NFL Offensive Line Rankings 2024

 

Don't Care About O-Line? You Should

Offensive line? *YAWN*

If that's your reaction ... reconsider.

Your fantasy league uses QBs and RBs, right?

Well, have you ever seen a RB gain yards with no blocking? Or a QB throw from his back?

O-line play isn't the main driver of fantasy production, but it's an element worth digging into as you look for any edge possible.

More on that below ...

2023 Offensive Line Performance

Before jumping into 2024, let's review the state of O-lines from last season.

Just How Impactful is O-line Play?

Our own Jared Smola looked at the positional correlation between performance in the trenches and fantasy production.

The conclusion: RBs are affected most by O-line play. Then it's QB, followed by the pass catchers.

 

Offensive Line Rankings 2024

Consider these offensive line rankings fluid.

Training camp hasn't opened yet, and many starting spots are up for grabs.

That's why we'll update the rankings later this summer.

So, entering training camp, here's how our offensive line rankings for 2024 shake out:

Best Offensive Line NFL 2024 (Tier 1)

1. Detroit Lions

Led by RT Penei Sewell, this unit remained highly effective in 2023. 

Check this out: 

Among 36 RBs with 150+ carries, Jahmyr Gibbs tied for first in yards before contact per attempt (2.6). Sure, some of that stems from his elusiveness. But this O-line also ranked second in Pro Football Focus’ run block grade. 

On the pass blocking side, Sewell and LT Taylor Decker were the only teammates to finish top eight in pass block win rate.

The Lions return four of five starters, with veteran RG Kevin Zeitler sliding into Jonah Jackson’s spot. Last year, Zeitler, 34, showed that he remains an impactful pass protector.

The infrastructure remains ideal for guys like Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery to deliver fantasy numbers.

 

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Established O-Lines (Tier 2)

Beyond Detroit, these are the units best positioned to elevate an offense.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Among 30 qualifiers, Patrick Mahomes ranked sixth in time to throw last year (3.00 seconds). 

In the same sample, only Josh Allen had a lower pressure-to-sack rate.

Credit Mahomes for his escapability – but show some love to Kansas City’s O-line, too. He remains well protected by an interior of LG Joe Thuney, C Creed Humphrey, and RG Trey Smith. 

Spotlight on LT

All eyes will be on the LT battle, where second-year man Wanya Morris will compete with rookie Kingsley Suamataia. 

"In the middle of the season he [Morris] got an opportunity there [with] some good, some bad," GM Brett Veach said early this offseason. "If you look at his body of work last year, I think on one end you're happy that he was able to come in at the pro level and be competitive. It wasn't perfect but it also was solid play that I think is a good foundation to build and grow on. 

"He's got to come in here and win that position [and] I think it's our job to go out there and find competition for that left tackle spot. I think that there's a lot of promise in there and there's a lot of ability, but certainly I think it's our job to bring in some competition there and make him earn that and work for it."

Note that both Morris and Suamataia have college experience at RT and LT.

At bottom, the line looks like an asset for both Mahomes and Isiah Pacheco.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles lost long-time center Jason Kelce, but they planned for this by selecting 2022 Round 2 pick Cam Jurgens.

LT (Jordan Mailata), LG (Landon Dickerson), and RT (Lane Johnson) are locked into starting spots. Tyler Steen enters training camp as the likely RG. 

2023 was a developmental year for the Round 3 pick. After all, he spent time at OT (and DL) in college. Still, he brings the length and athleticism to develop into a viable starter under legendary position coach Jeff Stoutland.

Keep in mind: This will be Saquon Barkley’s best O-line. Last year, he was tackled for a loss on 15.3% of his carries – the second-highest rate in a 36 RB sample.

4. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons feature a nice blend of youth and experience.

Talent, too, with four of the five starters either Round 1 or Round 2 picks. 

Last year, the combo of LT Jake Matthews, RT Kaleb McGary, C Drew Dalman, LG Matthew Bergeron, and RG Chris Lindstrom played nearly 80% of the team’s snaps together – fourth most in the league.

It’s an ideal group for Kirk Cousins, whose mobility will be under the microscope.

5. Indianapolis Colts

O-line coach Tony Sparano Jr. completely revitalized this unit in 2023, guiding top-seven finishes in PFF run and pass block grade.

They return all five starters: LT Bernhard Raimann, LG Quenton Nelson, C Ryan Kelly, RG Will Fries, and RT Braden Smith. Smith underwent offseason knee surgery after playing through pain in 2023. He’s expected to be fully healthy ahead of Week 1. 

A cohesive unit only strengthens the upside case for Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor. 

6. Cleveland Browns

The Browns return the same five starters: LT Jedrick Wills, LT Joel Bitonio, C Ethan Pocic, RG Wyatt Teller, and RT Jack Conklin.

There’s no question on the talent side. But can they stay healthy? Conklin missed almost all of last season with an ACL tear. Wills missed nine games with a severe MCL sprain.

When together, Cleveland’s O-line continuity can shine both in run and pass blocking. Just note: After four seasons, they lost top O-line coach Bill Callahan to Tennessee.

 

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Above Average O-Lines (Tier 3)

These O-lines generally have a projected weak spot. But overall, this group should supply a slight boost to the skill positions. 

7. Los Angeles Rams

8. Los Angeles Chargers

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

10. Houston Texans

11. Minnesota Vikings

 

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Average O-lines (Tier 4)

These teams are currently unsettled or unproven at multiple spots. However, they carry a roster with the potential to trot out a functional unit -- a net neutral for fantasy production.

12. Green Bay Packers

13. Buffalo Bills

14. Dallas Cowboys

15. San Francisco 49ers

16. Baltimore Ravens

17. Cincinnati Bengals

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

19. Chicago Bears

20. Arizona Cardinals

21. Las Vegas Raiders

22. Jacksonville Jaguars

 

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Concerning O-lines (Tier 5)

Think about the 2023 Jets or Giants – units that accentuated already-huge issues on offense. Similar downside risk arises for the following units:

23. New York Jets

The Jets added pieces along the O-line in LT Tyron Smith, LG John Simpson, and RT Morgan Moses. Age and durability concerns follow Smith and Moses. Simpson is coming off a career-best season, although he hasn’t proven consistent as a pro.

We're not worried about the impact on Breece Hall's production. But it's fair to question the durability of this group when they're tasked with protecting a 40-year-old post Achilles tear.

24. Tennessee Titans

The left side looks appealing here, with two Round 1 picks (rookie JC Latham and LG Peter Skoronski). Lloyd Cushenberry anchors the center spot after inking a pricy free agent deal.

It’s the right side where issues may arise. Saahdiq Charles and Nicholas Petit-Frere appear most likely to slot in at RG and RT, respectively. Both guys bring a poor resume, both in run and pass blocking grade.

Petit-Frere also missed time last year with a shoulder injury.

Coaching Upgrade

New OL coach Bill Callahan adds a proven developer of talent – but do we see it right away?

Issues up front could affect Calvin Ridley’s ability to excel downfield. Last year, Will Levis posted the seventh highest pressure to sack rate in the NFL (min. 250 dropbacks). 

The names ahead of him:

• Ryan Tannehill
• Bryce Young 
• Zach Wilson
• Jake Browning
• Sam Howell
• Desmond Ridder

25. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle's breaking in a new OC (Ryan Grubb) and O-line coach (Scott Huff). Neither have NFL coaching experience.

OTs Abe Lucas and Charles Cross supply a solid tackle duo, but the interior spots are far from settled. Their ability to handle interior pressure will be key in getting Geno Smith to play closer to his 2022 form.

26. Denver Broncos

Denver lost starting center Lloyd Cushenberry, who signed a big-money deal in Tennessee. That might force rookie QB Bo Nix to take snaps from Luke Wattenberg, who’s never started an NFL game at center.

27. Carolina Panthers

After signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in free agency, the Panthers rank third in O-line spending (per Over the Cap).

But can Ikem Ekwonu improve as a pass-protector? And can transitioning guard Austin Corbett deliver at center after missing most of last season with a knee injury? 

We like the hiring of HC Dave Canales, formerly the Bucs' OC. Still, there's no doubt his current environment is a couple of steps down from Tampa Bay's.

28. New York Giants

The '23 Giants ranked last in sack rate (16.41%).

They tried upgrading the O-line in free agency with LG Jermaine Eluemunor and RT Jon Runyan. But the focus will be on RT Evan Neal, who’s severely underperformed as a top-10 pick. He’s also coming off surgery for a left foot fracture.

We're not particularly interest in any Giants at cost. Daniel Jones is at least a low-risk QB3 in superflex formats.

29. Miami Dolphins

LT Terron Armstead considered retirement this offseason but returns for year 12. He's missed 4+ games in each of the past three seasons.

Along the interior, Miami will look to patch a huge hole left by current Panther Robert Hunt. 

We'd have concern for Tua and the run game if they weren't led by one of the NFL's top minds: Mike McDaniel.

A quick-strike offense has helped Tua post some of the quickest time-to-throw numbers in the league (2.52 seconds in 2022; 2.33 in 2023). The result? Under McDaniel, Miami's ranked top-three in yards per play in consecutive seasons.

30. New England Patriots

The Steelers benched new LT Chukwuma Okorafor around mid-season of 2023. Meanwhile, LG Cole Strange is rehabbing a torn patellar tendon.

Elsewhere, it remains to be seen if Michael Onwenu will stick at RT … or kick inside to get Round 3 pick Caedan Wallace on the field.

It's an unsettled unit that's already breaking in a new OC (Alex Van Pelt) and (eventually) Round 1 QB Drake Maye.

31. Washington Commanders

O-line play might be the top reason to reel in expectations for Jayden Daniels. Or maybe it'll be reason for him to maintain a high scramble rate...

After all, 33-year-old journeyman Cornelius Lucas appears on track to start on the blindside. He's never been a full-season LT.

LG Nick Allegretti and C Tyler Biadasz arrived in free agency, but they're not needle movers.

 

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Worst Offensive Line NFL 2024

The worst offensive line in the NFL can be a factor of durability. Consider last year, when the Giants trotted out seven different starting combinations.

It’s no wonder they finished last in our weighted composite rankings for 2023 (see image above).

This leads into our call for worst offensive line, 2024: New Orleans.

32. New Orleans Saints

The Saints are potentially looking at three new starters. In theory, that’s OK after they finished 25th or worse in PFF’s blocking grades.

The issue: On paper, this unit doesn’t inspire confidence.

Round 1 OT Taliese Fuaga brings a ton of power and pass-block polish. But after playing RT at Oregon State, he’s looking at a transition to the left. 

RT Ryan Ramczyk might miss the entire season due to a knee injury. He missed OTAs/minicamp.

LG is another spot to watch, as Nick Saldiveri projects to start. The 2023 Round 4 pick saw only 18 snaps as a rookie.

This unit is a clear troublespot, particularly as new OC Klint Kubiak installs an offense with outside zone and play-action concepts. 

Call us stubborn, but Kendre Miller remains a top RB target. His talent and workload potential are enough to consider in the double-digit rounds – despite an unproven O-line. 

He recently made our list of fantasy football sleepers.

 

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