Top Offensive Lines in Football

I want to break down the NFL by position over the next week or so. A couple of years ago NFL Live did this by ranking the teams at each position. I will do the same giving the Top 10 Offensive Lines, Defensive Lines, Linebacker Units, Secondaries, Receiving Corps, Running Backs, Special Teams and Quarterbacks. Clearly all of this is on paper and many teams will sneak up on us. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Offensive Lines going into the 2008 season.

 

 

#10 – Cleveland Browns (AFC North)

What a difference a year makes. The Browns were one of the worst offensive lines in the league between 2004 and 2006. One very good offseason later I have the Browns in the top 10. The Browns ran for 118 yards per game last year and allowed only 19 sacks. They could easily be ranked much higher but with this whole team I am taking a cautious stance. I gotta see it twice. They are set up though. Kevin Shaffer hasn’t missed a game at right tackle in four years. Hank Fraley is a former pro-bowler and a starter since 2001 at center. Eric Steinbach has missed one game in four years. Joe Thomas could easily have been rookie of the year if only left tackle were a more glory filled position. The one question mark may be Ryan Tucker at right-guard as he has never started a full season. If these guys play to their potential the Browns offense should continue to grow.

 

 

#9 Denver Broncos (AFC West)

As much as many people feel the Denver running game has taken a step back, they ran for more than four and a half yards per carry and over 122 yards per game. The line also allowed less than two sacks per game. The Broncos defense is far more to blame for the lack of rhythm and production in Denver than the offensive line or the system. Which is why they are ranked this high. From center to right tackle all three guys started every game last year. Casey Wiegmann did so for the Chiefs. Between there and Chicago he has started 163 straight games. Tom Nalen could still start at center if healthy, and many feel he is a future Hall-of-Famer. Ben Hamilton returns from injury at left guard, where he is a long time Bronco Fave. Ryan Clady was the first Left Tackle taken in the 2008 draft. The Broncos will miss Matt Lepsis at left tackle as he is another future Hall-of-Famer who retired in the off-season.

 

 

#8 Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East)

This is arguably the strength of the Eagles offensive squadron. The tackle positions probably need to get younger in the future, but for now William Thomas and Jon Runyan are one of the better tackle combos in the league. Shawn Andrews and Jamaal Jackson are young and very good at Right Guard and Center respectively. Todd Herremans needs to play better at the left guard position but there is upward mobility there. The Eagles O-Line will look very good as long as Winston Justice doesn’t have to play the Giants.

 

 

#7 San Diego Chargers (AFC West)

Just look at Madden 2008. They’re all over 90 OVR. More to the point, they allowed only 24 sacks last year and ran for over 127 yards per game. They’re all back too, which is the main reason the Chargers are one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. McNeill, Hardwick, Dielman and Goff are all proven pro-bowl caliber players. Jeromey Clary at the Right Tackle is probably the biggest wild card, but showed very good potential last season.

 

 

#6 Indianapolis Colts (AFC South)

The Colts have given up fewer sacks than anybody in the league over the past five years. This is because they are excellent at drafting. Ugoh, Lilja, Saturday, Johnson and Diem are all home grown talents. Everytime they need somebody to step in and do the job, they have that guy ready. Ugoh was the best example of this last year. You can’t put up the kind of numbers the Colts have for nearly a decade now without solid O-Line work.

 

 

#5 New England Patriots (AFC East)

Some people are gonna have a problem with this. I understand their point. You can’t break every NFL offensive record imaginable without having a special offensive line. This team is proven to do one thing really well and that is pass block. I’m not so convinced that they are a great run blocking team. I would think Bill Belichick may agree with me. Why else did he become so pass happy last year? They only ranked 13th in the league in rushing per game. That is not entirely on the line because they weren’t asked to run block. If they prove more balanced this year I would consider myself proven wrong.

 

 

#4 New York Giants (NFC East)

This unit was one of the more surprising of the 2007 season and one of the biggest reasons the Giants won the Super Bowl. The Giants ran for nearly 130 yards per game and gave up less than 30 sacks despite having one of the most sackable quarterbacks in the league. David Diehl came into the season very heavily scrutinized and finally proved he was worthy of being a starting left tackle in the league. Seubert, O’Hara and Snee also vastly over-performed what many thought they were capable of. Kareem McKenzie is the veteran of the group and clearly had a very calming influence over his less experienced brethren. Not bad considering no first round picks, two undrafted free agents and one coach’s son in law.

 

 

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North)

Alan Faneca is going to be a huge loss. Yet, I think the Steelers should continue to do what they do best, excel in the trenches. There’s not a big name on the list but the Steelers have always excelled at filling their holes on the offensive line and I suspect this year will be no different. Smith, Hartwig and Simmons are reliable starters in the league. I think Willie Colon and Sean Mahey will fit into the Steelers running system perfectly. Pass blocking is a bigger worry, but Big Ben makes that pretty easy for his front guys.

 

David Garrard had a great season last year. Fred Taylor had a great season last year. Maurice

#2 Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South)

Jones-Drew had a great season last year. You can’t have all of these guys excel without the blockers being special. This team won a playoff game last year and still only had a pro-bowler because Willie Parker’s injury allowed Taylor to get in. So if I list the names Barnes,Manuwai,Meester,Williams and Pashos I won’t be too surprised if they don’t really register with many. This group is big,mean and physical and represent a throw back to the way football used to be played between the numbers. They dominated the Steelers front seven for much of the playoff game and held up well against the Patriots. This team is missing something but it is not on the line.

 

 

#1 Minnesota Vikings (NFC North)

It’s hard to judge their pass blocking because their quarterback is so inexperienced and at times inept. This team wants it’s identity to be the running game and no line in the league is even close to the Vikings at doing that. They are the only team in the NFL to run for more than five yards per carry  and had nearly a half yard more per run than any other team in the league. They had nearly 20 more yards per game than the other teams. Maybe the best left tackle in the league in Bryant McKinnie. Maybe the best left guard in the league in Steve Hutchinson. Maybe the best center in the league in Matt Birk. If they can continue to dominate and Jackson improves at QB this is a legitimate threat in the NFC.

- raiderhater, Senior Contributer at 3rd & Short and Owner of raiderhater.wordpress.com