So far, Saquon Barkley has been the centerpiece of the Eagles’ season. He’s on a record-setting pace for the Eagles’ record annals, not to mention some league marks.

Barkley has gone out of his way to publicly thank the play of his offensive line, which has emerged among the league’s best.

Those who have watched the Eagles’ 37-20 victory over the Rams Sunday night surely got the message.

Barkley rushed for a season-high 255 yards, 70 of those on a second-half, opening-play burst.

The former Penn State standout publicly paid homage to the front five when he sent out the message “How ‘bout them boys up front!!!” on his X account.

In this week’s version of my Inside the Huddle column, I’ll look at the state of the current Eagles’ line, as well as some former linemen through the years.

Lead the Way ... Over the past few seasons, the Eagles’ O-Line has been regarded as being in the league top-10 protectors.

However, this season, it has risen near the top with Barkley’s emergence. And they have done it in an unsuspected manner.

Perennial All-Pro Center Jason Kelce’s retirement did raise some eyebrows, but Cam Jergens made the move from right guard, after having had spotted play during his rookie campaign in 2022.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jurgens ranks eighth in snaps (738), third in sacks allowed (3), and fourth in penalties (6). His overall 67.8 rating can be considered just above average, but any of Jurgens’ weaknesses have been camouflaged by his teammates.

The real surprise has been Jets’ castoff and former top pick Mekhi Becton, who had taken Jurgens’ place at right guard. Becton has been playing now how the Jets expected him to perform when they drafted him as their future left tackle in 2020. Becton was among the league leaders in penalties and sacks allowed last season, and the Jets believed the experiment was over.

The Eagles inked Becton to a free-agent pact in April, and initially envisioned him as a backup. But Becton’s consistent play is the line’s biggest surprise.

Fred Johnson did an admirable job filling in for the injured Jordan Mailata, whose reputation as one of the game’s premier left tackles is growing. He has been a Pro Bowl alternate, but Mailata could cap an already banner year over the final six weeks.

Pro Football Focus has issued him a 92.9 ranking, as he has allowed just one sack and been flagged for just three penalties.

Left guard Landon Dickerson and right tackle Lane Johnson are the established pieces with Dickerson being a two-time Pro Bowler, and Johnson a five-time recipient. They both are considered among the league’s elite, and continue to prove their worth.

It’s been a mix that matured quicker than expected, especially with initial doubts about Becton and Jurgens. Last Sunday, they performed exceptionally well on a big stage against the Rams, and will need to maintain that level over the final chapters ahead.

Honor Roll ... Since 1950, there has been a large amount of Eagles’ offensive linemen who have received All-Pro Honors (There are some before 1950, but I decided to start with supposed the modern-day era). They include: Chuck Bednarik, center, (1950-54, ‘60); Vic Lindskog, C (‘51); Lum Snyder, C-G (‘53-54); Walt Barnes, Buck Lanford, G (‘56); Jim Ringo, C (‘64-67), J.D. Smith , G (‘61); Jerry Sisemore, T (‘79. ‘81). Stan Walters, T (‘78’79), Jon Runyan (‘02); Tra Thomas, T (‘01.’02, ‘04); Shawn Andrews, G/T (‘06); Jermaine Mayberry, G-T, (‘02); Jon Dorenbos, C (‘09, ‘14); Brandon Brooks, (‘17-19), and Jason Peters, T (‘11, ‘13).

A pair of linemen I left out were two who are arguably regarded as the team’s best in the form of Al Wistert, who was a stalwart All-Pro tackle from 1994-47, and fellow tackle Bob Brown, who also was a rock from 1965-66 and in 1968. Wistert should be in the Hall of Fame, and Brown found fame later with the Rams and Raiders.

Also, Peters became a Philly legend with seven Pro Bowls and his 219 starts. Sizemore and Walters were integral parts of the Eagles’ ‘70s revival under Dick Vermeil, and Brooks and Thomas are recent standouts.

Flip Back the Pages ... Occasionally, I’ll look back at a former player or team from the league’s early days.

Marian grad Sean Love is usually the first former NFL lineman mentioned with local ties. Love played from ‘91-01 with six teams and the XFL Orlando Rage.

However, there have been several other ones in the early days of the league, notably with Shenandoah ties.

Frank Racis, a Shenandoah Valley star, played with the five teams from 1925-31, and was a part of the Pottsville Maroons championship team in 1925. Fellow Shenandoah standouts Al Babartsky played for the Chicago Cardinals and Bears from ‘38-45, and Leo Katalinas played for Catholic University, where he was a boxing champion and then for the Packers (‘38) and Paterson Panthers (‘39-42).

If you know of any local linemen who played in the NFL, feel free to let me know.

Topping Off ... Here are my top five teams:

1. Chiefs (10-1) - They again had luck with a winning field goal that dinked inside the goal post. They’re quietly rolling along without playing to their potential.

2. Lions (10-1) - Their offense is the league’s best. Many considered them the best overall.

3. Eagles (9-2) - The play of their offensive and defensive lines in the Rams’ win finally convinced me. Barkley looks invincible.

4. Bills (9-2) - Josh Allen is carrying the team. They can be flip-flopped with the Eagles.

5. Ravens (8-4) - Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are the league’s best explosive one-two backfield punch. However, their defense needs to tighten for them to make a run.

Bottoming Out ... Here are my five worst teams (worst team is first):

1. Jaguars (2-9) - They had a bye week, but they’re still on the bottom. Trevor Lawrence returns to bring back some respectability.

2. Giants (2-9) - They have dropped six straight, and Brian Daboll may have lost the locker room. Tommy DeVito isn’t the quarterback answer, while Drew Lock will look to emerge.

3. Raiders (2-9) - The Raiders easily can be considered the worst team. They have dropped seven straight and have checked out.

4. Panthers (3-8): They could have beaten the Chiefs and played well. Bryce Young is getting another shot, but there are too many holes.

5. Patriots (3-9) - They have played better under Drake Maye, and his progress may be fun to watch. It will be the beginning of a new era.

How Sweet It Can Be ... Through 11 games, Barkley has 1,392 rushing yards, and has averaged 126.5 per game. If he keeps his current pace, Barkley will break former Ram Eric Dickerson’s season mark of 2,105 set in 1984.

Barkley would set a new record in the league’s final week against..drumroll, please….the Giants. If he manages to break it before, Barkley likely will sit out the final game if the Eagles have the division wrapped up.

Layin’ It on the Line: Last week with the Eagles, Jets, and Giants, I went 1-2.

This week, I like the Cowboys (-4) over the Giants, the Jets (+2) over the Seahawks…and yes, the Ravens (-2.5) to edge the Eagles.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.