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.
First up, the NFC; Thursday, 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 (above, and 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.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Philly has been the gold standard on the offensive line for the better part of a decade, built on continuity, talent and a sustained investment of resources. They return all five starters, though notably, line coach Jeff Stoutland stepped down after last season. The end could be near for right tackle Lane Johnson (age 36), who played only 10 games in 2025, but the rest of the line is under 30, with three (Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens) carrying past Pro Bowl or All-Pro hardware, and right guard Tyler Steen ascending. Mid-round draftees Markel Bell and Micah Morris address the long-term depth.
3. Chicago Bears
Ryan Poles has made the offensive line a top priority, and it showed last season. Acquiring Joe Thuney, an All-Pro in each of his last three seasons and owner of all of two missed games in a decade, has been transformational. Darnell Wright earned second-team All-Pro at right tackle, and Jonah Jackson bounced back from an injury-plagued 2024 in LA. The Bears replaced retiring center Drew Dalman with veteran Garrett Bradbury. The one remaining question is left tackle, where Braxton Jones has struggled to stay healthy but is back for another year.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Four of five starters missed significant time last season, so there’s nowhere to go but up. Tristan Wirfs made his fifth straight Pro Bowl despite missing five games, and the Bucs have invested high picks in Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke since 2022. Mauch and Ben Bredeson have clean bills of health after knee issues. Get all five back on the field together, and this group could make a significant jump.
9. San Francisco 49ers
At 37, Trent Williams is still probably the best left tackle in football when healthy; 16 starts and a 12th Pro Bowl last year is more evidence. Colton McKivitz hasn’t missed a game in three years at right tackle, Jake Brendel is a rock at center, and Dominick Puni has started every game since being drafted in the third round in 2024. The one open spot is left guard, a competition between youngsters Connor Colby and Carver Willis alongside veteran free agent Robert Jones.
11. Atlanta Falcons
Four of five starters return, led by four-time Pro Bowler Chris Lindstrom at right guard and 34-year-old ironman Jake Matthews at left tackle. Left guard Matthew Bergeron enters the final year of his rookie deal, having started 49 games in three seasons. Ryan Neuzil rewarded the team’s confidence after signing an extension, starting every game last year. Jawaan Taylor is the question mark: adequate as a pass blocker, but penalized 40 times in three seasons as a Chief and hurt last year. Atlanta added his former teammate Wanya Morris as insurance.
12. Los Angeles Rams
No award winners, but few lines have more stability. The group is essentially unchanged: Warren McClendon is now the clear starter at right tackle after stepping in for the injured Rob Havenstein last season. Alaric Jackson earned a three-year extension on the left side. Kevin Dotson has been consistent at right guard, entering the final year of his contract, while Steve Avila is due a big payday coming off his rookie deal. Coleman Shelton has started all 17 games three years running. Third-round pick Keagen Trost adds real depth.
13. New York Giants
John Harbaugh has a track record of prioritizing offensive lines in Baltimore, so his arrival in New York was good news here. The team selected Miami’s Francis Mauigoa 10th overall to start at right guard. He joins left tackle Andrew Thomas, who has flashed Pro Bowl-caliber ability but has averaged fewer than 10 games per season the last three years. Jermaine Eluemunor earned his extension after two solid seasons at right tackle. Jon Runyan brings experience at left guard in the final year of his contract, and John Michael Schmitz is back at center, though competition from free agent Lucas Patrick is possible.
14. New Orleans Saints
Few teams have poured more draft resources into this position: three first-rounders (Cesar Ruiz, Taliese Fuaga, Kelvin Banks) and second-rounder Erik McCoy since 2019. This offseason added former Bills guard David Edwards on a massive four-year deal. All five linemen are under contract through at least 2027. The key questions: can center McCoy get healthy and recapture his Pro Bowl form, and can rookie Banks build on a solid debut?
15. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings return four of five starters, but health is the big variable. Their line allowed 60 sacks last year, in large part because left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a former first-rounder, has been so unreliable due to injuries. Will Fries played all 17 games after signing a five-year deal, and 2025 first-rounder Donovan Jackson looks like a solid piece at left guard. Right tackle Brian O’Neill enters his walk year, and center is a competition between Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens with Ryan Kelly retired.
16. Detroit Lions
Detroit’s identity has been built on this line, but major changes are coming. Taylor Decker’s departure means All-Pro Penei Sewell moves to the left side, and 17th overall pick Blake Miller will need to fill his shoes at right tackle. Cade Mays (three-year, $25 million deal) takes over at center from Graham Glasgow. Tate Ratledge is promising at right guard in year two, and left guard is a competition with Christian Mahogany facing challenges from Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier despite starting 11 games last season.
20. Seattle Seahawks
Every starter was drafted by this team since 2022 — that’s a real organizational accomplishment. And the investment is paying off. Grey Zabel and Jalen Sundell were new starters last season and helped spark a big improvement. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas have developed well at tackle; Lucas finally stayed healthy, starting every game after missing most of the prior two years. Anthony Bradford has settled in at right guard, also starting all 17 games.
21. Green Bay Packers
Moving on from Rasheed Walker and Elgton Jenkins carries real risk, but the Packers saw it coming and planned accordingly. Their pipeline keeps producing: 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan moves to left tackle, 2025 second-rounder Anthony Belton steps in at right guard, and center Sean Rhyan and right tackle Zach Tom are also homegrown from 2022. Left guard Aaron Banks took some lumps in his first season after signing a lucrative four-year deal, but there’s no reason he can’t improve.
22. Carolina Panthers
The left tackle situation is the big question. Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from a torn patellar tendon and could miss much of 2026; former Packer Rasheed Walker and first-round pick Monroe Freeling are the contingencies. Luke Fortner (one-year deal) is likely the starting center, with fifth-round rookie Sam Hecht in the mix. Otherwise, Damien Lewis, Robert Hunt and Taylor Moton are back, though Hunt played just two games last year with a biceps injury, and 32-year-old Moton enters his 10th year with the franchise, with Freeling waiting in the wings.
24. Dallas Cowboys
Three first-round picks, but results have been mixed. Left tackle Tyler Guyton needs a bounce-back in year three after missing time to injury; there have even been whispers that rookie fourth-rounder Drew Shelton could challenge him. More optimism surrounds 2025 first-rounder Tyler Booker at right guard. Left guard Tyler Smith has made three straight Pro Bowls and is the clear anchor, signed to a contract worth nearly $100 million. Terence Steele has started every game the last three seasons at right tackle, and Cooper Beebe has been a fine homegrown piece at center despite missing time last year.
25. Washington Commanders
Last year’s big moves – a five-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Laremy Tunsil and first-round pick Josh Conerly – gave this line some credibility. Conerly is still a work in progress at right tackle. Sam Cosmi returns after playing only nine games due to a knee injury, and Chris Paul is getting his feet wet as a regular starter at left guard. Nick Allegretti takes over at center after Washington moved on from Tyler Biadasz.
31. Arizona Cardinals
The rebuild in Arizona includes the offensive line, with three new starters on tap for 2026. The anchor of the line is former first-round left tackle Paris Johnson, but he’s been hindered by knee issues in back-to-back seasons. Former Steelers Pro Bowl guard Isaac Seumalo got a big three-year deal in free agency, and Elijah Wilkinson returns to Arizona after starting 17 games for the Falcons last season. Center Hjalte Froholdt has been Mr. Reliable, starting all 17 games in three years running. He’s a role model for second-round rookie guard Chase Bisontis to follow.
NEXT: AFC.
--Seth Trachtman
