There wasn't room for the Offensive Line story in this year's magazine, but it lives on anyway. Within the next couple of days there will be a downloadable PDF of the story available under Your Stuff, and we're running it here in two parts.
Yesterday, the NFC; today, the AFC. This is our estimation of how to rank the offensive lines as we approach training camp. (Numbering indicates overall ranking among the league's 32 teams.)
In the colorful table, part of which is shown here (the full version is on our Facebook page and will be available in the PDF), blue is All-Pro caliber, green is above-average, yellow is average, orange is probably below-average and red is definitely below-average. Player grades also factor in injury risk (an above-average player who's missed half of the last two seasons or is coming off surgery might show up with an average grade) and age.
2. Denver Broncos
Sinking resources into the offensive line was one of the first things Sean Payton did in Denver, and it paid off in Bo Nix’s breakout rookie season. Denver had signed Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers away from San Francisco and Baltimore, respectively, while homegrown Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz developed; Meinerz just turned in his first All-Pro season. Luke Wattenberg, in his first year as a starter, held up fine. Denver needs more from its ground game, which averaged just 4.1 yards per attempt last year, but has added two players (second-rounder RJ Harvey and veteran J.K. Dobbins) who they believe will be better than Javonte Williams.
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have drafted exceptionally well in this area, with both of their first-rounders (Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum) coming off Pro Bowl seasons. Last year’s second-rounder, Roger Rosengarten, made the All-Rookie team; he looks like he’ll have more accolades in his future. Daniel Faalele, a 2022 fourth-rounder, was a Pro Bowl alternate in his first year as a starter. After losing Patrick Mekari in free agency, they’ll be trying unknown Andrew Vorhees at left guard, but that’s the lone question mark, and they have other possibilities to plug in if necessary. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are elite talents, but don’t underestimate the help they’re getting from the players in front of them.
6. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have the reigning MVP but will probably be the only team without a former first-round pick starting on the line. Hard to argue with the results, including allowing 8 fewer sacks than any other team last year, but Josh Allen’s size and mobility, as well as the design of the offense, have played a role. Dion Dawkins and O’Cyrus Torrence, former second-rounders, are the highest-drafted players; Dawkins has been to four Pro Bowls. They also successfully shuffled things on the interior, with Connor McGovern moving from guard to center (and delivering his first Pro Bowl season), successfully replacing Mitch Morse. David Edwards successfully replaced McGovern. Continuity – Buffalo returns the same five starters – is a plus.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are one of only two teams that’s starting four former first-round picks. Joe Alt started every game as a rookie; he pairs with 2-time Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater to give the team one of the strongest tackle duos. Zion Johnson hasn’t received any accolades, but he’s started all but 2 games in his first three seasons. Mekhi Becton steps into the other guard spot, resurrecting his career in Philadelphia after disappointing with the Jets. Bradley Bozeman has played for three different teams but always starts, missing just one game the past six seasons. The team’s additions at running back (Najee Harris, Omarion Hampton) suggest they think it’s that position, more than the personnel up front, which needed the biggest upgrade to help this ground game move into the top 10.
8. Cleveland Browns
Strong quarterback play might not be happening in Cleveland this season, but it shouldn’t be the fault of the line. The guard duo is elite, with two-time All-Pro Joel Bitonio and three-time Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller. Bitonio is 33 and mulled retirement, but his play doesn’t seem to have slipped much. With Ethan Pocic at center, the interior blocking should front one of the league’s better run games. (The belief is second-rounder Quinshon Judkins will be better than what they got out of Nick Chubb, coming off a devastating knee injury, a year ago.) The tackle situation is shakier, with Jack Conklin missing at least 5 games in three of the last four seasons, but they’re confident in Dawand Jones on the left. Regardless, should be a run-focused approach.
12. Kansas City
There’s uncertainty at the tackle spots, but they should be better than they were a year ago. Either top pick Josh Simmons or 49ers backup Jaylon Moore will start on the left; Simmons is coming off a knee injury, factoring into him nearly slipping out of the first round, so perhaps Moore initially. But some combination of those players should upgrade the position from last year, with the other a possibility to replace Jawaan Taylor on the right. Things look much better on the inside, with Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith coming off All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons, respectively. They’re hoping to get by at left guard with Kingsley Suamataia, who saw spot duty as a second-round pick last year. It’s not realistic to expect Suamataia to be as good as Joe Thuney (who was traded in a cap move), but he could be serviceable.
16. New York Jets
The pieces are there. New York has used a top-12 pick on a tackle two years in a row, and early returns on Olu Fashanu (7 starts) are promising. They’ll hope for similar or better from Armand Membou. Those guys will have their work cut out for them protecting sack-prone Justin Fields, but a promising pair. Another recent first-rounder, Alijah Vera-Tucker, was an All-Rookie selection in 2021, but injuries wiped out most of his next two seasons. He was healthy last year, joining with former Raven John Simpson as an above-average duo. Center Joe Tippmann (All-Rookie in 2023) has worked out. New York has plenty of other positions to sort out, but the line looks fine.
18. Indianapolis Colts
Quenton Nelson is arguably the league’s best left guard, a huge part of the success this offense has had in recent years. With Bernhard Raimann next to him (six missed games in three seasons) the left looks good. But everywhere else is uncertain or unreliable. Braden Smith has missed 5-7 games two years in a row, last year for undisclosed personal reasons. He took a pay cut to remain on the roster. And the other two starters (Ryan Kelly, Will Fries) signed with Minnesota, so the Colts will be breaking in two new starters (Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves) drafted in the third and fourth rounds a year ago. Bortolini seemed to hold up fine while starting five games for Kelly a year ago, while Goncalves worked at both tackle spots, but they’re taking something of a chance at both positions. Coupled with the iffy looking situation at quarterback, it’s a concern.
19. Tennessee Titans
Give the Titans credit for trying to help out their rookie passer. Dan Moore (a four-year starter in Pittsburgh) signed a contract averaging over $20 million to play left tackle, while Kevin Zeitler (35 years old, but a quality starter for five different organizations) will make $9 million at right guard. They’ll also start first-rounders from the previous two drafts (JC Latham, Peter Skoronski). Lloyd Cushenberry has missed nine games in two of the past three seasons, so that’s a concern. But overall it’s a better line than what other quarterbacks picked No. 1 recently have operated behind.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
The line allowed 49 sacks last year, but it was working in front of two of the most sack-prone quarterbacks a year ago. Now they’ll be trying to protect an immobile 41-year-old, which isn’t ideal, but the ball will be coming out quicker. There are also changes, with 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones moving from right to left tackle; 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu will start on the right. Fautanu dislocated his kneecap and missed most of last season, so he’s essentially a rookie. Two of the interior spots are also youngsters, last year’s second-rounder Zach Frazier (impressive at center as a rookie) and fourth-rounder Mason McCormick. It’s a worryingly inexperienced group, but there’s no certain liability.
23. New England Patriots
With a young quarterback trying to find his feet, New England is taking steps to shore up its pass protection. Will Campbell, selected 4th overall, will start from the jump at left tackle; while those guys don’t always hit, he’s a pretty clean prospect. Morgan Moses has never been a difference-maker (and is 34), but should adequately handle the other side. The same can be said of right guard Michael Onwenu. Cole Strange and Garrett Bradbury are the other starters, and those spots look shakier. Strange hasn’t lived up to his surprise first-round selection, and was hurt most of last season. Bradbury started most of the last six years with the Vikings, but they chose to move on from him. Probably a year and a player or two away from this line being average.
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Early returns have been good for a pair of 2024 picks, D.J. Glaze and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson, they think, will be the answer at center (they released Andre James). But the guard duo looks like a liability, with Dylan Parham and Alex Cappa. Cappa is a big name, but the Bengals – with guard problems of their own – released him. The Raiders are paying him a modest salary ($5.5 million per year) that he won’t necessarily live up to. They’ve got a difference-making running back who will create things on his own, which is good; he’ll probably need to. Kolton Miller has been a strength after a shaky start to his career and he’ll be protecting a better quarterback this season.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
Run-blocking was poor last year, but giving the coaching job to Liam Coen should help. Under his direction, the Bucs last year improved from last to 4th in rushing. They signed Patrick Mekari away from Baltimore to a contract averaging $13 million, and also signed Robert Hainsey, who was a backup for Coen last year in Tampa. The tackle situation is iffy. Walker Little is definitely below-average, highlighted by having started fewer than half (25 of 55) of the games he’s appeared in; 8 of 15 last year. Anton Harrison grades out better, starting all but one game his first two seasons. But Coen has some work to do with this unit.
29. Cincinnati Bengals
The tackle duo is a strength, with four-time Pro Bowler Orlando Brown and last year’s first-rounder Amarius Mims. Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times, which doesn’t seem ideal, but he led the league in pass attempts; sack percentage was right at the league average. It’s at guard where they’re basically starting over; they’ll have a pair of new starters after releasing Alex Cappa and (probably) moving Cody Ford into a backup role. Third-rounder Dylan Fairchild will likely start right away, and it will be either Cordell Volson or journeyman Lucas Patrick (who signed for close to the minimum) in the other spot. That’s a concern, and 32-year-old center Ted Karras is average at best.
30. Houston Texans
The Texans weren’t happy with this group’s play a year ago, but blowing things up by trading away its best player (Laremy Tunsil) won’t necessarily help. They’ll patch the hole with veteran Cam Robinson, a steep downgrade, and 33-year-old Laken Tomlinson (with his fourth team in four years) is at best a short-term fix. Second-rounder Aireontae Ersery will hopefully be one answer at guard, but not a given he starts right away. Last year’s second-rounder Blake Fisher looks like a fixture at right tackle. But a line with some questions, and with no elite players.
32. Miami Dolphins
Paired with one of the league’s bigger concussion risks at quarterback, this slotting is troubling. The Dolphins are placing a lot of faith in unknown draft picks, with last year’s second-rounder, Patrick Paul, taking over for Terron Armstead at left tackle, and this year’s second-rounder, Jonah Savaiinaea, expected to start at guard. Veteran James Daniels (coming off an Achilles injury) also starts at guard. So definitely three new starters, and one of the returning players (Austin Jackson) has missed most of two of the past three seasons due to injury.
If you are a purchaser of the 2025 magazine, this full report is also available as a PDF in magazine format in the Your Stuff section.