move has become a staple of the Eagles' running game and has allowed Eagles coaches to get creative with the running schemes. Kelce is one of the best Eagles draft picks of recent memory and also happened to deliver one of the best speeches in Philadelphia sports history at the Eagles' Super Bowl parade. (Video NSFW, contains language)
Mathis was the one of the three Eagles selected that didn't start his career with the Eagles. That happened in Carolina, and he had stops in Miami and Cincinnati before arriving in Philadelphia, but he proved to be an excellent pickup for the Birds and made his mark in the City of Brotherly Love. He played four seasons in Philadelphia from 2011-2014, earning two Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro designation.
During the decade, the Eagles ranked outside the top 10 in team rushing just four times, per teamrankings.com and were 11th in one of those four years. They were only outside of the top 15 twice while also piling up four top 5 finishes (2010, 2011, 2013, 2017) including number one in 2013 and number three in 2017.
While skill position players garner much of the attention, football games are largely won in the trenches and it's clear the Eagles have embraced that tenet. It's encouraging that the team has remained committed to building a strong offensive line, and this is some much-deserved recognition for a trio of Eagles and a nice piece of bragging rights for Eagles fans.
