Lane Johnson was a standout left tackle at Oklahoma before the Philadelphia Eagles used the No.4 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Jason Peters was firmly entrenched at left tackle which forced Johnson to switch to the right side.

Peters’ time in Philadelphia is getting closer to its expiration date. Despite being one of the best right tackles in the NFL, Johnson may soon undergo a position change.

Johnson took reps primarily at left tackle while Peters was absent from OTAs over the last few weeks. Those reps are a significant investment that will help Johnson make the switch back to the left side if need be.

“I got drafted playing left tackle. It’s really just getting the reps. The deal was to get me the reps,” Johnson said at his locker after practice on Thursday. “JP isn’t here, so I get the reps, and whenever I do go to left tackle, it won’t be five or six years of not playing it then getting in. It’s money in the bank I’d say.”

The Eagles were more effective running to the right side last year, especially when Johnson was in the lineup along with Brandon Brooks. The impact showed immediately as Philadelphia ran the ball more effectively when Johnson returned to the Eagles in a week 15 win against the New York Giants.

While playing on the right side highlights Johnson’s run blocking, he feels that being on the left side will allow him to better reach his potential as a pass blocker.

“As far as movement, I feel like I am a better pass blocker on the left. You can ask a lot of guys, they’ll tell that they feel better at run blocking on the right but pass blocking on the left,” Johnson explained. “The thing is to just get more and more reps until you are efficient with it. That’s how it was my rookie year at right tackle. I struggled, and as years passed, you get better.”

There have been up and down results from Johnson’s switch to left tackle during OTAs. They are just in helmets, shorts, and t-shirts, so there is a degree of physicality taken away which forces players to rely more on technique. Either way, regaining the muscle memory from the left side has been a plus for Johnson.

“There’s a lot of stuff that I have been efficient with on the right side, and I have to be as quick picking it up at left,” Johnson said. “It’s just getting more repetition. I feel like I’ve had the best OTA period I’ve had. I got beat a few times today, but a lot of it is just technique. Like today, I set too flat on a two-minute drill and pressure came high.”

A switch to left tackle for Johnson would take away one of the top right tackles in the game. Philadelphia better hope Halapoulavati Vaitai is ready to step in and be a starter.