• Eagles hold on to the top spot from end-of-season rankings: While the team lost one starter, 2022 draft pick Cam Jurgens is set to fill in.
• Browns, Chiefs round out the top three: Cleveland moves up four spots from the end-of-season rankings, while Kansas City jumps one place.
• A healthy Cowboys line comes in at No. 6: Injuries decimated the unit in 2022, but it's a talented group on paper.
Estimated Reading Time: 19 mins
Few things are more important to a team’s success than the quality of its offensive line. With five starting spots up for grabs, it also forms the focus of a lot of offseason maneuvering and additions for teams between trades, free agency and the draft.
The projected starters are as things currently stand and do not reflect a few inevitable changes that will take place with position battles in training camp and preseason. They are a best guess in certain situations and at times look past the coach speak that is taking place around OTAs.
Green text = New Starter
1. Philadelphia Eagles (No Change from Final 2022 Rankings)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Jordan Mailata
LG Landon Dickerson
C Jason Kelce
RG Cam Jurgens
RT Lane Johnson
- The Eagles remain the best offensive line in the game on paper. They lost a starter in the offseason, but 2022 draft pick Cam Jurgens is ready to step in to fill that void.
- The biggest flaw with this line in 2022 was penalties. With 44 as a unit, the Eagles were tied for the most penalized line in the NFL.
Best Player: Lane Johnson
- Lane Johnson is the standard by which all right tackles are measured, particularly as Tristan Wirfs is moving to the left side in Tampa Bay. The last time he allowed a sack was the 2020 season.
2. Cleveland Browns (Up 4)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
LG Joel Bitonio
C Ethan Pocic
RG Wyatt Teller
RT Jack Conklin
- Cleveland’s line underperformed last season, but the pieces are there for this to be as good as any unit in the game.
- Center Ethan Pocic had a career year in the middle for the Browns in 2022, and they retained his services in the offseason. He allowed just 10 pressures all season.
Best Player: Joel Bitonio
- Joel Bitonio finished the season named as a PFF All-Pro at left guard. He allowed one sack all season and earned an 84.5 PFF run-blocking grade.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (Up 1)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Donovan Smith
LG Joe Thuney
C Creed Humphrey
RG Trey Smith
RT Jawaan Taylor
- For the second time in a few years, the Chiefs have overhauled both tackle spots in an offseason. Donovan Smith allows them to keep career right tackle Jawaan Taylor on the right side.
- Smith allowed six sacks in 2022 in his worst season in the NFL, but he will only be 30 this season and could easily bounce back to a solid baseline.
Best Player: Creed Humphrey
- Creed Humphrey didn’t give up a sack all season and earned a 79.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. He is a dominant force.
4. Baltimore Ravens (Down 2)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Ronnie Stanley
LG Ben Cleveland
C Tyler Linderbaum
RG Kevin Zeitler
RT Morgan Moses
- Ben Cleveland will look to replace Ben Powers, who had a career year at left guard before leaving in free agency. Cleveland has played fewer than 500 career snaps and posted generally average PFF grades.
- With just 24 penalties in 2022, this was the least penalized offensive line in football during the regular season.
Best Player: Ronnie Stanley
- Ronnie Stanley earned an 82.2 PFF pass-blocking grade after returning from a long injury layoff last season. He is an elite pass blocker at left tackle.
5. Detroit Lions (Up 3)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Taylor Decker
LG Jonah Jackson
C Frank Ragnow
RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai
RT Penei Sewell
- Detroit’s interior was a revolving door last season, with several problems along the way. The return from injury of Halapoulivaati Vaitai at guard could be huge, both literally and figuratively.
- Detroit’s offensive line never ranked outside the top 10 in the rankings last season and should be notably better with a healthy interior.
Best Player: Frank Ragnow
- Penei Sewell continued to look excellent, but Ragnow at his best is as good as any center in football. He allowed one sack all last season.
6. Dallas Cowboys (Up 6)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Tyron Smith
LG Tyler Smith
C Tyler Biadasz
RG Zack Martin
RT Terence Steele
- Dallas gets multiple players back from injury, even if the specter of getting hurt is never far from Tyron Smith at this point in his career.
- The Dallas line began last season at this No. 6 spot before injury caused it to slip, but the talent belongs this high.
Best Player: Zack Martin
- Zack Martin was arguably the best guard in the NFL while Quenton Nelson was at his best, but now it’s not even an argument. He’s a dominant player at the position.
7. Atlanta Falcons (Down 2)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Jake Matthews
LG Matthew Bergeron – Rookie
C Drew Dalman
RG Chris Lindstrom
RT Kaleb McGary
- Atlanta’s offensive line benefits hugely from the most run-heavy offense in football, but since that’s not going anywhere, they belong at the sharp end of the rankings.
- Rookie Matthew Bergeron has the chance to upgrade the biggest problem spot on the line last season. None of the three players who played significant snaps at left guard had a PFF grade above 75.2.
Best Player: Chris Lindstrom
- Guard Chris Lindstrom was the best-graded run blocker in the NFL this season at any position. He allowed just nine pressures and finished with a 93.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
8. Green Bay Packers (Down 5)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT David Bakhtiari
LG Elgton Jenkins
C Josh Myers
RG Jon Runyan
RT Zach Tom
- The great unknown about this offensive line is just how much it benefited from Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback. Though Rodgers typically holds the ball, he also manipulates the pocket as well as any passer in football. Jordan Love is unlikely to match that trait.
- Zach Tom posted outstanding PFF grades at left tackle but will now be asked to play on the right side, where just 84 of his snaps came in 2022.
Best Player: David Bakhtiari
- Injury and then an appendectomy limited him to just 597 snaps, but David Bakhtiari didn’t allow a sack or a hit all season and surrendered only 10 hurries across 339 pass-blocking snaps. His knee is potentially now a chronic concern, but he is still an elite pass protector.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (Up 8)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Rashawn Slater
LG Jamaree Salyer – Played LT in 2022
C Corey Linsley
RG Zion Johnson
RT Trey Pipkins
- Jamaree Salyer’s impressive play at left tackle last season filling in for an injured Rashawn Slater has earned him a starting spot at guard. Salyer posted a 76.4 PFF pass-blocking grade as a rookie and had just three penalties.
Best Player: Rashawn Slater
- Slater played only 175 snaps before going down injured last season, but even in that short time he showed he had picked up where he left off as a rookie. He allowed three total pressures across 113 pass-blocking snaps and is one of the best left tackles in the game.
10. Indianapolis Colts (Up 8)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Bernhard Raimann
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
RG Will Fries
RT Braden Smith
- The Colts' line was a mess last season but should have been much better. This ranking assumes a significant bounce back to their previous baseline of play.
- Quenton Nelson, one the best lineman in all of football, allowed four sacks in his first four years in the league before letting up five in 2022, his worst year as a pro.
Best Player: Quenton Nelson
- Theoretically, Quenton Nelson is still the best lineman in this group, but he is now under pressure to reverse a steep decline in his play. After three elite seasons to start his career, he has had back-to-back seasons with a PFF grade below 70.0 overall.
11. Denver Broncos (Up 10)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Garett Bolles
LG Ben Powers
C Lloyd Cushenberry III
RG Quinn Meinerz
RT Mike McGlinchey
- The hiring of Sean Payton this offseason came with a clear focus on improving an offensive line that was never quite as bad as it looked in 2022.
- Denver’s line ranked 20th on the season in PFF pass-blocking efficiency, but Russell Wilson was the second-worst quarterback in the league at converting pressure into sacks, warping the view of the line’s performance.
Best Player: Garett Bolles
- Garett Bolles played in just five games last season, but he has earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 70.0 in every year of his career and been an excellent run-blocker.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (Up 4)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Broderick Jones – Rookie
LG Isaac Seumalo
C Mason Cole
RG James Daniels
RT Chukwuma Okorafor
- Pittsburgh started the same five linemen in every game last season but changed two of the starters this offseason with the additions of Isaac Seumalo in free agency and Broderick Jones in the draft.
- Pittsburgh’s line ranked seventh in PFF pass-blocking efficiency but was significantly worse as a run-blocking unit.
Best Player: James Daniels
- There is no clear-cut standout from this group, but the best player probably comes down to either guard — incumbent James Daniels or new acquisition Seumalo.
13. New England Patriots (Down 2)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Trent Brown
LG Cole Strange
C David Andrews
RG Michael Onwenu
RT Riley Reiff
- Cole Strange was inconsistent as a rookie but was thrown into the deep end against some elite competition. He had eight games with a PFF pass-blocking grade of at least 80.0, but also four of 40.1 or worse.
- Four different players played at least 150 snaps at right tackle last season. The Patriots hope the addition of Riley Reiff will solve that.
Best Player: Michael Onwenu
- While Michael Onwenu did not finish the year strongly, he was outstanding for the first two-thirds of the season and still earned an 83.1 PFF pass-blocking grade on the year.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Down 5)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Tristan Wirfs – Played RT in 2022
LG Matt Feiler
C Ryan Jensen
RG Cody Mauch – Rookie
RT Luke Goedeke
- The Bucs are taking a gamble that arguably the best right tackle in football will transfer that play to the left side, where he played in college. Wirfs is early enough into his career that he should be fine, but it’s certainly a risk.
- Tampa Bay’s line will now have to ply its trade without Tom Brady and the fastest average time to throw in the NFL making life easier.
Best Player: Tristan Wirfs
- Tristan Wirfs allowed just five total pressures all season and has three straight years of elite play at right tackle.
15. Minnesota Vikings (Down 2)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Christian Darrisaw
LG Ezra Cleveland
C Garrett Bradbury
RG Ed Ingram
RT Brian O’Neill
- The Vikings aren’t projected to change any of their five starters, but therein lies the problem. Ed Ingram at right guard and Garrett Bradbury at center are players who could be considered weak links and in need of an upgrade. Ingram at least has the upside of a Year 2 jump.
- Bradbury had his best season in the new system in 2022 but still earned just a 63.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and allowed 29 pressures — a lot for a center.
Best Player: Christian Darrisaw
- It was a breakout season for left tackle Christian Darrisaw. He allowed 20 pressures all season and will hopefully avoid the rapid-succession concussions he suffered this year.
16. Carolina Panthers (Down 1)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Ikem Ekwonu
LG Brady Christensen
C Bradley Bozeman
RG Austin Corbett
RT Taylor Moton
- Carolina is another team banking on internal development and stability paying dividends. The unit climbed from 31st in the rankings to the fringes of the top 10 last season.
- Brady Christensen will be on the hot seat after earning a 57.3 PFF grade last year, but rookie Chandler Zavala is now there to provide competition.
Best Player: Taylor Moton
- Taylor Moton allowed just 21 pressures in 17 games and remains one of the best pass-protecting right tackles in football.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (Up 11)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Orlando Brown Jr.
LG Cordell Volson
C Ted Karras
RG Alex Cappa
RT Jonah Williams – Played LT in 2022
- Orlando Brown Jr. has the potential to propel this offensive line forward after the team already did some nice work to improve the unit last offseason. He has an overall PFF grade of at least 68.6 in every season of his career.
- Jonah Williams had a rough year at left tackle but can rebuild his reputation in a contract year on the right side.
Best Player: Orlando Brown Jr.
- Orlando Brown Jr. has earned at least a 74.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in every season of his career, spanning multiple offenses and positions.
18. San Francisco 49ers (Down 11)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Trent Williams
LG Aaron Banks
C Jake Brendel
RG Spencer Burford
RT Colton McKivitz
- If it wasn’t for Trent Williams, this line would be a concerning group on paper. It still may need to lean on Kyle Shanahan’s offense to put some gloss on its performances.
- San Francisco’s line ranked fifth in PFF pass-blocking efficiency over the 2022 campaign. However, they lost their starting right tackle in the offseason, a player who rotated in at guard all season, and they will likely have a competition at center.
Best Player: Trent Williams
- Trent Williams finished as the best-graded tackle in the NFL for the third straight season. He is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best players in the game.
19. Las Vegas Raiders (Down 9)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Kolton Miller
LG Dylan Parham
C Andre James
RG Alex Bars
RT Jermaine Eluemunor
- The interior trio of the Raiders' line last season had an average PFF grade of 56.7, but the team is returning all three.
- This group overachieved last season, but it’s tough to see it projecting far above average on paper.
Best Player: Kolton Miller
- Kolton Miller finished 2022 with an 84.1 overall PFF grade of 84.1 last season. He has become an excellent starter and one of the few success stories of the previous regime.
20. Miami Dolphins (Up 2)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Terron Armstead
LG Liam Eichenberg
C Connor Williams
RG Robert Hunt
RT Austin Jackson
- Miami’s line improved last season, but they haven’t attacked the weaknesses as much as they could have this offseason. Adding Isaiah Wynn does provide an upgrade in Terron Armstead insurance, however.
- Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg are significant weak links on paper, with Eichenberg earning a 39.8 overall PFF grade last season.
Best Player: Terron Armstead
- When on the field, Armstead is one of the best in football, but he played in 14 games last season and missed time in others. At this point, his baseline is around 75% availability.
21. Chicago Bears (Down 7)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Braxton Jones
LG Teven Jenkins – Played RG in 2022
C Cody Whitehair – Played LG in 2022
RG Nate Davis
RT Darnell Wright – Rookie
- Between personnel additions and shuffling positions, Chicago will be making changes to four-fifths of its starting lineup.
- Braxton Jones showed enough as a rookie to earn a chance to develop at left tackle. He posted a PFF grade of at least 70.5 in each facet of play.
Best Player: Cody Whitehair
- It’s not immediately clear who the best lineman in Chicago is, but if Cody Whitehair returns to his best play at center, he could be that guy. Whitehair’s best NFL seasons came at that position, including a stellar rookie campaign.
22. Buffalo Bills (Up 1)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Dion Dawkins
LG Connor McGovern
C Mitch Morse
RG Ryan Bates
RT Spencer Brown
- Buffalo made some additions to this unit but maintained its approach of relatively modest investments and striving for an overall average set of results.
- Rookie O’Cyrus Torrence isn’t currently slated to start but could push to take over at guard without too much trouble in Year 1.
Best Player: Dion Dawkins
- Left tackle Dion Dawkins was comfortably the best player on this line in 2022. He allowed 30 total pressures, including three sacks.
23. New York Jets (Up 8)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Duane Brown
LG Laken Tomlinson
C Joe Tippmann
RG Alijah Vera-Tucker
RT Mekhi Becton – Missed all of 2022 injured
- The tackles are the biggest concern for the Jets. Duane Brown is now almost 38 and visibly declining, while Mekhi Becton has played fewer than 800 snaps in three years.
- Aaron Rodgers‘ arrival could immeasurably help the overall performance of the line. He is as good at manipulating a pocket as any quarterback in the game.
Best Player: Alijah Vera-Tucker
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, unfortunately, played in just seven games last season, but he has shown elite play inside at guard. He allowed only one sack across 276 pass-blocking snaps.
24. New Orleans Saints (Up 5)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Trevor Penning
LG Andrus Peat
C Erik McCoy
RG Cesar Ruiz
RT Ryan Ramczyk
- Rookie Trevor Penning got his first start at left tackle in the final game of his rookie year; now he needs to step in and be an upgrade over the solid James Hurst in his second season.
- The Saints will be another line operating with a very different quarterback situation as Derek Carr comes in to offer his influence under center.
Best Player: Ryan Ramczyk
- It wasn’t his best season, but Ryan Ramczyk was still the class of this line in 2022. He allowed three sacks and 20 total pressures over the year and was by far the team's best run blocker.
25. Houston Texans (Up 1)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Kenyon Green
C Juice Scruggs – Rookie
RG Shaq Mason
RT Tytus Howard
- Adding Shaq Mason, even though he was coming off a relatively poor year, was a shrewd piece of business by the Texans this offseason.
- Houston finished as the worst team in the league at generating yards before contact in the run game, averaging just 0.8 yards all year, and Mason is one of the best run blockers in football.
Best Player: Laremy Tunsil
- Left tackle Laremy Tunsil was as good as any pass blocker last season at any position. He finished with the best PFF pass-blocking grade (91.7) of any lineman and allowed 17 pressures in 17 games.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (Down 7)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Cam Robinson
LG Ben Bartch
C Luke Fortner
RG Brandon Scherff
RT Anton Harrison – Rookie
- Losing Jawaan Taylor almost certainly downgrades this group even though the team added Anton Harrison in the draft. Taylor was the best-graded pass protector of the group last year, allowing 21 pressures in 19 games.
- Jacksonville’s line ranked ninth in PFF pass-blocking efficiency but was by far the worst-graded run-blocking unit in football.
Best Player: Cam Robinson
- With no Jawaan Taylor, Cam Robinson is clearly the best lineman on this unit unless Brandon Scherff gets back toward his best play. Robinson allowed 27 pressures in 14 games last season at left tackle.
27. Washington Commanders (Down 7)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Charles Leno Jr.
LG Nick Gates
C Ricky Stromberg – Rookie
RG Samuel Cosmi – Played RT in 2022
RT Andrew Wylie
- Another line with significant turnover, Washington is likely changing four starters between new acquisitions and position switches.
- Last season’s group had very little in the way of continuity, but so much change doesn’t help the adjustment of quarterback Sam Howell as he comes in to try and win a starting job long term.
Best Player: Charles Leno Jr.
- Charles Leno Jr. epitomizes “solid starter” in the NFL, but that means he will lose more often than many like to see. He surrendered eight sacks in 2022 but allowed just 37 pressures overall on 669 pass-blocking snaps.
28. Los Angeles Rams (Down 3)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Joseph Noteboom
LG Steve Avila – Rookie
C Brian Allen
RG Coleman Shelton – Played mostly C in 2022
RT Rob Havenstein
- Joseph Noteboom is under pressure to prove he can be a high-end starter at left tackle after injury robbed him of most of last season. Noteboom allowed five sacks in six games, but three of them came in the opener against Buffalo and the other two against Nick Bosa.
- The Rams' line completely fell apart in 2022. Ten different linemen surrendered sacks, but the unit did slowly pull itself together late in the year.
Best Player: Rob Havenstein
- The only member of the line to play more than 750 snaps, Rob Havenstein was the best player remaining from a previously good group. He allowed six sacks and garnered eight penalties at right tackle.
29. New York Giants (Up 1)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Andrew Thomas
LG Joshua Ezeudu – started two games at LG in 2022
C John Michael Schmitz
RG Mark Glowinski
RT Evan Neal
- Evan Neal was poor as a rookie but was playing right tackle after manning the left side in his final year at Alabama. Year 2 removes that as a potential excuse, and now he needs a massive improvement.
- Only the Chargers and Vikings surrendered more total pressures than the Giants did last season, but solid play from rookie center John Michael-Schmitz and Evan Neal in Year 2 would catapult them up the rankings.
Best Player: Andrew Thomas
- Left tackle Andrew Thomas upped his game again in 2022 to All-Pro levels. He earned a 90.3 overall PFF grade and allowed 23 pressures in 18 games.
30. Seattle Seahawks (Down 3)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Charles Cross
LG Damien Lewis
C Evan Brown
RG Phil Haynes – Rotated off the bench at RG in 2022
RT Abraham Lucas
- Seattle’s line largely rests on the development of its young tackles, Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. While both played well early, each fell off substantially as their rookie seasons wore on.
- If those tackles play well, this ranking is too low. But if they don’t improve, this is a group that could struggle badly given its interior personnel.
Best Player: Damien Lewis
- Damien Lewis allowed 19 pressures last season and earned the best PFF run-blocking grade of the group (66.7).
31. Arizona Cardinals (Down 7)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT D.J. Humphries
LG Paris Johnson Jr. – Rookie
C Hjalte Froholdt
RG Will Hernandez
RT Kelvin Beachum
- The Cardinals seem to have an entire offensive line built from left tackles, with rookie Paris Johnson Jr. likely shoehorned in at guard and Josh Jones back to riding the bench after a breakout year in 2022.
- With 44 penalties as a unit, the Cardinals finished last season tied as the most penalized offensive line in the NFL.
Best Player: D.J. Humphries
- Unfortunately for Josh Jones and Paris Johnson Jr., the best player on this line is still D.J. Humphries. He didn’t surrender a sack in eight games last season, pass protecting for almost 400 snaps.
32. Tennessee Titans (No Change)
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Andre Dillard
LG Peter Skoronski – Rookie
C Aaron Brewer – Played over 900 snaps at LG in 2022
RG Daniel Brunskill
RT Nicholas Petit-Frere
- The Titans' line was a disaster in 2022, and while they overhauled it in the offseason, it isn’t enough to crawl out of the cellar of these rankings.
- Andre Dillard got substantial money in free agency but has just 736 snaps of average-at-best play in the NFL after losing his job to Jordan Mailata in Philadelphia.
Best Player: Peter Skoronski
- Projecting a rookie to play well from Day 1 is a stretch, but Peter Skoronski could very plausibly already be the best player on this line. He allowed just six pressures last season at left tackle and recorded an elite 93.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. Playing inside at guard should mitigate any issues he has with short arms.
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