We are back with our offensive line rankings through 10 weeks of the regular season. Let’s break down how each fared this past week and how altered their ranking.
[Editor's Note: Now that we are through Week 10 of the 2018 regular season, we've adjusted the rankings to factor in ALL snaps played along each team's offensive line so far this season. Therefore, the rankings below reflect how every offensive lineman on each team has contributed in Weeks 1-10.]
1.
Week 9 Rank: 1st
The Steelers showed the world on Thursday Night Football once again that they’re the best offensive line in the NFL. On 30 pass-blocking snaps, they allowed a grand total of three pressures. That kind of dominance in pass protection has become commonplace for the black and yellow.
2.
Week 9 Rank: 5th
The second-most impressive offensive line in pass protection this season, Green Bay showed well against the Dolphins in a much-needed win. Surprisingly, stud left tackle David Bakhtiari was the only player to give up more than one pressure on 36 dropbacks snaps Sunday, and even he only allowed two. They also paved the way for Aaron Jones, who had 102 yards before contact on 15 carries.
3.
Week 9 Rank: 4th
Tennessee’s offensive resurgence of late has not so coincidentally coincided with dominant play from their offensive line. Left tackle Taylor Lewan was the second-highest graded offensive lineman from Week 10, and Ben Jones was the highest-graded center. The line as a whole only yielded four pressures against the Pats.
4.
Week 9 Rank: 6th
Opposing defenses still haven’t sacked Andrew Luck since their Week 5 loss to New England. Since then, the offensive line has given up all of 23 pressures on 128 Luck dropbacks – including only five pressures on 30 passes this past week against a talented Jaguars front. That’s absurd. After early season injuries shuffled the line about, it’s clear they’re one of the best in the NFL when healthy.
5.
Week 9 Rank: 2nd
It wasn’t a banner day for the Rams' offensive line against the Seahawks. After a lights-out start to his season, right guard Austin Blythe has come back down to earth a bit over the past few weeks. He’s allowed almost as many pressures in the last three games (7) as he did in his first seven (8).
6.
Week 9 Rank: 14th
Facing one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, the Cowboys weren’t supposed to dominate the way they did this past weekend. They were one of the highest-graded run-blocking units in the league in Week 10, and Tyron Smith led all players in pass blocking grade.
7.
Week 9 Rank: 7th
A week after the Falcons manhandled a beat up Redskins line, they came to Cleveland and got shut out. The line allowed all of eight hurries to go with no sacks or hits on 25 dropbacks. It was encouraging to see Baker Mayfield perform at an elite level with all that time afforded.
8.
Week 9 Rank: 3rd
This offensive line is one of the best in the NFL when healthy, but when Trent Brown was forced to leave against the Titans Sunday due to injury, things fell apart. Backup LaAdrian Waddle has been the seventh-lowest graded tackle in pass protection this season and was once again a liability Sunday.
9.
Week 9 Rank: 8th
The Eagles ranking will continue to slip with the more time that right tackle Lane Johnson misses. His backup, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, has already allowed four sacks in 154 pass-blocking snaps this season and allowed four more pressures on Sunday.
10.
Week 9 Rank: 11th
The interior of the Saints' offensive line would have looked a lot worse against the Bengals on Sunday if not for Drew Brees' quick release. Andrus Peat and Max Unger were getting continually worked back into the backfield, but Brees’ swift 2.3-second average time to throw neutralized the threat.
11.
Week 9 Rank: 12th
If you’re looking to point fingers for the Falcons' loss to the Browns, don’t point them at the offensive line. They allowed all of four pressures on 58 pass-blocking snaps on Sunday and afforded Matt Ryan more than enough time to work.
12.
Week 9 Rank: 9th
It was a bye week for the Ravens, but they get pushed back due to impressive performances elsewhere. The interesting thing to watch in the coming weeks is how the line will fair if Lamar Jackson really is going to start. The offense will look vastly different and even similar run concepts will be blocked differently because of the quarterback option.
13.
Week 9 Rank: 10th
It was not a great day at the office for Kansas City’s offensive line against Arizona. Eric Fisher looked more like the tackle we saw early in his career, as Chandler Jones worked him all day. He allowed two sacks, a hit and two hurries on 38 dropbacks. On the other side though, Mitchell Schwartz didn’t allow a single pressure.
14.
Week 9 Rank: 16th
A good portion of Nick Mullens‘ success so far is the fact that the offense has kept him away from too much pressure. On 43 pass plays Monday night, the offensive line gave up only five total pressures. Left guard Laken Tomlinson has particularly come on strong of late, with only one hurry allowed in his past three games.
15.
Week 9 Rank: 13th
Rookie left guard James Daniels had been a weak link up front since he took over at the position full time in Week 8. This past week, though, was his best game as a pro, and he earned a 71.6 overall grade.
16.
Week 9 Rank: 15th
The smoke and mirrors job that the Panthers' offensive line had done all season finally reverted to what most expected they’d be on Thursday night. Left tackle Chris Clark allowed three pressures, while left guard Greg Van Roten and center Ryan Kalil each allowed four. The good news is that right tackle Taylor Moton continues to dominate and didn’t allow any.
17.
Week 9 Rank: 17th
In the midst of what has been a career year, left guard Ali Marpet had his worst game of the season against the Redskins over the weekend. He allowed three hits and another hurry, but he wasn’t the only one. Donovan Smith allowed five more pressures to bring his season total to 29.
18.
Week 9 Rank: 18th
Ricky Wagner got Khalil Mack’d this past week, and it wasn’t pretty. He allowed two sacks, a hit and two more hurries despite being one of the top right tackles in the NFL this season. More concerning, though, are rookie first-rounder Frank Ragnow’s continued issues in pass protection, as he allowed four pressures himself.
19.
Week 9 Rank: 21st
It was a bye week for Denver, so poor performances from other teams bump them up to No. 19. Odds are they won’t stay for long though without Matt Paradis for the rest of the year. Paradis was the third-highest graded center in the league through nine weeks, and the offensive line crumbled without him against the Texans.
20.
Week 9 Rank: 19th
The Seahawks' offensive line has looked much better in comparison to years past, in part because of their run-heavy approach. That being said, when they get in obvious passing situations, it can still get ugly. J.R. Sweezy allowed three sacks at left guard this past week while Germain Ifedi yielded six hurries.
21.
Week 9 Rank: 20th
With a week to prepare after injuries decimated them against the Falcons, the Redskins' offensive line looked much better equipped against the Bucs this past week. In fact, right guard Tony Bergstrom was the only player along the line to even give up a pressure (although he gave up four). Putting Ty Nsekhe at left tackle and Jonathan Cooper at left guard begat far better results than Geron Christian at left tackle and Nsekhe at guard.
22.
Week 9 Rank: 22nd
While the interior of the Jaguars' offensive line was once again solid facing the Colts, it’s become more and more clear that left tackle Josh Walker should not be starting in the National Football League. In his five games this season, he’s averaged over six pressures allowed per game and gave up five more this past week.
23.
Week 9 Rank: 24th
There wasn’t too much to complain about offensively in the Bills' beatdown of the Jets Sunday, and that applied to the offensive line, as well. Rookie fifth-rounder Wyatt Teller excused himself well at left guard, allowing only one pressure on 26 dropbacks.
24.
Week 9 Rank: 25th
While the stats may look worse than the actual performance of the Jets' offensive line this week, as we charged two of their three sacks to quarterback Josh McCown, it still wasn’t a banner day at the office. Left guard James Carpenter allowed three hits himself in what was his lowest-graded game of an already ugly season.
25.
Week 9 Rank: 23rd
Sunday was about as bad as it gets, and an all-around team performance for Cincinnati and the offensive line wasn’t exempt. They allowed three sacks and 11 other pressures on only 28 dropbacks. Even the usually solid left side duo of Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling yielded four pressures a piece.
26.
Week 9 Rank: 27th
Since the entire focus this season has been on the ‘bad’ for the Giants' offensive line, let's try to give some credit when it’s deserved. Left tackle Nate Solder played far and away his best game in a Giants uniform Monday night. His 92.6 single-game grade led all offensive linemen in Week 10.
27.
Week 9 Rank: 28th
The Texans have done a great job of protecting their issues at tackle, but it’s almost comedic at this point how inept they are going one-on-one. Martinas Rankin came in for only two pass-blocking snaps against the Broncos as a sixth offensive lineman to try and ‘help’ their pass protection. On one of them, he allowed a sack.
28.
Week 9 Rank: 26th
You know your pass protection is bad when you’re giving up sacks to the Raiders' defensive line. The Raiders hadn’t taken down an opposing quarterback since Week 6, yet they got to Philip Rivers twice this past week (although one was negated by penalty).
29.
Week 9 Rank: 29th
The Vikings had a bye, and if you saw the three teams behind them play this past week, you’d know the Vikings weren’t getting jumped. As incredible as it is to say, rookie right tackle Brian O’Neill might currently be the strongest link on the Vikings O-Line chain. He didn’t allow a single pressure in his last outing against the Lions before the bye.
30.
Week 9 Rank: 30th
Kolton Miller’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year may have hit its low point against the Chargers. He allowed eight pressures on the day, the majority of which coming against fellow rookies. Edge defender Uchenna Nwosu was responsible for seven of those pressures, while late in the game it was safety Derwin James that worked over Miller on their only matchup.
31.
Week 9 Rank: 31st
The already weak Dolphins interior got Kenny Clark’d and Mike Daniels’d this past weekend. Left guard Jake Brendel earned the highest-graded of the three with a measly 59.8 overall. With both their starting tackles out, this line ain’t moving up anytime soon.
32.
Week 9 Rank: 32nd
They’re going to have a tough time digging themselves out of last place this season, especially if they have to resort to backups. Jeremy Vujnovich allowed three sacks filling in at left guard against the Chiefs while both Cardinals tackles allowed six pressures.
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