The offensive line story was one that ended up on the cutting room floor of the preseason annual. But it has its fans, so we're running it here. Our estimation of the top 16 lines is presented below; we'll run 17-32 tomorrow. The colorful table showing projected starters for each team will show up on our Facebook page.
It’s easy to see how important offensive lines are to team success. Seven of the lines we were figuring would be among the best a year ago – Philadelphia, Kansas City, Detroit, Baltimore, Buffalo, San Francisco, Houston – helped their teams make the playoffs. Whether you’re looking for top offenses, Super Bowl contenders or breakout skill players, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be plying their trade behind one of the better offensive lines.
Consider this year’s draft, with nine offensive linemen selected in the first round. That ties for the most since the 1970 merger, but it’s also the second time it’s happened in the last three years. Perhaps it’s merely been a couple of unusually good college classes, but just as likely teams are placing increasing importance on securing top talent at these positions.
The following rankings show how the offensive lines are shaping up before the start of training camps. (Projected starters -- LT-LG-C-RG-RT -- are listed, with our estimation of their ranking, 1-32, at their positions.)
1. Detroit Lions
Taylor Decker - 14th
Graham Glasgow - 11th
Frank Ragnow - 2nd
Kevin Zeitler - 18th
Penei Sewell - 1st
Give the line a healthy amount of credit for Detroit’s emergence as one of the league’s best teams. The Lions have allowed an average of only 28 sacks the last two years, and with their running backs running for the 2nd-most yards in the league. The players up front are a big reason for that. The only team with four first-round talents (three homegrown, and then they added Kevin Zeitler to replace departed Jonah Jackson). Not that they won’t miss Jackson (who signed contract averaging $17 million with the Rams). Zeitler is 34, with his best ball in the rearview mirror (he’ll make $6 million this year); but he’s good enough to hold serve at that position. … With Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell, they hit on their last three first-round picks for this position group. At 23, Sewell looks like he’ll be running off a string of All-Pro seasons.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Mailata - 6th
Landon Dickerson - 6th
Cam Jurgens - 11th
Tyler Steen - 26th
Lane Johnson - 2nd
Jason Kelce retired, but don’t look for a big decline in this line’s performance. The Eagles have invested heavily in this area, with three current starters on contracts averaging $20 million per season (no other team has more than one such player). Taking over for Kelce is Cam Jurgens, and he’s not completely green; he started 11 games at guard a year ago (they took him in the second round two years ago). Last year’s third-rounder, Tyler Steen, is the new face, and the lone question mark. But the guess is there will still be plenty of Tush Push plays, and this line is now opening holes for a better running back (Saquon Barkley) than it’s had in the past.
3. Cleveland Browns
Jedrick Wills - 15th
Joel Bitonio - 1st
Ethan Pocic - 10th
Wyatt Teller - 3rd
Jack Conklin - 22nd
Unsurprisingly for this run-focused offense, Cleveland is best at the guard positions, with Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller perennial Pro Bowlers (and Bitonio a two-time All Pro). That duo helps them get by with an ordinary center (although Ethan Pocic also makes a top-10 salary for the position). Pass protection is also better than the sack numbers for Deshaun Watson (who took nearly 3 per game) would suggest; Joe Flacco, for example, took only 8 in his five starts. Cleveland couldn’t keep its tackles (Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin) healthy last year, but Conklin played at least 14 games in three of his previous four seasons and Wills missed just five games his previous three.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Trent Williams - 2nd
Aaron Banks - 8th
Jake Brendel - 13th
Jon Feliciano - 16th
Colton McKivitz - 15th
With a Shanahan line (first Mike, now Kyle), the sum is often greater than the individual parts. Sure, Trent Williams is one of the game’s best tackles, coming off his third straight All-Pro season and showing no signs of decline even at 36. But he’s the lone Pro Bowl player and the only one making top dollar. Only one other starter (second-rounder Aaron Banks) was an early pick. It’s instead comprised of guys who fit the team’s scheme, and it works, with a seventh-round quarterback putting up elite numbers and Christian McCaffrey averaging the best stats of his career. San Francisco also gets more blocking help from other players (with Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle leading the way) than most teams.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Bernhard Raimann - 20th
Quenton Nelson - 2nd
Ryan Kelly - 4th
Will Fries - 32nd
Braden Smith - 3rd
Indianapolis has hit on its early picks, with first-rounders Quenton Nelson and Ryan Nelson among the best at their positions. Maybe Jonathan Taylor would put up elite numbers behind a lesser line, but other successful backs (like Zack Moss) maybe not. They have another successful top-40 pick, Braden Smith, on the right. … The questions lie elsewhere. Bernhard Raimann and Will Fries (formerly third- and seventh-round picks) started last year but aren’t necessarily long-term answers. … Third-rounder Matt Goncalves probably would have been drafted earlier but for an injury limiting him to three games last year; that’s one possibility as a future starter.
6. Houston Texans
Laremy Tunsil - 3rd
Kenyon Green - 23rd
Juice Scruggs - 25th
Shaq Mason - 11th
Tytus Howard - 9th
Houston has invested heavily (both money and picks) in its line lately, and those moves have mostly paid off, contributing to C.J. Stroud thriving as a rookie. In the past year they’ve locked up both Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard with long-term deals, giving them the league’s highest-paid tackle duo. The other spots will be manned by veteran Shaq Mason and a pair of early picks. Juice Scruggs looked promising at center in six starts as a rookie. The key question is Kenyon Green, their first-rounder two years ago. He struggled as a rookie and was hurt last year, but coaches were talking him up at the June minicamp. If that proves accurate, they’ll be in great shape. If not, they’ll probably turn to second-rounder Blake Fisher.
7. Kansas City
Wanya Morris - 31st
Joe Thuney - 5th
Creed Humphrey - 1st
Trey Smith - 13th
Jawaan Taylor - 17th
The interior of the line is arguably the best in the league, where Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey are among the best at their positions. Trey Smith isn’t on that level, but he’s probably an above-average guard. Since being selected in the sixth round, he’s started 50 of 51 games; he was named to the All-Rookie team in 2021. The problems are at the tackle spots, where they’ve been sifting through different options. They gave Jawaan Taylor a big contract a year ago, plugging him in at right tackle with mixed results. (Consistently lining up well off the line of scrimmage, Taylor may mistakenly be listed as an H-back by some fantasy leagues.) The big move is at left tackle, where they’re hoping Wanya Morris, a third-round pick a year ago, can replace Donovan Smith. Morris filled in for a month late last year. The offense wasn’t great in those four games, averaging only 20.5 points, with 10 sacks and one game with a 40-yard rusher, but apparently they think (or is it hope?) Morris can handle that role.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews - 18th
Matthew Bergeron - 16th
Drew Dalman - 21st
Chris Lindstrom - 1st
Kaleb McGary - 11th
The Falcons have one of just five lines that will start three former first-rounders. Two of them perhaps aren’t elite (tackles Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary have combined for just one Pro Bowl selection), but Chris Lindstrom is one of the league’s best guards, and the other two spots are manned by credible players. Last year’s second-rounder Matthew Bergeron started every game as a rookie, and center Drew Dalman drew praise for toughing it out with an ankle injury for a stretch of games. There’s no obvious weakness, which will be key in keeping the new quarterbacks healthy.
9. Los Angeles Rams
Alaric Jackson - 22nd
Jonah Jackon - 9th
Steve Avila - 8th
Kevin Dotson - 6th
Rob Havenstein - 25th
Remarkably, the Rams have built their line without a first-round pick (one of just five such teams). But they’re invested heavily in free agency, resulting in a top-5 payroll on this area. They took Kevin Dotson off Pittsburgh’s hands last August; he played well enough to earn an extension. And they lured Jonah Jackson away from Detroit, giving them the league’s most expensive pair of guards. Only 10 guards in the league are making $16-plus million per year, and the Rams are the only team with two of them. They hit on last year’s second-round center, Steve Avila, giving them a strong interior trio go. They’re iffier at tackle, but believe they have a long-term answer on the left in undrafted Alaric Jackson, who won the starting job last fall (they retained him with a second-round tender, worth $5 million, in free agency).
10. Los Angeles Chargers
Rashawn Slater - 5th
Zion Johnson - 12th
Bradley Bozeman - 12th
Jamaree Salyer - 30th
Joe Alt - 16th
The new coaching staff will definitely look to run the ball; the line they’ve assembled should determine how much success they have. They look very good at tackle, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. A Pro Bowler as a rookie, Slater missed most of his next season due to injury but started every game last year. Alt was good enough at Notre Dame that they took him with the No. 5 overall pick of the draft. “Offensive linemen, we look at as weapons,” Jim Harbaugh said in the draft’s most colorful quote. “When we talk about attacking on offense … offensive line is the tip of the spear.” The ‘weapons’ inside don’t look as threatening, with Zion Johnson and probably Jamaree Salyer at guard and Bradley Bozeman at center (they were forced to scramble there after Corey Linsley retired due to health issues). Bozeman played well for Carolina in 2022 and played for offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Baltimore, so there should be a comfort level there. Bozeman signed for only $1.1 million, but he’s also getting an additional $4 million via offsets from Carolina.
11. Denver Broncos
Garett Bolles - 7th
Ben Powers - 7th
Luke Wattenberg - 32nd
Quinn Meinerz - 15th
Mike McGlinchey - 4th
Sean Payton focused on upgrading this line last offseason, signing Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey to contracts averaging $13-$17 million per year. The amount of money the team ate to dump Russell Wilson hints at where they place the blame for him taking 3 sacks per game last year (it’s not the blocking). Two other spots (Garett Bolles at left tackle and Quinn Meinerz at right guard) also look like strengths. The concern is at center, with Lloyd Cushenberry signing with Tennessee. With limited draft picks and free agent dollars, they’ll be relying on an unknown – probably former fifth-rounder Luke Wattenberg, who’s made one NFL start. That’s the position that will be on the spot in August, with other options being evaluated.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tristan Wirfs - 1st
Ben Bredeson - 28th
Graham Barton - 22nd
Cody Mauch - 20th
Luke Goedeke - 13th
Don’t overlook pass protection in Baker Mayfield’s comeback season. He took 40 sacks, but on 566 attempts, comprising his lowest rate in that regard since early in his career. They’re best at tackle, with Tristan Wirfs an All Pro on the left and Luke Goedeke (a guard as a rookie) starting every game on the right. To improve the interior (after averaging a league-worst 3.4 yards per rushing attempt), they selected Graham Barton in the first round. Only seven other centers have been selected with first-round picks in the last 10 years. Guard is a question mark (last year’s second-rounder Cody Mauch started all year, but the other spot will be a cheap veteran).
13. New York Jets
Tyron Smith - 25th
John Simpson - 18th
Joe Tippmann - 9th
Alijah Vera-Tucker - 4th
Morgan Moses - 23rd
Desperate to protect their 40-year-old quarterback, the Jets took a lot of offseason swings in hopes that some of them will connect. Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses are on the wrong side of 33, but that’s the new tackle duo. Smith hasn’t played more than 13 games in a season in eight years, but remains an above-average player when healthy. Moses has been more durable, albeit at a lower caliber of play. (Also adding John Simpson at $6 million per year, New York will start two-fifths of last year’s Ravens line.) Alijah Vera-Tucker looked like a star as a rookie but injuries have limited him to just 12 games the last two seasons. Optimistic to think they’ll be able to keep this group healthy, making the first-round pick invested in Olu Fashanu look shrewd – he’ll wind up starting sooner rather than later.
14. Green Bay Packers
Rasheed Walker - 23rd
Elgton Jenkins - 3rd
Josh Myers - 17th
Jordan Morgan - 31st
Zach Tom - 14th
More so than other teams, the Packers believe in building through the draft. With this position group, all five starters are homegrown, selected from the last five drafts and usually plugged right into the lineup. Elgton Jenkins is the best of them, a two-time Pro Bowler who’s excelled at both guard and tackle. They’ll hope for similar success from this year’s first-rounder, Jordan Morgan, who comes in just as the team finally cut ties with David Bakhtiari, whose standout career has been derailed by injuries recently. Morgan worked at right guard at the spring minicamp. The tackles will probably be a pair of 2022 day three picks, Rasheed Walker (solid filling in for Bakhtiari last year) and Zach Tom. How quickly Morgan develops will determine if this line is too high (or low).
15. Buffalo Bills
Dion Dawkins - 10th
David Edwards - 25th
Connor McGovern - 18th
O'Cyrus Torrence - 22nd
Spencer Brown - 8th
Longtime center Mitch Morse was part of the veteran purge in the offseason, creating some much-needed cap room. But Buffalo believes it will be OK there, sliding Connor McGovern into that spot and elevating David Edwards (a backup last year, but a starter for the Rams team that won the Super Bowl) at guard. There’s more continuity at the other spots: three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins, and last year’s second-rounder O’Cyrus Torrence (who started all season as a rookie) at right guard. A little uncertainty for the team that had the same five starters all of last year, but no obvious weakness.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars
Cam Robinson - 28th
Ezra Cleveland - 13th
Mitch Morse - 15th
Brandon Scherff - 7th
Anton Harrison - 12th
The Jaguars are relying heavily on veterans from other teams. Brandon Scherff and Mitch Morse have some Pro Bowls on their resumes, but both are 32. They acquired Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota last year and were satisfied enough to sign him to an extension averaging $8 million. They seem to have hit on last year’s first-rounder, Anton Harrison, who started immediately at right tackle and made the All-Rookie team. Keep the aging veterans and their other successful high pick, Cam Robinson, on the field, and this could be an above-average line.
Tomorrow: 17-32.
If you are a purchaser of the 2024 magazine, this full report is also available as a PDF in magazine format in the Your Stuff section.