Miami Dolphins fans who have watched Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson dominate for the better part of 14 seasons in the NFL have to be feeling a bit jealous after he announced his well-deserved retirement. Johnson was one step away from becoming Miami's right tackle for a decade.
Flashback to the 2013 NFL Draft, which was regarded as a subpar collection of talent at the time and has largely held up to that reputation. Miami traded up from No. 12 overall to No. 3 overall, and Johnson was still on the board. Many of ESPN's analysts covering the draft simply assumed that Johnson was going to be the pick for Jeff Ireland.
Instead, the Dolphins took perhaps the biggest bust in franchise history in Dion Jordan, who remains a cautionary tale for new Dolphins executives as an example of what not to do. Johnson, meanwhile, was a reliable presence on Eagles teams that made three Super Bowls and won two.
The Miami Dolphins whiffed by passing on drafting Lane Johnson in 2013
Johnson was already the third offensive tackle off the board, as Kansas City and Jacksonville got the Draft started by picking Central Michigan's Eric Fisher and Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel, respectively, with the top two picks. Johnson's college career at Oklahoma warranted that No. 3 spot (or higher), but Miami was entranced by Jordan's potential.
Even injuries couldn't keep Johnson down in the pros. During his 14 seasons, Johnson was a Pro Bowler six times and an All-Pro five times (two First Team nods). Those seasons came in the context of winning games, as Johnson's Eagles were perpetually in the playoff picture before breaking through under Doug Pederson and continuing their success under Nick Sirianni.
That 2013 Dolphins team, which rolled out Tyson Clabo and what was left of Bryant McKinnie at their tackle spots, may have benefited from Johnson's consistency on the right side. Perhaps that may have been the difference between 8-8 and a possible Wild Card berth.
Miami Dolphins pick Dion Jordan was much worse than Lane Johnson
Jordan stands out as not just one of the worst picks in Dolphins history, but perhaps the absolute worst. With just three sacks in his first two seasons and a suspension that led to him ultimately getting booted out of Miami, Jordan never got off the ground as a player and quickly lost the trust of the coaching staff and front office.
Jordan finished his pro career with 13.5 sacks in six seasons, which is a far cry from a player in Johnson who looked like a tremendous talent from the jump.
Oddly enough, Jordan has become a head coach at the collegiate level post-retirement, overseeing Division III Eureka College. Johnson, however, will likely cap off his football career with a gold jacket. It doesn't take a football genius to see how a player of his caliber would have helped Miami.
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