Last Updated: September 1st at 10:18pm ET.
The primary factors I use to arrive at these rankings are my game-film evaluation of each individual offensive lineman, 2018 performance as a unit, age, experience, continuity, and coaching.
It’s important to note that most teams evaluated are done so with built-in expectations of variance that could bump them up or down a tier depending on how training camp plays out with regard to injuries, position battles, and chemistry.
Editor’s Note: Returning starters are in bold. Offensive line coaches are in parentheses.
First Tier: Elite Offensive Lines
1. EAGLES (Jeff Stoutland)
LT Jason Peters
LG Isaac Seumalo
C Jason Kelce
RG Brandon Brooks
RT Lane Johnson
Notes: The Eagles are loaded up front with 4-of-5 starters returning, including multiple All Pros and high-quality depth pieces to help protect against potential injuries. The questions arise with a new full-time starter at left guard in Seumalo and colossally-sized Brooks coming off an Achilles’ tear suffered in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is the top backup, battle tested and versatile, providing coach Stoutland with flexibility few teams in the NFL can match. Vaitai was cross-trained at right guard all August in anticipation of Brooks missing early-season games. Add in first-round pick Andre Dillard waiting in the wings at left tackle with high-upside project Jordan Mailata, and there is no more talented OL from top to bottom in the league.
2. COWBOYS (Marc Colombo)
LT Tyron Smith
LG Connor Williams
C Travis Frederick
RG Zack Martin
RT La’el Collins
Notes: The Cowboys have more salary cap invested into their line than any other team ($60M+ total, which is $12M+ more than anyone else), and it isn’t for naught as their starting five boasts three players who are at the mountaintop of their positions when healthy (Smith, Frederick, Martin). Frederick missed all of 2018 battling an autoimmune disease but is slated to return at full-go. If he is even 85% of what he was at any other point in his career, Dallas gets a top-five center. If Frederick is closer to 100%, there is no more well-rounded player at the position.
The main question is left guard, where there is a two-man race between Williams and Xavier Su’a-Filo. Williams is likely the safest bet, but Su’a-Filo brings a wealth of experience with 49 career starts.
3. SAINTS (Dan Roushar)
LT Terron Armstead
LG Andrus Peat
C Erik McCoy
RG Larry Warford
RT Ryan Ramczyk
Notes: Rounding out the elite tier is another unit that held the same distinction in 2018 and brings back 4-of-5 starters. It’s a high-upside group with an elite tackle tandem and an average age of just below 26 years old entering Week 1, making this the youngest of my tier-one lines.
My primary questions stem from the injury history of the left side with 17 combined missed games (12 for Armstead) between them over the last two seasons. Following Max Unger’s retirement, the lone new starter is second-round pick McCoy. While center is usually the most difficult position to replace from a mental standpoint (protections, line calls, etc.), that is mitigated in New Orleans because Drew Brees handles those duties himself.
Second Tier: Very Good Offensive Lines
4. STEELERS (Shaun Sarrett)
LT Alejandro Villanueva
LG Ramon Foster
C Maurkice Pouncey
RG David DeCastro
RT Matt Feiler
Notes: The Steelers are returning all five starters, albeit while losing a top-three offensive line coach in Mike Munchak to the Broncos. This presents an interesting dynamic of continuity and a major loss, but this is also a seasoned, veteran front five that will likely carry over its outstanding play for another season or two before the ramifications of losing a legendary coach set in. It should be noted that Sarrett was the understudy of Munchak for five years and shared much of the coaching duties during that time.
Top interior backup B.J. Finney is one of the most valuable depth pieces in the NFL and an excellent insurance policy if one of those three inside guys suffers an injury.
5. COLTS (Chris Strausser)
LT Anthony Castonzo
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
RG Mark Glowinski
RT Braden Smith
Notes: The Colts surprised everyone last year by how quickly they jelled and ascended into upper-tier territory despite being very young – average age of 26 entering Week 1 of 2019 – and inexperienced. Much of the credit should go to the coaching staff for putting each player in the best position to succeed within their scheme, but the catalyst was a generational prospect in Nelson. Nelson’s impact was instantly felt and elevated everyone’s play around him. He’s that special.
Concerns lie with the health and reliability of Kelly, a special talent but often injured with 13 missed games the last two years, and Glowinski, who has only 11 starts over the past two seasons. Smith, while solid in his transition from college guard to NFL tackle, needs to continue developing as a pass blocker to free up the protections from giving him help blocks that were often required in 2018.
The Colts revamped their staff by replacing their primary OL coach with Strausser from Denver, while adding the renowned Howard Mudd as an assistant. They will stress a more physical and aggressive style in pass protection, signaling a perfect fit for the personnel, particularly Smith and his skill set. If they can strike a bill of good health for most of the season, this unit has a strong chance at rising even higher on this list.
6. PATRIOTS (Dante Scarnecchia)
LT Isaiah Wynn
LG Joe Thuney
C Ted Karras
RG Shaq Mason
RT Marcus Cannon
Notes: New England fielded an elite unit in 2018 and brings back 3-of-5 starters, exceptions being LT Trent Brown (Raiders) and C David Andrews, who unfortunately was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs late in training camp and will miss the entire year. Under mastermind Scarnecchia, I maintain confidence the Patriots will compensate for these losses with 2018 first-round pick Wynn and 2016 draft pick Karras, who has made five starts while operating as New England’s swingman on the interior for the past three seasons.
Wynn was drafted 23rd overall two Aprils ago to become New England’s blindside protector of the future and shined in this year’s preseason. He is young enough (22) and far enough removed from last August’s Achilles’ tear to expect a near-full 2019 recovery. We shouldn’t forget that Wynn was a dominant technician in the SEC and may have been a top-ten draft pick if not for arm-length and height concerns that typically prove unwarranted so long as a lineman can simply get guys blocked.
Third Tier: Solid Offensive Lines
7. PACKERS (Adam Stenavich)
LT David Bakhtiari
LG Lane Taylor
C Corey Linsley
RG Billy Turner
RT Bryan Bulaga
Notes: The Packers revamped their offensive line depth chart, adding versatile players via free agency (Turner) and the draft (Elgton Jenkins). To go along with a strong top three of All-Pro Bakhtiari, Linsley, and Bulaga, there is an intense training camp battle brewing for the two guard spots between Taylor, Turner, Jenkins, and 2018 fifth-round pick Cole Madison, who is essentially a rookie after missing the entire 2018 season due to a personal issue.
My money is on Taylor and Turner initially winning those spots, but Jenkins is pro ready with more upside than all of them and will be increasingly difficult to keep sidelined as the year progresses. The straw that could break the camel’s back is if Bulaga suffers another injury; he has played 16 games in just 2-of-8 NFL seasons. While Turner or Jenkins can slide out to right tackle, their best fits are inside, and the Packers were forced to cut 2016 second-round bust Jason Spriggs.
8. BEARS (Harry Hiestand)
LT Charles Leno Jr.
LG Cody Whitehair
C James Daniels
RG Kyle Long
RT Bobby Massie
Notes: Chicago boasts an upper-echelon top four from left tackle to right guard, with Massie being the weak link but serviceable nonetheless. Leno and Whitehair remain two of the more underrated players at their positions and have been on an upward trajectory. Coach Hiestand is ushering in a position switch between Whitehair and Daniels, which shouldn’t negatively impact the former’s play (due to Whitehair’s versatility), yet could really unlock the latter’s rare ability and bolster Daniels into one of the league’s top centers.
The key for this unit reaching its ceiling begins with Long’s ability to stay on the field. Long is coming off a three-year stretch of missing 23 games and took a pay cut to remain with the team, so it may be now or never if we are to see him reclaim his previous status as one of the league’s top guards. Having Ted Larsen and his 86 career starts as the primary interior backup should help keep the unit afloat if Long can’t stay healthy.
9. PANTHERS (John Matsko)
LT Daryl Williams
LG Greg Van Roten
C Matt Paradis
RG Trai Turner
RT Taylor Moton
Notes: Carolina upgraded 2-of-5 positions with Williams returning from his 2018 knee injury and ex-Broncos stud Paradis signed to anchor the unit. Second-round pick Greg Little didn’t earn a starting job in camp but provides talented upside in case of another Williams injury. Either would represent an instant upgrade on last year’s predominant left-tackle starter Chris Clark, particularly in pass protection. Matsko’s name doesn’t generate much buzz in mainstream media, but his last nine years in Carolina have churned out consistently high-performing lines, and this year has a chance to rival their 2015 Super Bowl unit in performance.
10. BRONCOS (Mike Munchak)
LT Garret Bolles
LG Dalton Risner
C Connor McGovern
RG Ronald Leary
RT Ja’Wuan James
Notes: Despite seeing success on the ground last season after patchworking together a group of starters due to multiple key injuries (Leary, Matt Paradis), the Broncos’ line has largely been an underachieving unit with glaring holes at multiple spots since the 2014 season. This offseason required the front office to figure out a viable long-term strategy to set the unit up for sustained success, accomplished by hiring stud position coach Munchak away from Pittsburgh. You can count on one finger an offensive line coach (Dante Scarnecchia) as valuable to the fostering of cohesiveness and talent development over the last half dozen or more years than ‘Munch.’ It can be difficult to quantify exactly how impactful an O-Line coach is to on-field play, but in Munchak’s case it’s palpable.
With the signing of James at right tackle, Leary’s return on the same side, and drafting Risner in the second round to man left guard, the Broncos upgraded the unit more in one offseason than the last five combined. The last question to be answered is, can inconsistent Bolles develop into a reliable starter over the course of a full season? If it can’t be done under Munchak, we probably shouldn’t expect it to happen.
11. FALCONS (Chris Morgan)
LT Jake Matthews
LG James Carpenter
C Alex Mack
RG Chris Lindstrom
RT Ty Sambrailo
Notes: Atlanta, finally, invested heavily into its offensive line this offseason, using first-round picks at right guard and right tackle and spending free agent bucks on mauling left guard Carpenter. Drafting Lindstrom out of Boston College at No. 14 overall was seen by many as a bold move, but he is an absolute technician with a high floor and ceiling, particularly in Morgan’s zone-blocking scheme. Fellow first-rounder Kaleb McGary is a physical tone setter who will make his mark as a run blocker early on, although McGary likely won’t be ready for Week 1 after undergoing a late-July procedure on his heart. He is still expected back sometime in September. Fill-in Sambrailo shined in three spot starts at right tackle down last year’s stretch.
Carpenter and Jamon Brown will battle at left guard. The former is better and more experienced, and Brown has mostly played right guard in the pros. With Brown likely serving as the primary interior backup and McGary due back sooner rather than later, there is adequate depth in place on top of this being the most talented Falcons starting five in recent memory.
12. RAVENS (Joe D’Alessandris)
LT Ronnie Stanley
LG Ben Powers
C Matt Skura
RG Marshal Yanda
RT Orlando Brown Jr.
Notes: There is a strong case to be made for the Ravens having the most promising young tackle tandem in the league. Stanley had the best year of his career in 2018 and is extremely well rounded, while Brown is an enormous obstacle for rushers to get around plus highly skilled as a pass protector. The interior has more questions than answers at this point, the exception being Yanda, who is still playing at a very high level and well on his way to a gold jacket.
A big reason to expect success from this unit is their scheme friendliness with Greg Roman at the helm. Roman was named offensive coordinator this offseason, but he served as the Ravens’ run-game coordinator for the previous two years and has seen success everywhere he’s been dating back to 2011 with the 49ers. Roman masterfully designs his ground game around a diversified blend of concepts (pin-pull, counter variations, traps, whams, power, etc.) aimed at achieving superior angles and leverage points for blockers.
13. RAMS (Aaron Kromer)
LT Andrew Whitworth
LG Joseph Noteboom
C Brian Allen
RG Austin Blythe
RT Rob Havenstein
Notes: This is the unit I expect to see the biggest drop in performance from last season, even if that only means going from an elite-to-good group. Losing two veteran starters (LG Rodger Safford and C John Sullivan) with 236 combined NFL starts and replacing them with two players (Noteboom or rookie Bobby Evans at LG and Allen at C) that have zero combined pro starts increases risk.
The silver lining is three-fold; the Rams ranked first in the NFL in stacked-box rate for 2018, meaning the lowest percentage of eight-plus defenders in the box – Sean McVay knows what he’s doing – Kromer consistently gets the best out of his players, and only a handful of teams have the caliber of bookends on the level of Whitworth and Havenstein. Blythe was solid in his first year as a starter in 2018, so there is at least a reasonable nucleus to ease the transition in the short term.
14. REDSKINS (Bill Callahan)
LT Trent Williams
LG Ereck Flowers
C Chase Roullier
RG Brandon Scherff
RT Morgan Moses
Notes: Washington is a tough line to gauge at this point for a variety of reasons. There is very little depth in place to help supplement the injury bug that seems embedded along this unit lately, swinging-gate Flowers may actually start, and Williams is at an impasse with the organization over what seems like multiple issues (medical, contract) and has dealt with his share of injuries as well.
Reasons to stay optimistic begin with the presence of coach Callahan, who would be on my Mt. Rushmore of top OL coaches in the game and is equipped to stabilize things better than most. Williams is still under contract for two more years and, along with Scherff, forms as talented and skilled a top-two offensive line duo as the NFL has to offer. Roullier is a solid, ascending player at center. Moses is extremely underrated, and despite dealing with nagging injuries throughout the last couple of seasons, hasn’t missed a game since being named starter in 2015.
There is still more uncertainty with the Redskins’ line than other teams, which could result in a five-plus-spot jump in ranking up or down, particularly depending on how the Williams situation plays out. So a mid-pack ranking seems like a fair hedge.
15. CHIEFS (Andy Heck)
LT Eric Fisher
LG Andrew Wylie
C Austin Reiter
RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
RT Mitchell Schwartz
Notes: Heck is arguably the most underrated OL coach in football as an excellent communicator and teacher that consistently makes his unit greater than the sum of its parts. Add coach Andy Reid’s keen, watchful eye over the position group and you have one of the most OL-friendly environments in football. The Chiefs return 4-of-5 starters plus Cameron Erving, a versatile reserve with experience at all five positions. Kansas City also acquired Martinas Rankin in a final-cuts trade with the Texans. Rankin has starting experience at both tackle and guard, and I like him as a sneaky center prospect as well, providing them more versatility. I fully expect this to be the best offense in the league even if the protection up front is only average.
16. 49ERS (John Benton)
LT Joe Staley
LG Laken Tomlinson
C Weston Richburg
RG Mike Person
RT Mike McGlinchey
Notes: The 49ers’ OL is led by an excellent tackle tandem in Staley and McGlinchey that elevates the play of each player to their inside. Tomlinson has benefited from playing next to Staley and gradually improved each year since signing in 2017 after underachieving in his first two years in Detroit. He’s developed into a dependable starter with additional upside. Person is an adequate starter and re-signed on a three-year deal after a career-best year in 2018 alongside McGlinchey.
The biggest question is Richburg, who has battled an extensive list of injuries over the last few seasons but just turned 28 and still holds plenty of promise based on his skill set and 2015 film. If he can get healthy from offseason surgery and have that time to gain confidence, this line’s stock will be on the rise.
17. LIONS (Jeff Davidson)
LT Taylor Decker
LG Joe Dahl
C Frank Ragnow
RG Graham Glasgow
RT Rick Wagner
Notes: If nothing else, GM Bob Quinn has made it a clear priority to bolster talent along the offensive line since he took over in 2016, selecting first-round offensive linemen in 2-of-4 drafts and signing Wagner for big money in 2017. The overall returns have been disappointing, however, largely due to injury and Ragnow playing out of position last year as a rookie, but their top three of Decker-Ragnow-Wagner is a quality trio with Glasgow as a solid number four in the pecking order. The weak link is left guard with previous swingman Dahl as the front-runner after landing an early-camp contract extension.
Key for the optimism of this unit is that Ragnow will slide inside to his best position at center after playing left guard for the first time in his life as a rookie in 2018. This move should elevate the entire interior and allow the personnel to be in the best-possible position to maximize its potential.
18. TITANS (Keith Carter)
LT Dennis Kelly
LG Rodger Saffold
C Ben Jones
RG Kevin Pamphile
RT Jack Conklin
Notes: The Titans were again a fringe top-ten unit in 2018 despite playing in a new system under a new position coach (this will be Carter’s second year) and using five different starting combinations due to injury. The front office was aggressive about maintaining its reputation for strong up-front play by retooling the guard position with Saffold and third-round pick Nate Davis. Unfortunately, Davis never became a starting-job factor during training camp, forcing the Titans to turn to journeymen Pamphile and Jamil Douglas as top candidates for the right-guard gig. Add in LT Taylor Lewan‘s four-game suspension, and this offensive line dropped from the top ten to No. 18 in my rankings.
Fourth Tier: Below-Average Offensive Lines
19. BILLS (Bobby Johnson)
LT Dion Dawkins
LG Quinton Spain
C Mitch Morse
RG Cody Ford
RT Ty Nsekhe
Notes: The Bills completely revamped their front five, adding a slew of new bodies including five free agents (Morse, Spain, Nsekhe, Spencer Long, Jon Feliciano) and second-round pick Ford. This overhaul also included a new position coach in Johnson from Indianapolis, where he was assistant OL coach in 2018.
Buffalo has six players battling for three spots (LG, RG, RT), so it is tough to pin down an accurate starting five before those competitions play out. The encouraging part about this amount of turnover is that it was desperately needed, and there are a handful of combinations that should easily surpass anything that was sent out onto the field in 2018. Additionally, there will be quality depth after camp breaks assuming injuries are held to a minimum.
20. SEAHAWKS (Mike Solari)
LT Duane Brown
LG Mike Iupati
C Justin Britt
RG D.J. Fluker
RT Germain Ifedi
Notes: Seattle began building a hulking offensive line prior to last season with the hiring of coach Solari and additions of Brown and Fluker, then doubled down with Iupati this year. Their offensive system is predicated on extensive three-receiver 11 personnel and even four-receiver 10-personnel packages to lighten the box while physically wearing down opponents over the course of a game. The philosophy switch worked well as the offense took a leap from 23rd in 2017 to sixth in 2018 rushing DVOA per Football Outsiders.
Brown remains arguably the most underrated left tackle in football and in 2018 put together his first 16-start season since 2014, earning second-team All Pro. Iupati comes from Arizona after making only ten starts in 2018 but still possesses brute strength and a level of physicality few guards can match. Iupati’s performance against DeForest Buckner as a pass protector in Week 8 last season was a clinic, something the Seahawks likely studied and thought valuable enough to keep within the division in hopes of slowing down a couple of the league’s top interior rushers in Buckner and Aaron Donald. Opposite Iupati is a similar player in Fluker, an enormous human being with a tenacious attitude that pairs nicely with Britt’s similar abrasive style.
Ifedi remains the most inconsistent player on the line, particularly in pass pro, but he was improved from being even more erratic prior to 2018. If he continues some semblance of an upward trajectory, this line could surprise.
21. JAGUARS (George Warhop)
LT Cam Robinson
LG Andrew Norwell
C Brandon Linder
RG A.J. Cann
RT Jawaan Taylor
Notes: The Jaguars did some house cleaning over the offseason by hiring coach Warhop from the Bucs, cutting RT Jermey Parnell, and drafting Taylor in the second round. Along with the hiring of OC John DeFilippo, there will be a new system in place for the OL to adjust to. The interior returns intact from last season and is a good one with Norwell and Linder forming the strength of the unit. Cann had impressive flashes last season (especially vs. Fletcher Cox in Week 8) but needs to shore up his pass-set consistency and hand usage to establish himself as a reliable starter.
The most upside involves the team’s two talented tackles in Robinson and Taylor. The former is coming off a Week 2 ACL tear and may not be ready for Week 1 with experienced-but-iffy Josh Wells behind him. Taylor should lock down right tackle early on and has a chance to be the steal of the second round of this year’s draft. Taylor moved people in the run game this preseason, and his pass set was impressive. Expect this unit to start a little slow but have a good chance at improving as more chemistry is established.
22. VIKINGS (Rick Dennison)
LT Riley Reiff
LG Pat Elflein
C Garrett Bradbury
RG Josh Kline
RT Brian O’Neill
Notes: After contending for the worst unit in the league last season, Minnesota revamped not just its personnel with three new interior starters, but made changes at offensive coordinator (Kevin Stefanski), OL coach (Dennison), and overall philosophy with the hiring of Gary Kubiak as assistant head coach and offensive advisor. This means a zone-based system (especially outside zone) will be their foundation as an offense, better suiting each projected starter’s skill set, most specifically Elflein, Bradbury, and O’Neill.
Drafting Bradbury 18th overall was the second-most draft capital used on a center in the last 20 years (Damien Woody went 17th overall in 1999), tying Bradbury with Ryan Kelly in 2016 and Maurkice Pouncey in 2010. Bradbury’s bread and butter is run blocking in outside zone, making him an ideal scheme fit under Kubiak. As Bradbury’s addition pushed Elflein over to left guard, two positions were upgraded with this one selection. Kline was signed to man right guard after starting 32 straight games for the Titans, but I would expect rookie fourth-rounder Dru Samia to have a chance at passing him at some point in 2019.
23. BUCS (Harold Goodwin)
LT Donovan Smith
LG Ali Marpet
C Ryan Jensen
RG Alex Cappa
RT Demar Dotson
Notes: The Bucs’ line has a star in Marpet, a junkyard dog in Jensen, and an underrated 91-game starter in Dotson who has battled nagging knee injuries the last couple of seasons. Smith has immense physical talent and special flashes, but he has lacked the necessary consistency to take a step past solid. Despite some bright spots, the overall performance of the unit has been disappointing for the last several years stemming from a lack of continuity and consistency at multiple spots, none more glaring than right guard.
Tampa attempted a rotation at right guard in 2017, then made Caleb Benenoch the primary starter in 2018, but had very little success with either approach. The job is up for grabs again with names such as Benenoch, Cappa, and Earl Watford in contention. Watford was drafted and played under new OL coach Goodwin in Arizona, but keep an eye out for Cappa, a 2018 third-round pick who needs to get stronger but has the most upside of the group. The Bucs indeed started Cappa at right guard with the ones throughout camp.
With a new coaching staff and more aggressive system in place, expect this OL to develop some chemistry and an identity as the year progresses under Goodwin, who has a strong reputation in the offensive line community.
Fifth Tier: Offensive Line Liabilities
24. RAIDERS (Tom Cable)
LT Kolton Miller
LG Richie Incognito
C Rodney Hudson
RG Gabe Jackson
RT Trent Brown
Notes: There is a lot of talent on this line for it to be ranked in tier five, but several factors dampen expectations. First, Miller has a laborious pass set stemming from a persistent false step out of his stance as a pass protector that leaves him vulnerable in one-on-one matchups. This was evident on tape when he was at UCLA, and it carried over as a rookie in 2018 both before and after his knee injury. Apart from Miller being the weak link, coach Cable has struggled to move the needle and develop his players for several years.
The saving grace may just be raw talent at every other spot. Incognito will miss the first two games due to suspension, is a head case off the field, and hasn’t played a down since 2017, but he started 48 straight games from 2015-2017, earned multiple Pro Bowl selections, and is among the league’s most-skilled left guards. Hudson remains a very good player. Jackson is reliable but hasn’t been dominant since 2016, largely due to injury — he played all of 2018 with a torn pectoral until fracturing his elbow in Week 13 – and may miss the first month of the season due to a knee injury. Brown moves back over to the right (his best side) after playing all 16 games and winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots at left tackle.
Despite a talented line on paper, Oakland will need several things to break in its favor including having to overcome poor coaching.
25. CHARGERS (Pat Meyer)
LT Russell Okung
LG Forrest Lamp
C Mike Pouncey
RG Michael Schofield
RT Sam Tevi
Notes: Okung and Pouncey remain fixtures on the line with Schofield as a serviceable starter coming off the best year of his career, but at least two starters should be playing for their jobs. Dan Feeney is the incumbent left guard but struggled last season and will have to hold off injury-riddled 2017 second-round pick Lamp. If he can get and stay healthy, Lamp has a chance to be an impact starter once he settles into a role. Tevi is a former sixth-round pick entering just his third season but could also see his spot threatened. With job unpredictability and multiple below-average starters having to see the field, there is too much variance to get a clear read on this unit’s floor or ceiling before the season. Word of Okung battling a pulmonary embolism that will likely sideline him for all of August furthers my concern with this line.
26. GIANTS (Hal Hunter)
LT Nate Solder
LG Will Hernandez
C Jon Halapio
RG Kevin Zeitler
RT Mike Remmers
Notes: The Giants’ line was a disaster last season apart from Hernandez’s promise as a rookie. Solder remains functional but has a clearly-defined ceiling of a below-average player. The team will have three new starters to the right of Hernandez, with Zeitler at right guard being the best player on the unit. Coming over from Cleveland in a trade, Zeitler brings a calming, reliable (64 straight starts) presence desperately needed on the interior.
The biggest questions are at center and right tackle. Halapio will get the first crack at the pivot, and it is easy to root for him given his persistence to earn this opportunity (cut four times, multiple stops in the now-defunct FXFL), but it is a long shot to expect a regular starter at this point, and Spencer Pulley is his competition. Neither of these players are likely long-term solutions, and the same can be said at right tackle. Remmers is a 2012 sixth-round pick on his seventh team, and it is a longshot to expect him to regain his 2015 form (when he was a solid starter) given his offseason back surgery and horrendous 2018 play in Minnesota.
There is a path here for the Giants to be a middle of the pack line, but a lot of things need to go right for that to happen.
27. BROWNS (James Campen)
LT Greg Robinson
LG Joel Bitonio
C J.C. Tretter
RG Eric Kush
RT Chris Hubbard
Notes: This is another unit that I expect a decline from primarily due to the loss of Kevin Zeitler to the Giants, but also due to a lack of depth, particularly at tackle. Robinson put together a decent second half of 2018 but has been wildly inconsistent since coming into the league and doesn’t garner much confidence until he can prove he can be a functional full-season starter for the first time. Hubbard started a full 16 games for the first time in his career last season but had a clear drop-off in play after leaving the Steelers and Mike Munchak’s tutelage.
Bitonio is the best player on the line and a very good guard, while Tretter has been solid when healthy. But aside from this pairing, there are more questions than answers and no real assurances in the event of an injury. 2018 No. 33 overall pick Austin Corbett has been a colossal disappointment, losing out to journeyman Kush at right guard and struggling even against third-stringers in the preseason as the Browns’ now-backup center.
28. JETS (Frank Pollack)
LT Kelvin Beachum
LG Kelechi Osemele
C Ryan Kalil
RG Brian Winters
RT Brandon Shell
Notes: Despite this ranking, the Jets have several dynamics and layers to unpack that could make them an interesting unit to watch. First, the hiring of Pollack brings a highly-regarded coach in the OL community that will emphasize technique and fundamentals as well as scheme.
Second, the trade for Osemele was a judicious move that could see significant returns if he is able to regain 2017 form, and to a greater degree his 2016 level of play after a nagging knee injury cut short his 2018 campaign. Opposite Osemele is an adequate starter coming off his best year in Winters to go with crafty Beachum, who continues to extend his career despite being the smallest guy in the league at his position. Shell has increased his games started each of his first three seasons (from 3-12-14) but needs to shore up his consistency before he can be counted on as a reliable starter. There is a big hole at center attempted at being filled by Kalil, whom GM Joe Douglas wooed out of retirement after a rocky 2018 season in Carolina. Kalil turned 34 in March. Still, Kalil brings much-needed stability to the position above the shoulders by way of his ability to assist Sam Darnold with protections, identifying defensive fronts, and just making life in general easier on the Jets’ promising second-year QB.
The Jets appear to be on the right track from the top down as far as management and offensive-line coaching but need time to build up their personnel before it can be counted on as anything more than subpar.
Sixth Tier: Bottom Feeders
29. CARDINALS (Sean Kugler)
LT D.J. Humphries
LG Justin Pugh
C Mason Cole
RG J.R. Sweezy
RT Marcus Gilbert
Notes: The common theme with this projected Cardinals line is health, or a lack thereof. Humphries, Pugh, and Gilbert have missed an astounding 55 combined games over the last two seasons. Sweezy and Max Garcia were signed to compete at guard, while Cole will have to gain functional strength, improve his anchor, and hold off A.Q. Shipley and rookie sixth-round selection Lamont Gaillard (who I really like) for the right to man the pivot.
The reason I have more optimism in this unit elevating out of the bottom-feeder tier than the rest begins with Kugler taking over as position coach. Along with 29 years of coaching experience – including with the Steelers when Gilbert was drafted there in 2011 – Kugler played a vital role in the development of Giants 2018 second-round pick Will Hernandez as head coach at UTEP, and Kugler also did an impressive job with the Broncos’ interior OL last season.
Arizona went to work to patch together this unit via free agency and the draft, but the same issue remains: availability. If they can get their tackles to churn out 12+ games and let Kugler work on the development of the interior and Humphries, there may be something here worth building on past 2019.
30. BENGALS (Jim Turner)
LT Cordy Glenn
LG Michael Jordan
C Trey Hopkins
RG John Miller
RT Bobby Hart
Notes: The Bengals had a brutal offseason, losing first-round LT Jonah Williams to year-ending shoulder surgery before longtime LG Clint Boling and promising G/C Christian Westerman retired. They are left with virtually no depth, benched 2018 first-round C Billy Price for practice-squad type Hopkins, and are counting on Giants and Bills castoffs Hart and Miller to man the right side.
There are very few scenarios where this line reaches a league-average level of play, even for the most glass-half-full optimists.
31. TEXANS (Mike Devlin)
LT Matt Kalil
LG Tytus Howard
C Nick Martin
RG Zach Fulton
RT Seantrel Henderson
Notes: It isn’t a lack of effort to improve the line that is concerning about the Texans’ approach, rather the rationale behind the specific choices they’ve made, particularly at tackle. The interior has an outside shot at being solid with Martin having the most upside of anyone on the line, but the tackles are virtually all projects or injury-prone underachievers without any reliable veteran presence. Expect a repeat performance for this line being one of the worst in the NFL.
32. DOLPHINS (Dave DeGuglielmo)
LT Julien Davenport
LG Michael Deiter
C Daniel Kilgore
RG Shaq Calhoun
RT Jesse Davis
Notes: For some perspective, I ranked this as the worst offensive line in the league even before they traded LT Laremy Tunsil. Dieter is the only reason I might turn on the end-zone view of this front five in 2019.
