Thorn: 2026 Midseason OL Rankings

Elite Units | Above-Average Units | Solid Units | Below-Average Units

Tier 1 — Elite Profiles

1. Broncos (Zach Strief)

LT Garett Bolles
LG Ben Powers
C Luke Wattenberg
RG Quinn Meinerz
RT Mike McGlinchey

Unit Profile: The league’s cleanest five-man unit with elite LT/RG anchors, quality play at the remaining three spots, and an offensive structure that continues to maximize the entire group.

Notes: Denver has done nothing through the first half of the season to warrant moving off the top spot. Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz remain the pillars, with Bolles providing high-end one-on-one pass protection on the edge and Meinerz serving as one of the league’s most physically dominant guards. Luke Wattenberg has maintained the solid baseline he established last season, while Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey remain sturdy, assignment-sound veterans whose limitations are well insulated by the structure around them. The Broncos have also avoided the major injury or personnel disruption that has reshaped several of the other preseason top units. There is no obvious matchup to consistently hunt across this starting five, while the combination of talent, continuity, and schematic insulation gives Denver the league’s highest weekly floor.

2. Buccaneers (Kevin Carberry)

LT Tristan Wirfs
LG Ben Bredeson
C Graham Barton
RG Cody Mauch
RT Luke Goedeke

Unit Profile: Elite tackle-driven unit with a strong five-man baseline, improved center play, and enough individual quality to survive the injuries that have created some volatility during the first half.

Notes: Tampa Bay entered the season third and has remained around the top of the rankings throughout the year despite some injury-related turbulence, including Luke Goedeke dealing with a calf injury in October. Tristan Wirfs remains the clear-cut catalyst and one of the few tackles in football capable of consistently holding up one-on-one against elite rushers, while Goedeke gives the unit a quality bookend when healthy. Inside, Graham Barton’s combination of movement skills, body control, and run-game impact has continued to give the center spot upside, while Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson provide functional-to-good play without creating an obvious spot for defenses to consistently attack. The line dropped temporarily when injuries compromised the starting five but has climbed back to No. 2 entering Week 10 because the core personnel remains intact, and there is no meaningful weak link when everyone is available. This has developed into one of the league’s most complete units, with Wirfs providing elite-level insulation on the left side.