Only 1 Eagle cracks PFF’s Top-50 players in the NFL

Anticipation for the Eagles season is growing by the day. On paper, the team is primed to be, at the very least, an exciting watch this season.

Philly has numerous elite players laced throughout their roster. From their stout offensive line to a handful of defensive player at every level, the Eagles are buttoned up on both sides of the ball. Pro Football Focus, an outlet that has praised the Eagles all throughout this offseason, just recently dropped their top-50 NFL players list ahead of the 2022 season.

For as much as PFF has shown the Eagles love this offseason, the team didn’t leave much of a mark on PFF’s list. Only one Eagle managed to crack their rankings, newly added wideout A.J. Brown. Here’s what they had to say on Brown’s placement at 34th:

Other receivers may have more overall production than Brown, but few appear at the top of every receiver list when it comes to excelling in difficult situations, such as versus press coverage, like him. He is an elite No. 1 receiver who can win in all areas and take over games. He will bring something that’s been missing from the Eagles’ offense, and if Jalen Hurts can take advantage of that, Brown should continue to dominate.”

PFF50: The 50 best players in the NFL right now

I see no lies with PFF’s explanation there.

But as far as Brown being the only Eagles player to crack the list? I have some questions.

First off, Brown isn’t the best player on the team. Who that guy is is debatable but I think it’s fair to say Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson are better overall players. I’ve been on record saying that DeVonta Smith is a better receiver than Brown, but I’ll let that one go for the sake of this article.

Based off PFF’s own grading system, guys like Jordan Mailata and Dallas Goedert should have definitely made the list. Mailata’s offensive grade of 88.3 ranked third among all offensive tackles in the game last season. Yet, Tristan Wirfs made the list at 38 while coming in three spots lower in overall grades for offensive tackles in 2021. Goedert finished the 2021 campaign with an overall grade of 90.7, second-best among all tight ends. Both Travis Kelce and George Kittle had lower grade than Goedert and both made the list.

Nevertheless, I understand why both Goedert and Mailta missed the cut. They still have to prove their worth long-term. But as for Kelce and Lane, they’ve both proven enough to be on any top-50 players list.

At the end of the day, I guess it’s better to have at least some representation on PFF’s list this year. Last year, not a single Eagle got any recognition. Baby steps.

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