Here are our offensive line rankings, slotting them 1 thru 32. We give each projected starter on each team a grade, then total those points (giving more credit to the tackle and center positions).
According to our grades, San Francisco has the best offensive line, followed by the Patriots, Ravens and Vikings. Those are the four standout-type units.
At the other end of the spectrum: Lions, Chargers, Bills and Cowboys. Those are the four teams that appear to have the problem offensive lines.
Denver just lost center Dan Koppen for the year. Back in June, J.D. Walton opted to undergo ankle surgery. So that's a trouble spot. They would starting Manny Ramirez right now, and he struggles in pass protection. But the Broncos could still sign or trade for another center, and Walton could be back for the second half of the season. With that group being very good at both tackle spots, it still looks like a top-10 offensive line.
In our scoring system, we give the most credit (double credit, actually) to the left tackles. That's the most important spot. The two guard spots, we think, are the least valuable. The right tackle and center positions, we've got halfway between the guards and the left tackles. We also have a sixth position, where we assign a combined blocking grade for the team's tight ends and fullbacks.
This isn't scientific, but it gives us a general sense of how they fall. And using this system, it yields the following 1-32 rankings. To see the rankings with individual position grades included (next to the projected starters) go to our Facebook page (fantasyindex.com).
| OFFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS | |
|---|---|
| team | Score |
| San Francisco | 33.0 |
| New England | 31.1 |
| Baltimore | 30.3 |
| Minnesota | 29.3 |
| Carolina | 28.5 |
| Cleveland | 28.3 |
| Tampa Bay | 28.1 |
| Tennessee | 27.7 |
| Seattle | 27.5 |
| Denver | 27.3 |
| NY Giants | 26.8 |
| Kansas City | 25.8 |
| Green Bay | 25.8 |
| Cincinnati | 25.3 |
| Washington | 25.1 |
| Philadelphia | 24.8 |
| New Orleans | 24.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 23.9 |
| Houston | 23.9 |
| St. Louis | 23.5 |
| Oakland | 22.9 |
| Jacksonville | 22.6 |
| NY Jets | 22.4 |
| Miami | 22.0 |
| Arizona | 21.6 |
| Atlanta | 21.3 |
| Indianapolis | 21.1 |
| Chicago | 20.9 |
| Dallas | 18.3 |
| San Diego | 18.3 |
| Buffalo | 18.0 |
| Detroit | 17.8 |
--Ian Allan