Eagles are No. 7 in ESPN ranking of NFL pass-blocking units for 2021
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A battered and bruised Eagles offensive line looks to return to dominance after two of their biggest stars return to the lineup from lingering injuries.
ESPN Analytics developed a pass block win rate (PBWR) to measure how often individual players and teams sustained their pass blocks for at least 2.5 seconds, using player tracking data from NFL Next Gen Stats.
Philadelphia landed in the top-10, coming in at No. 7.
7. Philadelphia Eagles Projected PBWR: 61% Projected offensive line: Jordan Mailata (32nd), Isaac Seumalo (fourth), Jason Kelce (12th), Brandon Brooks (DNP), Lane Johnson (DNQ)
Pass block win rate strongly suggested that the offensive line in Philadelphia was better than most believed, as the Eagles finished 11th in the metric. Yes, Carson Wentz led the league in sack rate and had the sixth-highest pressure rate, but he also had the fifth-highest time before pass average, suggesting he played a significant role in those pressures and sacks — as quarterbacks often do.
The model likes Philly to improve in 2021 in pass protection in part because of the possibility of a full season from Johnson, who played in only seven games in 2020.
Jordan Mailata is a year more experienced, while a motivated Andre Dillard will be returning from season-ending Biceps surgery. Johnson and Brooks are healthy, while players like Nate Herbig, Jack Driscoll, and Sua Opeta gained valuable experience in 2020.
