2024 Offensive Line Rankings
2024 Offensive Line Rankings This 2024 Offensive Line Rankings post is courtesy of FTNFantasy‘s Adam Pfeifer and is featured in the 2024 Football Diehards Fantasy Football Magazine. Offensive linemen don’t score fantasy points but they sure have a huge impact on the players that do. Just ask Jason Kelce. Tush push aside (pun), the offensive line has recently received more attention in fantasy football discussions, but still not enough. I mean, think about it. The first player to touch the ball on every single play? The center. We’ve seen elite offensive lines elevate the play of running backs and quarterbacks, while poor units can often hold players back. A weak pass-blocking unit not only impacts the quarterback but also limits what a downfield wide receiver can do considering their routes need time to develop. So understanding which units are strong, which need work, and which are disasters can be just one of many edges to be had in fantasy football. The Elite Philadelphia Eagles For years, the Eagles have had the best offensive line in football. And even with Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce retiring, this still remains arguably the top unit in all of football. This past season, Philadelphia remained the elite run-blocking convoy. According to FTN Data, D’Andre Swift was contacted behind the line of scrimmage on 17.9% of his rush attempts last year, which was the ninth-best rate among running backs with at least 50 carries. He averaged a healthy 2.49 yards before contact per rush attempt and according to FTN’s DVOA, just 14% of Philadelphia’s total carries were stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage, the second-best rate in football. Somewhere, Saquon Barkley is smiling. It isn’t a positive that Kelce is gone but the Eagles are still loaded. Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata are arguably the league’s best tackle duo and to replace Kelce, Philadelphia will call on third-year center Cam Jurgens, who was responsible for just two quarterback hits and zero sacks on 383 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. In fact, quarterback Jalen Hurts was hit just 29 total times last year (27th), with just six coming while throwing the football. Of course, you can’t replicate or underrate the impact Kelce has on this entire team, let alone the offensive line. But this is still the best unit in all of football with a legendary coach in Jeff Stoutland. Los Angeles Rams There were plenty of questions surrounding the Rams entering the 2023 season. The 2022 season was filled with injuries, poor play, and a handful of different starting units. But the Rams were quite the story this past season, posting a top-five PFF run-blocking grade, which helped breakout running back Kyren Williams average the second-most yards before contact per attempt (3.0). The addition of Steve Avila was huge, as his versatility allows him to play anywhere. During his first two seasons at TCU, Avila played over 1,000 snaps at center but in 2022, he moved to left guard, logging 1,000-plus snaps there. With last year’s starting center gone, Avila will likely move to center for the Rams in 2024, which is fine considering his experience. Otherwise, the Rams return four starters from last year, continuing to implement their gap run scheme with Williams and rookie Blake Corum. The Rams ranked fifth in adjusted line yards last year (4.55) and when this offense was fully healthy, we were looking at an elite unit. The Good Pittsburgh Steelers Give the Steelers credit. Over the past two seasons, they have made huge strides in improving the offensive line. It started last year when they drafted Broderick Jones and signed veteran Isaac Seumalo, who were both immediately impact players. Jones showed serious flashes as a top-tier run-blocking lineman, though he was a bit up-and-down in pass protection. Pittsburgh continued to address the line this offseason, drafting left tackle Troy Fautanu in the first round, followed by center Zach Frazier in the second. Fautanu is insanely athletic and has experience playing all five positions on the offensive line. One of Pittsburgh’s most pressing needs was at center so the addition of Frazier is welcomed. In three collegiate seasons, Frazier allowed a total of four sacks and nine quarterback hits. Starting two rookies might be a concern but the Steelers have a strong surrounding cast. Don’t be surprised if this unit climbs towards elite territory in 2024. Green Bay Packers Jordan Love’s breakout draws most of the attention behind Green Bay’s stellar season, but this offensive line deserves credit, too. In 2023, the Packers allowed the third-fewest sacks (30), while Love was under pressure on just 30.2% of his dropbacks, the third-lowest rate among qualified signal callers. The versatility within this unit is impressive and it all starts with Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom, who can play anywhere. Jenkins received a top-10 pass-blocking PFF grade for all offensive linemen last year allowing zero sacks and just six quarterback hits. After moving on from long-time left tackle David Bakhtiari, Green Bay spent a first-round selection on Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, who could start Week 1. I love the versatility and depth of this unit, which means things won’t fall apart when injuries inevitably happen. The Bad Miami Dolphins This offseason was tough for the Dolphins, as they were forced to move on from both Robert Hunt and Connor Williams. That leaves the interior of this offensive line extremely vulnerable and Miami will have to rely on Terron Armstead to stay healthy, but that simply hasn’t been the case. Armstead missed seven games last year and has now missed almost 20 games over the last three seasons. The pressure stats won’t ever tell the entire story because Tua Tagovailoa gets the ball out faster than anyone in the league, averaging 2.24 seconds to throw last year. And perhaps the scheme can mask the offensive line concerns. But unless Armstead can stay healthy, this will be one of the weaker units in the NFL in 2024. Washington Commanders This past season,
NFL Offensive Line Ranks (2023)
In the NFL, offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of any roster. Protectors may not factor in at fantasy football, but a strong offensive line can make or break an offense. That makes these under-appreciated warriors integral, and our NFL
Lineman may not accrue fantasy points, but their contributions can’t be understated. Keeping quarterbacks upright and opening up holes for the running game is vitally important from an NFL and fantasy football perspective. A strong line can vastly improve an offense. However, a subpar group of blockers can have dire consequences.
Here are the NFL offensive line ranks (2023) as we head into the summer.
Philadelphia Eagles – With Jason Kelce back at center, the Eagles return 4/5 of the top line from 2022. Philadelphia was PFF‘s No. 1 ranked pass-blocking line and also finished fourth with 152 rushing yards per game. Also, standout RT Lane Johnson did not surrender a sack in 972 snaps.
Detroit Lions – After barely missing out on the playoffs a season ago, the Lions are poised to win the fledgling NFC North. Detroit rebuilt the right way- from the trenches. Now, the Lions boast one of the top O-lines in football. Right guard is the only question mark for this group which ranked second in Football Outsiders‘ pass protection rankings in 2022.
Cleveland Browns – The Browns fell off a tad last season but should rebound quickly. Cleveland ranked fifth with 146.5 rushing yards per game and led the league in second-level yards. However, the Browns did allow 44 sacks. A lot of that can be attributed to QB Deshaun Watson, who tends to…
WHERE DO OTHER TEAMS LAND IN OUR OFFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS?
To finish reading this in-depth offensive line rankings article