What more is there for PFF to say about Evan Mathis? We have been banging the drum for Mathis since he was splitting time in an ill-advised rotation with Nate Livings in Cincinnati. After a healthy contract from Dallas Livings is currently out of the league while Mathis just earned his first All-Pro nomination.
It has taken a little time for people to warm to what Mathis does because he doesn’t look like Larry Allen. He’s not 330lbs and he doesn’t look like a guy who will drive his man to Nebraska on a running play, which is what people want to see from their guards. It’s why people insisted for so many years that Davin Joseph was so good even though the tape clearly showed he wasn’t – he looked like he should be. Instead, Mathis goes through each game just moving his man away from the ball carrier and opening running lanes on a consistent basis. It’s not necessarily spectacular, but it is very effective.
He has been the model of consistency at the position since getting a starting gig for the Eagles and has played his way from the veteran minimum contract to a pretty healthy money deal.
This last season he was the top-ranked guard in the league by some distance, with a run-blocking grade of+40.2, more than twice as much as the next best guard. He has the perfect combination of size, speed, athleticism and technique and that mix of skills is even more prized within Chip Kelly’s offense that requires its linemen to work well on the move and not simply move a pile in front of them.
