Offensive line play is one of the most important but often misunderstood aspects of fantasy football. We know that quality blocking matters for a running back -- there are plenty of plays get blown up with no fault at all on the runner -- but actually determining just how much we should adjust for offensive line play is a nuanced subject. The same thing goes for quarterbacks. Sure, the Texans’ pass protection usually isn’t very good. But, might that actually help Deshaun Watson? If his blocking scheme continually breaks down, it will lead to him scrambling more (and more fantasy points for us).
A running back’s offensive line shouldn’t be the determining factor in a 1 vs. 1 decision in a fantasy draft but making slight adjustments for offensive line quality is a necessary part of the equation. Every bit of context matters. Not every quarterback has the mobility of Watson, either. It certainly helps that the Saints perennially have one of the most talented offensive lines in the league and their protection is one of the main reasons Drew Brees has remained so efficient late into his career.
So, for the context of this article, I’ll go team-by-team and look into some key metrics that matter, which lines have the most continuity, and provide some loose overall rankings of each team at the bottom of this page.
Stat key: Adjusted Line Yards and Sack Rate are from FootballOutsiders. Yards before contact is a PFF stat. Penalties are from Pro Football Reference. All stats are from the 2019 season only. Rankings are grouped as 1st (best) to 32nd (worst). Depth charts are from OurLads.
Arizona Cardinals
Starters: LT DJ Humphries / LG Justin Pugh / C Mason Cole / RG JR Sweezy / RT Justin Murray
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 22nd
Sack Rate: 26th
Yards Before Contact: 1st
Penalties: 20th
Preview
HC Kliff Kingsbury made this mediocre group work last year with a lot of spread looks and it led to a ton of light defensive boxes. According to Next Gen Stats, Kenyan Drake saw eight or more defenders in the box on just 8% of his carries last season. Now with DeAndre Hopkins added, the Cards’ should lead the league in 4-WR usage in 2020. Expect a lot of pace, a lot of quick throws, and a lot of space for Drake to maneuver when Arizona runs the ball this year. The biggest remaining question here is who starts at RT. Since Marcus Gilbert opted out, the RT job will come down to Murray and the third-round rookie out of Houston, Josh Jones. Many NFL Draft analysts had Jones projected as a near first-round talent and the stats back that up. Per Sports Info Solutions, Jones allowed just two sacks in 22 games over his last two college seasons and was the only tackle in the class to not allow a single pressure in 2019. Arizona also made an excellent depth signing this offseason in tackle Kelvin Beachum. The Cards’ offensive line doesn’t have any blue chip talent but they don’t necessarily need it with their scheme.
Atlanta Falcons
Starters: LT Jake Matthews / LG James Carpenter / C Alex Mack / RG Chris Lindstrom / RT Kaleb McGary
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 24th
Sack Rate: 13th
Yards Before Contact: 18th
Penalties: 29th (fourth-most)
Preview
Atlanta’s line is filled by five former first-rounders but they were short on paying off their high cost in 2019, ranking in the bottom half of the league in the key run-blocking stats (line yards and yards before contact). In theory, Todd Gurley’s volume is secure because the Falcons do not have a lot of talent behind him. But, make no mistake. Atlanta’s run-blocking is not much better than what he dealt with last year in Los Angeles. Gurley is priced at his ceiling with his late-2nd, early-3rd round ADP.
Baltimore Ravens
Starters: LT Ronnie Stanley / LG Bradley Bozeman / C Matt Skura / RG Ben Powers / RT Orlando Brown
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 3rd
Sack Rate: 8th
Yards Before Contact: 2nd
Penalties: 2nd (second-fewest)
Preview
The Ravens still have a top tier OL talent-wise but All-Pro G Marshall Yanda retiring certainly hurts this group. OurLads has Ben Powers penciled in to replace Yanda at RG but, as The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec suggested, the starting job is wide open. Baltimore added D.J. Fluker in free agency and drafted two guards to help fill Yanda’s shoes -- Michigan’s Ben Bredeson and Tyre Phillips from Mississippi State. The Ravens also added veteran tackle Andre Smith this offseason but he opted out. After finishing top-8 in all of the key metrics last year, I’d expect the Ravens to take a small step backward without Yanda this year. C Matt Skura is also recovering from an offseason knee surgery. Regardless, Lamar Jackson’s mobility is a great equalizer and both Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins have fantastic vision.
Buffalo Bills
Starters: LT Dion Dawkins / LG Quinton Spain / C Mitch Morse / RG Brian Winters / RT Cody Ford
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 15th
Sack Rate: 23rd
Yards Before Contact: 17th
Penalties: 28th (fifth-most)
Preview
While Dawkins and Morse are studs, the other three starting spots along this line are somewhat shaky. Former-Jet Brian Winters is coming off of a torn ACL and is taking over at RG for Jon Feliciano -- who is out for the season with a torn pec -- while both Ford and Spain struggled badly in the run game according to PFF’s grading. Now in his second year out of Oklahoma, Ford moved to RT in his final year of college and the Bills need him to take a big jump in 2020. I’m high on Josh Allen for fantasy this year and his projection centers around his scrambling and second reaction ability anyway. Even if the Bills line is mediocre, it likely won’t hold this offense back for our purposes.
Carolina Panthers
Starters: LT Russell Okung / LG John Miller / C Matt Paradis / RG Dennis Daley / RT Taylor Moton
2020 Continuity: 2-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 17th
Sack Rate: 29th
Yards Before Contact: 3rd
Penalties: 3rd (third-fewest)
Preview
With a brand new coaching staff brings a basically brand new offensive line. Paradis and Moton are Carolina’s only returning starters from 2019. The Panthers traded RG Trai Turner away to the Chargers for Russell Okung, who is now 31-years-old and missed much of last year because of a pulmonary embolism. Meanwhile, Miller, Daley, and Michael Schofield are all battling for starting jobs along the Panthers interior. Carolina’s OL got bit by the injury bug last year but, even at full health, their 2020 outlook doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. I’d expect to see OC Joe Brady use pace, spacing, and quick throws to counterbalance a weak offensive line -- which is exactly what Kliff Kingsbury did last year in Arizona. And, once Teddy Bridgewater is inevitably pressured, expect a ton of check-downs to CMC.
Chicago Bears
Starters: LT Charles Leno / LG James Daniels / C Cody Whitehair / RG Germain Ifedi / RT Bobby Massie
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 29th
Sack Rate: 21st
Yards Before Contact: 14th
Penalties: 7th
Preview
Despite struggling badly last year, GM Ryan Pace did little to improve the Bears offensive line this offseason. Chicago will try to replace Kyle Long (retired) with Rashaad Coward or former-Seahawk Ifedi at RG. Ifedi played tackle last year in Seattle and allowed the second-most pressures in the NFL, per PFF. Massie missed six games last season and they desperately need him to get back to his previous form because Leno was a massive liability at LT. Per PFF, Leno allowed the 10th-most pressures and graded poorly as a run blocker last year. Making matters worse, Mitchell Trubisky refuses to scramble or sense pressure while Nick Foles is a statue in the pocket. The jury is still out on HC Matt Nagy, but there is a good chance the Bears offense underwhelms again in 2020.
Cincinnati Bengals
Starters: LT Jonah Williams / LG Michael Jordan / C Trey Hopkins / RG Xavier Su’a-Filo RT Bobby Hart
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 26th
Sack Rate: 20th
Yards Before Contact: 27th
Penalties: 14th
Preview
Getting 2019’s 11th overall pick Jonah Williams back healthy should really help what was a bottom-3 offensive line last season. Still, even if Williams is immediately an above-average starter, HC Zac Taylor and OC Bill Callahan have their work cut out for them to help keep Joe Burrow upright. LG is going to come down to a camp battle between Jordan and the Bengals 21st overall pick in 2018, Billy Price. Su’a-Filo is a nice addition on the interior but Joe Mixon made some ridiculous plays last year while his blocking crumbled around him and he’ll likely have to do the same this year. Burrow already has sneaky rushing upside and he may be forced out of the pocket often if the Bengals can’t significantly improve their pass protection in 2020.
Cleveland Browns
Starters: LT Jedrick Wills / LG Joel Bitonio / C J.C. Tretter / RG Wyatt Teller / RT Jack Conklin
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 10th
Sack Rate: 18th
Yards Before Contact: 19th
Penalties: 22nd
Preview
If you believe that the Browns are post-hype sleepers this season -- and you should -- a large part of the reason why starts up front. New HC Kevin Stefanski brings in a new scheme that centers around play-action but the Browns finally have two great starters at tackle between 10th overall pick Jedrick Wills and free-agent addition Jack Conklin. Our own Greg Cosell thought Wills was the best tackle prospect in a loaded class and loved his tape both as a pass and run blocker. How Stefanski splits snaps and uses Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will be one of the biggest storylines to monitor when the season starts but this offense should take a massive leap forward with better play calling and significantly improved play at the tackle spots.
Dallas Cowboys
Starters: LT Tyron Smith / LG Connor Williams / C Joe Looney / RG Zack Martin / RT La’El Collins
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 2nd
Sack Rate: 2nd
Yards Before Contact: 12th
Penalties: 7th
Preview
Kansas City is still a step above Dallas because of Mahomes, but I wouldn’t put it past the Cowboys to have the most efficient offense in the NFL in 2020. Anchored by three All-Pros at their positions -- Smith, Martin, and Collins -- Dallas has a top-3 offensive line once again. Even with the loss of C Travis Frederick (retired) this offensive line will maul opposing defenses. Looney is currently penciled in to replace Frederick at center but they drafted Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz in the fourth round and he has a chance to push for the starting job. Looney has the inside track to start Week 1 -- he replaced Frederick in 2018, too -- but Greg Cosell absolutely loved Biadasz’s tape, calling him the “anchor” of the Badgers OL in college and said he had the makings of a 10-year starter. Dallas has been locked-in with their OL evaluations for years and this current iteration is going to have an edge over opposing front-sevens in any given week.
Denver Broncos
Starters: LT Garrett Bolles / LG Dalton Risner / C Lloyd Cushenberry / RG Graham Glasnow / RT Demar Dotson
2020 Continuity: 2-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 11th
Sack Rate: 25th
Yards Before Contact: 10th
Penalties: 12th
Preview
Without RT Ja’Waun James (opted out), the Broncos now have a massive hole to fill to protect Drew Lock’s strong side. Denver wisely signed vet Demar Dotson who started 15 games in each of the last two years in Tampa and he’ll compete with Elijah Wilkinson for the starting job. On Lock’s blindside is Bolles, who has been a disappointment in his first three years and hasn’t lived up to his draft pedigree. Legendary coach Mike Munchak will have his work cut out for him to solve the tackle spots but we should be cautiously optimistic that the Broncos will have a strong interior run game between Risner, third-round rookie Cushenberry, and the former-Lion Glasnow. At the very least, Melvin Gordon will see the best interior run blocking that he’s ever gotten in his career.
Detroit Lions
Starters: LT Taylor Decker / LG Joe Dahl / C Frank Ragnow / RG Jonah Jackson / RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 20th
Sack Rate: 19th
Yards Before Contact: 24th
Penalties: 15th
Preview
The Lions’ 2019 was a tale of two seasons. Before Matthew Stafford got hurt and missed the final three games of the year, their offense was humming. In Week 1-9, Detroit was 5th in the NFL in yards per play as Stafford was enjoying career-best marks in both touchdown rate (6.5%) and yards per pass attempt (8.6). Between getting Stafford back healthy and having the same pass-catcher corps back (Golladay-Jones-Hockenson-Amendola), the Lions quietly have a ton of continuity. The core of their offensive line -- Decker, Dahl, and Ragnow -- are all above-average starters while Vaitai is hopefully an upgrade over Rick Wagner at right tackle. Losing Graham Glasnow to Denver hurts, but the Lions have plenty of options to fill the void at left guard. Oday Aboushi was a backup last year and the Lions drafted two guards in the third and fourth round of the draft (Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg). We’re hearing that Jackson has the inside track to win the job at RG and Greg Cosell loved his tape.
Green Bay Packers
Starters: LT David Bakhtiari / LG Elgton Jenkins / C Corey Linsley / RG Billy Turner / RT Rick Wagner
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 5th
Sack Rate: 10th
Yards Before Contact: 7th
Penalties: 15th
Preview
Losing longtime RT Bryan Bulaga to the Chargers will hurt, but outside of that, the Packers have a ton of continuity up front. Bakhtiari-Jenkins is a great 1-2 combo at LT-LG and Corey Linsley graded out as one of PFF’s top-15 centers last season. Bulaga’s replacement at right tackle is really the lone question-mark. Wagner graded out as PFF’s 48th-best tackle in the NFL last year and will be a big downgrade in the run game compared to Bulaga.
Houston Texans
Starters: LT Laremy Tunsil / LG Max Scharping / C Nick Martin / RG Zach Fulton / RT Tytus Howard
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 21st
Sack Rate: 27th
Yards Before Contact: 5th
Penalties: 32nd (most penalized OL)
Preview
The Texans are one of the few teams in the NFL with all five of their starters returning and, even though they were the least disciplined line in the league last year, Deshaun Watson finally has blocking he should feel comfortable with. HC Bill O’Brien loves getting swindled on trades but the Tunsil deal objectively worked. Especially now that Tytus Howard is in his second season, the Texans quietly have one of the league’s sturdiest and youngest LT-RT combos in the NFL. If Scharping can also improve in his second pro season, there is a chance Houston could make the jump into the top-10 most talented offensive lines in 2021.
Indianapolis Colts
Starters: LT Anthony Castonzo / LG Quenton Nelson / C Ryan Kelly / RG Mark Glowinski / RT Braden Smith
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 12th
Sack Rate: 7th
Yards Before Contact: 6th
Penalties: 5th (fifth-fewest)
Preview
Between Castonzo-Nelson forming the best left side of the trenches in football and Braden Smith turning into a mauling run-blocker at right tackle, the Colts have one of the most exciting groups upfront in recent history. Castonzo and Smith both finished top-10 among all tackles in PFF’s grading while Nelson was their second-best left guard last year. HC Frank Reich is going to center this offense around the run game and we should feel blessed to see Jonathan Taylor shred defenses behind this line for the next four years (at least). There is a real chance Taylor leads the NFL in YPC as a rookie.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Starters: LT Cam Robinson / LG Andrew Norwell / C Brandon Linder / RG A.J. Cann / RT Jawaan Taylor
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 27th
Sack Rate: 16th
Yards Before Contact: 29th
Penalties: 27th (sixth-most)
Preview
The Jags’ offensive line is definitely not short on talent at the tackle spots. Robinson and Taylor were both top-35 overall selections in the 2017 and 2019 NFL Draft and Robinson should bounce back now that he’s another year removed from the torn ACL he suffered in 2018. Cann is really the lone weak spot along the Jaguars offensive line as Andrew Norwell and Brandon Linder are both above-average starters. If Leonard Fournette would stop running into the backs of his offensive linemen, Jacksonville’s run game could take off in 2020.
Kansas City Chiefs
Starters: LT Eric Fisher / LG Andrew Wylie / C Austin Reiter / RG Kelechi Osemele / RT Mitchell Schwartz
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 28th
Sack Rate: 4th
Yards Before Contact: 22nd
Penalties: 10th
Preview
With Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opting out of the 2020 season and Stefen Wisniewski moving on in free agency (Steelers), the Chiefs have to replace both of their starting guards from their 2019 Super Bowl roster. Luckily, they have a few good options. Wylie earned the third-best pass-blocking marks in PFF’s grading on the team last year as a part-time starter while Osemele was one of the best guards in the NFL before he ripped up his shoulder (torn labrum) after making just three starts for the Jets in 2019. Kansas City could also kick Martinas Rankin or free-agent addition Mike Remmers inside if necessary. Even though Eric Fisher hasn’t materialized into an elite starter, Schwartz is one of the best right tackles in the game and the Chiefs have something that many teams don't have along their offensive line… depth.
Las Vegas Raiders
Starters: LT Kolton Miller / LG Richie Incognito / C Rodney Hudson / RG Gabe Jackson / RT Trent Brown
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 6th
Sack Rate: 6th
Yards Before Contact: 21st
Penalties: 12th
Preview
The Raiders had a top-6 offensive line last year and they could be even better this year. Their right side (RG Jackson and RT Brown) both missed five games last year due to injury and with them both back healthy for 2020, Derek Carr will enjoy some of the best protection in the NFL. It’s just up to Carr to finally take the next step. After sitting out in 2018, the Raiders took a chance on Incognito and it paid off massively as he earned PFF’s 10th-highest grade among guards last year. LT Kolton Miller still gave up too much pressure after allowing the second-most in all of the NFL as a rookie in 2018 but he was undoubtedly better in his second pro season. If Miller takes another step this year, the Raiders could enter the conversation as a truly elite line along with New Orleans, Dallas, and Indianapolis.
Los Angeles Chargers
Starters: LT Sam Tevi / LG Dan Feeny / C Mike Pouncey / RG Trai Turner / RT Bryan Bulaga
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 13th
Sack Rate: 9th
Yards Before Contact: 25th
Penalties: 15th
Preview
The Chargers have completely revamped the right side of their offensive line this offseason, adding RG Turner in a trade with Carolina (they sent away Russell Okung) and adding longtime Packer RT Bulaga in free agency. Los Angeles’ starting LT spot is going to be a battle in camp, but HC Anthony Lynn said at the start of training camp that Tevi is “in the driver's seat” for the job over Trey Pipkins. If the Chargers can get decent play at LT and C Mike Pouncey stays healthy -- he missed 11 games last year -- Austin Ekeler may get the best run-blocking he’s ever seen this season.
Los Angeles Rams
Starters: LT Andrew Whitworth / LG Austin Corbett / C Brian Allen / RG Austin Blythe / RT Rob Havenstein
2020 Continuity: All 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 19th
Sack Rate: 1st
Yards Before Contact: 20th
Penalties: 31st (second-most)
Preview
After losing both Rob Havenstein and Brian Allen in Week 10 to injuries, HC Sean McVay was forced to change up his starting OL combinations for the rest of the year. He also changed his scheme. From Week 11 on, the Rams used 12 personnel (2WR, 2TE) on 59% of their running plays, which trailed only the Eagles (66%) in this span. In Week 1-10, L.A. used 12-personnel on just 17% of their runs (seventh-lowest rate). Now that Gerald Everett is back healthy and Tyler Higbee broke out, we should expect the Rams to use 2-TE looks to counterbalance an offensive line that has a lot of question-marks. Their best player, Andrew Whitworth, is entering his age-39 season. Havenstein, Allen, and LG Joe Noteboom are all returning from injuries and the Rams didn't add any significant pieces to their line this offseason. Blythe, Noteboom, and Corbett are fighting for two starting spots along the Rams interior beside C Brian Allen. Hopefully, this unit can stay healthy in 2020 because Jared Goff simply isn’t the type of passer that can make plays outside of structure. At the very least, rookie RB Cam Akers is used to running behind bad blocking. FSU’s offensive line opened up the lowest amount of yards blocked per carry that I have ever charted.
Miami Dolphins
Starters: LT Austin Jackson / LG Ereck Fowlers / C Ted Karras / RG Robert Hunt / RT Jesse Davis
2020 Continuity: 1 of 5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 32nd (worst)
Sack Rate: 28th
Yards Before Contact: 30th
Penalties: 9th
Preview
According to ESPN’s 2019 pass-blocking win rate metrics, Miami ranked dead last in the NFL at just 41%. The NFL average is around 60%. Miami unquestionably fielded the worst offensive line in the league last year and GM Chris Grier used two of Miami’s four top-40 picks in the NFL Draft to help fill their massive holes in LT Austin Jackson (18 overall) G Robert Hunt (38 overall). Our own Greg Cosell mentioned in his rookie reports that Jackson is a highly athletic left tackle with all the traits you look for. He should be a Week 1 starter over 2019 starter Julie’n Davenport. Miami also added LG Ereck Flowers after his one season in Washington and a transition from tackle to the interior. There are a lot of “ifs” here, but if Jackson and Hunt can be impact players from Week 1 and Flowers is serviceable at left guard, the Dolphins can certainly take a big jump forward in 2020.
Minnesota Vikings
Starters: LT Riley Reiff / LG Pat Elflein / C Garrett Bradbury / RG Dakota Dozier / RT Brian O’Neil
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 7th
Sack Rate: 14th
Yards Before Contact: 15th
Penalties: 24th
Preview
Even though Kevin Stefanski is gone, OC Gary Kubiak will use the same zone-based run game that was so effective in 2019. Dalvin Cook is one of the NFL’s most effective outside runners and will not only have continuity with the Vikings scheme but up front as well, with 4-of-5 starters returning. Minnesota will also continue to rely heavily on 2-TE personnel with Kyle Rudolph lined up in-line and Irv Smith as the move tight end. Only the Eagles (52%) used 12-personnel (2 WR, 2 TE on the field) more often than the Vikings (34%) did last year and I’d expect that figure to only increase -- especially now that Stefon Diggs is in Buffalo. The Vikings offensive line is fairly short on talent but with Kubiak designing a diverse scheme that will predicate on two tight end looks, their run game should remain efficient.
New England Patriots
Starters: LT Isaiah Wynn / LG Joe Thuney / C David Andrews / RG Shaq Mason / RT Yodny Cajuste
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 9th
Sack Rate: 5th
Yards Before Contact: 16th
Penalties: 1st (least penalized OL)
Preview
With Marcus Cannon (opted out) not playing this year, the Patriots now have to figure out how to replace their best lineman. Right now, Cajuste and Korey Cunningham are the Pats’ options at right tackle. New England traded a sixth-rounder to Arizona for Cunningham last summer. Dante Scarnecchia retiring hurts this unit overall but Josh McDaniels obviously brings continuity. And, now that Isaiah Wynn and David Andrews are back healthy, this will likely be the best offensive line that Cam Newton has ever played behind in his career.
New Orleans Saints
Starters: LT Terron Armstead / LG Andrus Peat / C Erik McCoy / RG Cesar Ruiz / RT Ryan Ramczyk
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 1st (best)
Sack Rate: 3rd
Yards Before Contact: 9th
Penalties: 15th
Preview
Despite rarely picking early in the draft, the entirety of the Saints starting offensive line is homegrown talent. GM Mickey Loomis deserves so much credit for absolutely nailing all of these evaluations. 2020 24th overall pick Cesar Ruiz is just the latest addition in this long line of success. The Saints, Cowboys, and Colts are interchangeable for the NFL’s most talented offensive lines but if Andrus Peat (broken thumb) misses games, New Orleans will have to open the year with a rookie at right guard and a backup at left guard. Peat broke his thumb on one of the first days of training camp and may need surgery. If Peat misses time, Nick Easton is the most likely replacement.
New York Giants
Starters: LT Andrew Thomas / LG Will Hernandez / C Spencer Pulley / RG Kevin Zeitler / RT Matt Peart
2020 Continuity: 2-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 25th
Sack Rate: 17th
Yards Before Contact: 8th
Penalties: 3rd (third-fewest)
Preview
With LT Nate Solder (opted out) not playing this year, the Giants have just two starters returning (Hernandez and Zeitler). Now, OC Jason Garrett is going to have to work around having two rookies at right and left tackle between 4th overall pick Thomas and their third-rounder Matt Peart. New York also has Cameron Fleming and Nick Gates as options at right tackle but they will desperately need Thomas to step in and immediately be a plus starter and protect Daniel Jones’ blindside. Saquon Barkley will have great interior run blocking behind “hog mollies” Hernandez and Zeitler, but the Giants still have massive question-marks at center and right tackle.
New York Jets
Starters: LT Mekhi Becton / LG Alex Lewis / C Connor McGovern / RG Greg Van Roten / RT George Fant
2020 Continuity: 1-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 31st
Sack Rate: 30th
Yards Before Contact: 32nd
Penalties: 15th
Preview
After an abysmal 2019 season, the Jets completely overhauled their offensive line this summer with LG Alex Lewis being their only returning starter. McGovern (former Bronco), Van Roten (former Panther), and Fant (former Seahawk) were all signed in free agency -- but the big addition is obviously 11th overall pick Mekhi Becton. The Jets and Sam Darnold are hoping Becton immediately becomes the foundation of their line. Cosell was a big fan of Becton’s film saying that he “brings a rare combination of extraordinary size, mass, and length and more than functional athleticism and movement to LT. There are very few OT prospects with that profile… but Bryant McKinnie comes to mind.” And, Becton is already drawing rave reviews in training camp. Jets OL coach Frank Pollack said that Becton has “hit the ground running since he’s been here.” Even though Becton is exciting, it’s going to be very hard for HC Adam Gase to get this line to gel quickly with four new starters and a condensed camp.
Philadelphia Eagles
Starters: LT Andre Dillard / LG Isaac Seumalo / C Jason Kelce / RG Jason Peters / RT Lane Johnson
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 14th
Sack Rate: 11th
Yards Before Contact: 13th
Penalties: 20th
Preview
With Peters kicking inside to right guard from left tackle, Dillard making his first pro starts, and Brandon Brooks (Achilles) out for the season -- the Eagles offensive line is being reshuffled after back-to-back years of dominance. GM Howie Roseman made a luxury pick by taking Dillard at 22 overall in 2019 (and sniped the Texans in the process), but he only made one start in his rookie season. Even though Dillard will need some reps at LT and Peters move to RG remains to be seen, Johnson and Kelce remain the core of this line. Carson Wentz will still have above-average blocking even if Dillard and Peters don’t work out immediately.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Starters: LT Alejandro Villanueva / LG Stefen Wisniewski / C Maurkice Pouncey / RG David DeCastro / RT Matt Feiler
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 30th
Sack Rate: 12th
Yards Before Contact: 31st
Penalties: 5th
Preview
Pittsburgh has kept the core of their offensive line together for over five years and, once again, they are returning four of their five guys from 2019. Villanueva and DeCastro are All-Pro talents while Pouncey always gets Pro Bowl nods at center. With Ramon Foster retiring, the Steelers brought in Stefen Wisniewski to replace him. The Steelers run-blocking was really bad last year both in FootballOutsiders’ line yards and PFF’s yards before contact and will need to improve in 2020, but they certainly have the depth to mix and match their starting combinations. T Chukwuma Okorafor and G Zach Banner can fill in if Wisniewski and Feiler struggle at their starting spots. Pittsburgh uses six offensive linemen often and are 7 deep with their depth chart.
San Francisco 49ers
Starters: LT Trent Williams / LG Laken Tomlinson / C Weston Richburg / RG Tom Compton / RT Mike McGlinchey
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 8th
Sack Rate: 15th
Yards Before Contact: 4th
Penalties: 10th
Preview
After Joe Staley retired, the 49ers wasted no time replacing the future Hall-of-Famer with another HoF talent by trading for Trent Williams. 49ers beat Matt Maiocco said that Williams already looked dominant in training camp going up against Joey Bosa. Even though San Francisco had a ton of injuries upfront last year, HC Kyle Shanahan did a masterful job getting the efficiency that he did out of this unit. With veteran Tom Compton replacing Mike Person at right guard and Williams mauling at left tackle, there is a chance the 49ers offensive line is even better in 2020. Remember, the 49ers use 21 personnel (2 RB, 1 TE) more often than any team in the league (35%) with Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle as the lead blockers in the run game. Shanahan will continue to scheme up the best and most diverse run game in the NFL behind this talented line.
Seattle Seahawks
Starters: LT Duane Brown / LG Mike Iupati / C Ethan Pocic / RG Phil Haynes / RT Cedric Ogbuehi
2020 Continuity: 2-of-5 starters
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 16th
Sack Rate: 24th
Yards Before Contact: 11th
Penalties: 24th
Preview
While Brown brings the stability along their offensive line, the rest of the Seahawks line is an absolute mess. Seattle is replacing their center, right guard, and right tackle. Vets Brandon Shell and Cedric Ogbuehi will compete for the job at RT while Phil Haynes and their third-round pick Damien Lewis are in the running for the RG job. Ethan Pocic has barely played in 2018-19 after making 11 starts in his rookie season, but he is taking the first-team reps at center in camp over BJ Finney. OC Brian Schottenheimer uses six offensive linemen more often than any coach in the NFL and he certainly has a lot of options, but not many of them are very good.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Starters: LT Donovan Smith / LG Ali Marpet / C Ryan Jensen / RG Alex Cappa / RT Tristian Wirfs
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 23rd
Sack Rate: 22nd
Yards Before Contact: 28th
Penalties: 22nd
Preview
All of the Bucs’ key metrics don’t look special from last year, but they are poised to take a huge jump in 2020. Sacks are largely tied to the quarterback and Tom Brady (4.5% sack rate over the last three years) is obviously much better at sensing pressure and managing the pocket than Jameis Winston (7% sack rate). So, not only will Tampa have a better decision-maker, they are running four of their starters back from last season and will get a massive boost at right tackle with their 13th overall pick, Tristian Wirfs. At Iowa, Wirfs was a three-year starter. Even though he is a rookie, Wirfs has plenty of experience and it’ll help that Tampa will likely rely on 2-TE sets this season. Remember, Rob Gronkowski is one of the best blocking tight ends in NFL history and HC Bruce Arians will likely deploy Gronk on Wirfs’ side to help out if he struggles early on. The good news is that Brady’s blindside will be covered. Last year, Donovan Smith had his best season yet and if he continues improving, the Bucs’ might have the league’s most underrated left side between Smith and Marpet. Per PFF, Marpet graded out as the 13th-best guard in all of football last year. After years of struggling up front, GM Jason Licht has quietly put together a sound offensive line.
Tennessee Titans
Starters: LT Taylor Lewan / LG Rodger Saffold / C Ben Jones / RG Nate Davis / RT Dennis Kelly
2020 Continuity: 4-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 4th
Sack Rate: 32nd
Yards Before Contact: 23rd
Penalties: 29th (fourth-most)
Preview
Outside of losing RT Jack Conklin to the Browns this offseason, the Titans are running it back with the same exact ecosystem that worked so well last year. Kelly is projected to be the Week 1 starter at right tackle -- but there is a chance their 29th overall pick Isaiah Wilson pushes for the starting job at some point this year. Greg Cosell mentioned in his rookie reports that Wilson has a lot to clean up from a technical standpoint but his tape at Georgia showed fantastic movement skills. Wilson is a 6-6, 350lbs unit. Even if right tackle is a problem spot, Lewan is one of the most underrated left tackles in the NFL. Per PFF, Lewan allowed the second-fewest pressures among all tackles last year. Tennessee has built the foundation of their offense around run action (play-action and pounding Derrick Henry) and are perfectly poised to do it again in 2020.
Washington
Starters: LT Cornelius Lucas / LG Wes Schweitzer / C Chase Roullier / RG Brandon Scherff / RT Morgan Moses
2020 Continuity: 3-of-5 starters returning
Stats
Adjusted Line Yards: 18th
Sack Rate: 31st
Yards Before Contact: 26th
Penalties: 24th
Preview
After Trent Williams sat out for all of 2019 (holdout) and then finally got the trade he was looking for this offseason (49ers), Washington has a massive hole to fill at LT. Donald Penn started all 16 games at left tackle for the team last year but they are looking at Geron Christian or former-Bear Cornelius Lucas to protect Dwayne Haskins’ blindside now. If Washington’s line has any chance to perform above their talent-level, they’ll need the right side of the line to carry them. Scherff is a perennial Pro Bowl talent and Moses has been a consistent starter at right tackle. Still, this offensive line will struggle in 2020. Unless new OC Scott Turner uses quick throws, creates misdirection, or has multiple tight end looks up his sleeve for extra protection -- Haskins will be under pressure all year long.
OL Rankings
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- Washington
