The former JUCO quarterback turned Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle, Lane Johnson made headlines at the NFL draft Thursday night as he was the fourth player selected to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 2013 draft has been heavy on the big boys so far this year. Which is good, considering the needs of most NFL teams. A lot of mock drafters were still in question of Johnson’s ability but Eagles head coach Chip Kelly explained their interest:
I think he is ready, but he is raw. We look at raw as a positive, not a negative. If he’s doing what he’s doing right now, and he’s only played like two years on the offensive line. We felt that his ceiling is probably the highest.
As for Johnson, he couldn’t be more thrilled to be playing for Kelly and a team that will most likely run a fast-paced offense like he is already used to.
From what I’ve seen, most Eagles fans were happy about the Johnson pick. If they weren’t you’d have definitely have heard all about it, considering Philly isn’t shy about letting you know when they don’t like something.
Johnson has proved that he is coachable and adjusts to new positions quickly. His athletic ability shows promise to what he will be able to achieve at the next level. He will be playing in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL and with a new coach bringing in a new style of play, the Eagles could very well run the table next season
The Sooners have had four consecutive top four picks in the last four drafts. Johnson is also the fifth offensive lineman from the Bob Stoops era to go in the first round.