Get to know the linemen the Eagles are building connections with at the NFL combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu may dominate the offensive line class, but the entire position group is the deepest at the 2024 NFL combine.

Building through the trenches has been the Eagles’ identity recently, with core players like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson remaining constant over the past decade. A transition period is coming as Kelce ponders retirement and Johnson enters the latter stages of his career.

While upgrading the defensive side of the ball, specifically the linebacker and secondary groups, seems to be a priority for the Eagles at the combine, they’ve also shown interest in several offensive linemen projected to go on the second and third days of the NFL draft.

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The Eagles had formal interviews with two Pac-12 offensive linemen, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan and Washington’s Roger Rosengarten, both multiyear starters. Morgan, a left tackle, has excellent athleticism with the ability to move laterally, plays under control, and replaces his hands in pass protection. The first-team All-Pac-12 lineman and Senior Bowl participant who measured in at 6-foot-5, 312 pounds, has teams interested in sliding him into the interior to play guard, but he believes his skill set best translates at tackle in the NFL.

“That’s the position I believe I’ll play and that I’m good at, and that’s what I want to show teams [here],” Morgan said Saturday. “I had a really good meeting with [the Eagles] and then went over my film with them.”

Rosengarten, a two-year starter, practiced and played at both tackle spots, though the majority of his in game snaps came protecting the left-handed Michael Penix’s blind side as a right tackle. An above-average athlete who does an excellent job mixing up his pass sets, Rosengarten, who measured in at the Senior Bowl at 6-5, 311 pounds, has active hands as a pass protector, allowing zero sacks and just eight pass rush hurries in 232 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

In his meeting with the Eagles, Rosengarten says he built a strong connection to offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.

“I’m a geek for football, especially [while watching] tape, and Coach Stoutland is too,” Rosengarten told The Inquirer about the meeting. “Sitting down, watching my tape, and talking about it — it was awesome.”

Power 5 offensive tackles weren’t the only players the Eagles did homework on at the combine. The formal meetings included Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, who played in just four games in 2023 before a season-ending quad injury.

Amegadjie, measuring at 6-5, 326 pounds, has vines for arms, powerful hands that showcase his knock-back power in pass protection, and the athleticism to climb to the second level while working well on double team run blocks. He would have participated at the Senior Bowl if healthy and told The Inquirer he would have dominated the week and believes he has the highest ceiling of any offensive linemen at the combine.

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“I may have played at a lower level than everybody else here, but my skill set can be used at any level of football,” Amegadjie said. “[Coach Stoutland] said similar things that everybody is saying did, praising my athleticism, my length, my power. It’s just about learning how to use them, being consistent, and getting stronger.”

Amegadjie said he feels like his body type and skill set is comparable to Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. Stoutland ran Amegadjie’s meeting with the Eagles, and the prospect said he loved the coach’s energy and would enjoy playing under his tutelage.

Still recovering from his quad injury, the Yale standout won’t participate at the combine but will be ready to perform at his pro day on April 3.

While building connections at the combine, the Eagles also have begun scheduling top 30 visits. Each NFL team are allotted 30 private meetings with draft prospects, but players who are local to the NFL teams don’t count toward those private meetings.

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The meetings confirmed by The Inquirer include Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, who has been mentored by Johnson during his college career. Guyton didn’t meet with the Eagles at the combine, but they’re bringing him to Philadelphia after his March 12 pro day. The Oklahoma standout has rare athleticism for his size and has room to grow as a player, but his raw tools are enticing.

TCU offensive lineman Brandon Coleman, who has started at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle in his career, told The Inquirer at his podium session that he is being brought to Philadelphia for a visit next month. His 2023 film was marred by a lingering injury, but his 2022 film at left tackle shows high level athleticism, hand placement, and strong run-blocking reps. Coleman told The Inquirer he expects to run the fastest 40-yard dash Sunday and to have one of the highest broad and vertical jumps of the offensive line group.

Finally, Boston College offensive guard Christian Mahogany, a three-year starter who missed all of the 2022 season with an injury, will be meeting with the Eagles at their facility in a few weeks as well. A stout pass protector, Mahogany is an aggressive run blocker who can create holes and displace defensive linemen with his power.