Football Outsiders: Ranking the OLs 1-16

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No position in football is as tough to evaluate as the offensive line. If you want to know which guard in the NFL is the best, there aren't a lot of handy stats to tell you who had the most pancake blocks or who gave up the most sacks.

But at Football Outsiders, we do have a few statistics we use to evaluate offensive lines as a whole. With Adjusted Line Yards, we give the offensive line credit for the first few yards a running back gains, but we assume that the running back deserves credit for anything he gets after the first 10 yards. With Power Success, we credit the offensive line when a team has a successful run on third or fourth down with a yard or two to go. With Adjusted Sack Rate, teams are judged by their sacks per pass attempt adjusted for opponent, down, and distance. Those stats from 2006 are found here.

We use those stats — as well as our opinions from watching the games, and our thoughts about top rookies and free agents — to rank the 32 NFL teams in order of the quality of their offensive lines. Our rank from a year ago is in parentheses. As you'll see, there has been a lot of upheaval in the order of the league's offensive lines over the last 12 months, particularly in the AFC West.

1. San Diego Chargers (13) Already very good before the 2006 season, the Chargers' line turned into the best unit in the league with the addition of left tackle Marcus McNeill. Everyone thought D'Brickashaw Ferguson, selected by the Jets with the fourth pick in 2006, was the best lineman in last year's draft, but if their rookie years were any indication, McNeill is the one who's going to have the truly great career.

Right tackle Shane Olivea is a solid run blocker, though nowhere near the naturally gifted talent McNeill is. Mike Goff and Kris Dielman are a good pair of guards and help cover for center Nick Hardwick, the weak spot on the line. Hardwick sometimes struggles against bigger defensive tackles, but there's no shame in being the weak spot of the best offensive line in football.

The only question about the Chargers' line is whether it has the depth to withstand an injury. Last year the five starters on the line combined to miss just one game. Cory Withrow, a one-time starter for the Minnesota Vikings, is the backup center and can play guard in a pinch. Roman Oben, the 12-year veteran best known in San Diego as the return on the last draft pick acquired in the Eli Manning-Philip Rivers trade, backs up both tackles.

2. New England Patriots (7) When it's third-and-1 and the Patriots absolutely have to have a yard, there's no better line in the league. Guard Logan Mankins, especially, is outstanding when the Patriots need a hard push in shot-yardage situations. Left tackle Matt Light and Right tackle Nick Kaczur are extremely talented, and the Patriots have a sleeper backup in Wesley Britt, who started one game last year — a game in which the Patriots had their best rushing total since 1993 and Tom Brady wasn't sacked.

How do the Patriots do it? The personnel department has done a great job identifying offensive line talent (how many other teams identified college wrestler Stephen Neal as a future NFL offensive lineman?) and assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia is one of the best in the business.

3. Chicago Bears (18) It's a real credit to left tackle John Tait and right tackle Fred Miller that the Bears ranked fifth in Adjusted Sack Rate, because quarterback Rex Grossman often has a tough time reading opposing defenses — meaning that when he does get sacked, it's more his fault than his line's.

The Bears also ranked third in power success, which is a tribute to the middle of the line, especially center Olin Kreutz. Guard Ruben Brown is 35 years old but is coming off one of his best seasons. The other guard, Roberto Garza, is very quick for a 310-pounder.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (2) The Bengals lost guard Eric Steinbach to free agency, and that's a big loss. But this line still has an incredible amount of talent. Right tackle Willie Anderson may be the league's best run blocker, and left tackle Levi Jones is an excellent pass blocker. Unfortunately, Jones started only five games because of injuries, and Carson Palmer was knocked to the ground after passing 56 times, more than any other quarterback in the league. With a healthy Jones this year, that number should decline dramatically.

The middle of the line — left guard Andrew Whitworth, center Eric Ghiaciuc and right guard Bobbie Williams — is big and strong, though there's no one with Steinbach's quickness. Free agent addition Alex Stepanovich will challenge Ghiaciuc, and longtime backup Stacy Andrews will get a shot at a starting guard spot in training camp. Andrews is a freakish athletic talent who played just five games of college football but has shown signs that he might be ready to get on the field.

5. Minnesota Vikings (8) Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinnie are a very good — and very expensive — left side. Quarterback Tavaris Jackson will feel confident knowing that he won't have much pressure coming from his blind side, and that's a huge comfort for a young quarterback.

After missing all of 2005, center Matt Birk started all 16 games in 2006 and made the Pro Bowl. He is one of the best centers in the game when he's healthy. Right guard Artis Hicks is a decent player, but nowhere near as talented as Hutchinson. Throw in right tackle Ryan Cook, and the right side of the Vikings' line isn't nearly as strong as the left. Cook is the line's biggest wild card. He played center at New Mexico, and the Vikings thought he'd spend the season on the bench when they chose him in the second round last year, but he had to move into the starting lineup when right tackle Marcus Johnson got hurt. Cook showed enough promise that he's expected to hang onto the job now that Johnson is healthy, but no matter which one of them wins the battle, right tackle will be the unit's weakness.

 

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6. Jacksonville Jaguars (21) The addition of right tackle Tony Pashos, formerly of the Ravens, was one of the best overlooked free-agent signings of the NFL off-season. Pashos is a tough blocker with a bit of a mean streak, and he should help the Jaguars' running game. Last year's starter at right tackle, Maurice Williams, is expected to move to the bench. Starting left tackle Khalif Barnes is talented, although the Jaguars aren't happy with his off-field conduct, which includes a drunk driving arrest that got him benched for a game last season.

The middle of the line is solid, with Brad Meester at center and Vince Manuwai and Chris Naeole at guard. That strong middle is the reason the Jaguars ranked second in the league in Adjusted Line Yards last year. Manuwai signed a contract extension this off-season, and there have been reports that Naeole is upset with his deal, but that's just about the only bad news on the Jacksonville offensive line front.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (16) Shawn Andrews is the league's best guard, and he makes a huge difference to Brian Westbrook and the rest of the running game. The other guard, Todd Herremans, is probably the weakest point on the Eagles' line, but he is strong in blocking straight ahead. Jamaal Jackson, a 330-pound center, showed a lot of promise in 2006, his first full season as a starter.

Left tackle William Thomas and right tackle Jon Runyan are smart, experienced players who are tasked with the extremely important — and challenging — job of keeping Donovan McNabb upright. The Eagles have great young talent in backups Winston Justice and Max Jean-Gilles, although there have been concerns about work ethic for both.

8. St. Louis Rams (28) Orlando Pace can't last forever, but for now he's still a solid left tackle. The only question is whether he can stay healthy. Marc Bulger's numbers collapsed after Pace got hurt, missing eight games with a torn triceps.

Right tackle Alex Barron is a tremendous talent who still makes too many mistakes. On his best days he's one of the best linemen in the league; on his worst days he's a real liability. If the Rams can get him to play consistently, they'll have a great player on their hands.

Andy McCollum and Brett Romberg will have a training camp battle for the starting center job, with the 37-year-old McCollum expected to win the job after missing 15 games to injury last year. Although all of the injuries in 2006 made it a tough season for the Rams' offensive line, they were pleased with the way guard Richie Incognito played. He'll start at one guard spot, and the other will be another training camp battle, between Mark Setterstrom and Claude Terrell. One young sleeper to watch is Jeremy Parquet, who got rave reviews for the way he played for the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa.

9. Indianapolis Colts (3) The Colts are the hardest offensive line to evaluate. For one thing, a quarterback as adept at recognizing the pass rush as Peyton Manning is guaranteed to have a low sack rate no matter who the offensive linemen in front of him are. For another, the Colts' running game doesn't face as many eight-man fronts as other teams' — again, thanks to Manning, as well as receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison.

On the other hand, in fairness to the Colts' line, it's hard for 300-pound guys to play in the no-huddle: Those big guys wear out quickly, and the huddle gives them a breather, and the Colts don't huddle. And from a mental standpoint, it's probably hard for the Colts' linemen to keep track of all their assignments while Manning is constantly changing things at the line of scrimmage.

The Colts made two intriguing moves in the off-season to bolster their line, bringing back guard Rick DeMulling, who played for them from 2001 to 2004 before leaving for two seasons with the Lions, and trading up in the draft to add tackle Tony Ugoh. Both are likely to spend most of the season on the bench, but they give the Colts better depth than they've had in the past.

Center Jeff Saturday and left tackle Tarik Glenn are the strong points of the Colts' line, although its strongest point is line coach Howard Mudd, who has the unit run the Colts' stretch running play to perfection. Mudd is the main reason this is a Top 10 line.

 

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10. Denver Broncos (1) Can left tackle Matt Lepsis return to form after a torn ACL cut short his 2006 season? That's the biggest question facing the offensive line in Denver. Lepsis hadn't missed a game since 1998, and the Broncos greatly missed him when he went down for the season in the sixth game. Mike Shanahan's decision to draft Notre Dame left tackle Ryan Harris in the third round this year is an indication that he doesn't plan on having the 33-year-old Lepsis around much longer. Harris started all 45 games of his Notre Dame career and should be ready to play as a rookie, though not at the high level the Broncos have come to expect from Lepsis.

Center Tom Nalen is 36, and he can't last much longer either. The departure of Nalen and Lepsis will mark the end of an era for Denver, which has had one of the league's best offensive lines for most of the last decade but is starting to decline up front. The ideal scenario for Shanahan would be having Nalen and Lepsis continue to play at a high level for at least another year, allowing Harris to start at right tackle as a rookie before moving to left tackle when Lepsis retires. If Harris isn't ready to go right away, the Broncos will resort to starting Adam Meadows — who has played just three games in the last three years — at right tackle. That could be trouble.

Ben Hamilton has started every game at left guard the last five years and will be back again in 2007, but Cooper Carlisle, who started every game the last two years, signed with the Raiders in the off-season. Chris Kuper and Montrae Holland will compete to replace Carlisle at right guard.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (11) Guard Alan Faneca still plays at a high level, although he's been vocal about his unhappiness with his contract. If that affects his play on the field, the Steelers will suffer. Kendall Simmons starts at the other guard spot. The retirement of Jeff Hartings, one of the league's best drive-blocking centers, makes it an open competition in training camp. Look for free-agent addition Sean Mahan to win that job over Chukky Okobi.

Marvel Smith is a solid player at left tackle, and Max Starks is expected to beat out Willie Colon to hang onto the right tackle job. Ben Roethlisberger looked very shaky last season, and it's imperative that the tackles give him plenty of time to pass this year.

12. Baltimore Ravens (20) The loss of right tackle Tony Pashos was big, and the Ravens will have to replace him with Adam Terry, who isn't as good a run blocker. If the Ravens' running game can't get going despite the addition of Willis McGahee, that's why. Baltimore is also expected to have a new starter at right guard, but it's not clear whether first-round draft pick Ben Grubbs can win the job or if he'll spend some time on the bench behind Chris Chester.

It's also possible that Chester could move to center and beat out Mike Flynn for the starting spot. The one certainty in the middle of the Ravens' line is that left guard Jason Brown, entering his third NFL season, has a lot of talent. He was inconsistent last season, his first as a starter, but he has the potential to become a Pro Bowl player. Playing next to him is left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who knows a little something about Pro Bowls. Ogden is one of the all-time greats, and he still has a few good years left in him.

The addition of supplemental draft pick Jared Gaither, a big and athletic tackle from Maryland, probably won't mean much this season but gives the Ravens an infusion of young talent — and it might have given the Ravens' Ogden's successor.

 

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13. Washington Redskins (6) Legendary offensive line coach Joe Bugel has done good work in his second stint with the Redskins. The line did a nice job of protecting young quarterback Jason Campbell last season, and the running game played at a much higher level than anyone could have predicted after Clinton Portis went down.

The loss of guard Derrick Dockery to free agency will hurt, though. Todd Wade will replace Dockery in the starting lineup, and that's a step down, especially in run blocking. Casey Rabach is a good center and Randy Thomas is a tough run-blocking guard, so Dockery's departure won't devastate the middle of the line.

Left tackle Chris Samuels made his fourth Pro Bowl last year, and right tackle Jon Jansen had a good season despite playing with a leg injury. A serious injury to either one of their tackles would be a huge loss to the Redskins, as there isn't much depth behind them.

14. Miami Dolphins (9) Can Vernon Carey be an effective left tackle? That might be the biggest question in Miami this season, because if the Dolphins don't adequately protect Trent Green's blind side, it's going to be a long season for new head coach Cam Cameron. Carey sometimes struggles against speed pass rushers.

L.J. Shelton is expected to start at right tackle, and he's one of those players who never quite plays as well as he looks like he should. See him line up in his stance and you think he's a natural to be an NFL tackle, but too often he gets overpowered once the play starts.

The good news is that second-round draft pick Samson Satele is extremely talented and looks like he'll be ready to start immediately at center. And both guards, Chris Liwienski and Rex Hadnot, are good run blockers.

15. Atlanta Falcons (10) New head coach Bobby Petrino wanted the offensive line to get bigger, and by drafting Justin Blalock of Texas in the second round, the Falcons did that. Blalock is a 330-pounder who played tackle in college, but he's expected to start at left guard for Atlanta this year. He should be ready to play effectively right away. The other guard will be Kynan Forney, who was hampered by a shoulder injury last year but is a good run blocker when healthy.

Tackles Wayne Gandy and Todd Weiner have an extremely difficult job because quarterback Michael Vick holds the ball so long, always thinking he can make a play with his feet. That results in a lot of highlight-reel runs for Vick but also a lot of drive-killing sacks. If either injury or the dog fighting investigation causes Vick to miss playing time, the tackles' job will change dramatically, as backup Joey Harrington is a pocket passer who always gets the ball away quickly — often too quickly.

16. Seattle Seahawks (4) In 2005 the Seahawks had the best line in football, but Walter Jones declined in 2006, and they missed free agent departure Steve Hutchinson. Now they're pretty much a middle-of-the-road unit.

Rob Sims is a decent starter at left guard, but "decent" is nowhere near as good as Hutchinson was for the Seahawks. Center Chris Spencer is recovering from shoulder surgery, and there have been concerns about whether he reads defenses well enough to make the proper line calls.

The right side of the line is a crapshoot. Chris Gray is expected to start at right guard, but he's 37 years old. Sean Locklear started 10 games at right tackle and will open the season as the starter there, but he's nothing more than adequate as a run blocker. Ray Willis has played guard and tackle and could challenge for a starting job on the right side.