August 29, 2022

Lane Johnson snubbed on NFL Top 100 ranking

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

Kate Frese/for PhillyVoice

Lane Johnson (65) of the Philadelphia Eagles takes the field before the game against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on December 26, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

There aren't 100 players in the NFL better than Lane Johnson. That's a simple fact. Despite Johnson's consistently great play for nearly a decade (how was he drafted nine years ago?), Johnson missed out on the 2022 edition of the NFL Top 100, which has been rolled out over the last few weeks.

NFL players are the ones voting for these rankings, but there's still room for criticism here. I know offensive linemen are perpetually underrated when it comes to lists such as these, even if their peers are behind the voting process.

But Johnson can't make the Top 100? Really?

Johnson is the best right tackle in football. Yes, I'm in a different universe when compared to NFL players, but I'd think that's enough of a qualification to make a list like this!

Four offensive tackles cracked the Top 100:

Rank	Player	Team
14	Trent Williams	49ers
41	Tristan Wirfs	Buccaneers
79	Rashawn Slater	Chargers

Williams and Wirfs are obviously elite. Slater was awesome for the Chargers as a rookie in 2021, but I'm taking Lane over him.

Johnson, whose lone Top 100 appearance was coming in at No. 95 in 2018, was a Second-Team All-Pro choice last year even after missing three games in the middle of the season while battling an anxiety disorder. That's a dude who is a champion on and off the field.

For reference, Darius Slay comes in at No. 77 on this season's NFL Top 100. Jason Kelce is 71st. Kelce is certainly deserving of being on this list. Slay looked revitalized with the Eagles in 2021 after a down 2020 season, making a Pro Bowl. He should've been in All-Pro consideration too. If there were only two Eagles to make the list, I'd pick Johnson and Kelce. Hell, I might even put Johnson ahead of Kelce.

I have to agree with our own Jimmy Kempski here: