Week 7 Offensive Line Rankings

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1. Dallas Cowboys (Previous Rank: 1) – The Cowboys offensive line didn’t have a great game overall, but it was good enough, and they were strong in pass pro. Not only are they on a five-game win streak, but they have also allowed single-digit pressures five straight games as well. The Cowboys remain number one in PA%, and their pass blocking had a lot to do with Dak’s great game. Penalties were also a problem as the O-line was called for nine of them (four on Williams). Their performance overall on the season still has this group at the number one overall spot thanks to the elite play of Smith and Martin who both had great games again vs. the Patriots. 
2. Cleveland Browns (Previous Rank: 2) – With Wirfs and Conklin out this past week it’s hard to ding the Browns, but they also did not have a bad game despite the outcome. The Browns biggest problem on offense right now is Baker. This o-line is 7th in PA% and despite having to start two backup tackles, they only allowed 10 pressures and no sacks. When healthy there is no doubt, the Browns still have an elite unit upfront. 
3. Washington Football Team (Previous Rank: 3) – Washington was another team whose offensive line played well in a blow-out loss. This group played well in both phases. They ran for 94 yards on 19 carries (4.9 YPC) and only allowed six pressures and no sacks. All of that while missing two starters in Scherff and Cosmi. Wes Schweitzer was in for Scherff at RG, and he has looked like one of the better guards in the NFL when he’s been called on to play. Cornelius Lucas got the start for Cosmi, and he has also been impressive in limited action so far. When factoring in their depth, WSH is starting to make a case they are the best offensive line in the NFL. 
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previous Rank: 4) – The Bucs offensive line is starting to hit its stride. They’ve been elite in pass pro all year but have improved in the run game and have had really solid outings run-blocking the past two weeks. They only allowed seven pressures vs. the Eagles, and had Cappa not allowed five of them, it would have been a lot less. The Bucs currently rank 3rd in PA% (16.6) and have only allowed three sacks all year. 
5. Los Angeles Rams (Previous Rank: 5) – The Rams beat up on a bad and injured Giants team just like the Cowboys did the week before, and this group played well as expected. They slipped up and allowed two sacks but only six pressures overall so still not bad. The Rams backs also rushed for 120 yards at a 4 YPC clip. Whitworth and Havenstein both played great and have emerged as the two best players on this line and pro-bowl contenders at the NFC tackle spot. The Rams are still the least penalized offensive line with four on the year and are top 10 in allowed pressures. 
6. San Francisco 49ers (Previous Rank: 6) – Bye Week 
7. Arizona Cardinals (Previous Rank: 7) – The Cardinals blew out the Browns, but they were a little shaky on the edges in this game as both Humphries and Beachum allowed three pressures and a sack. The interior guys held it down, and as a group, they only allowed 9 pressures and are still top five on the year in PA%. Max Garcia has been really good in Hudson’s absence. The Cardinals ran block well in this game as the team went for nearly 150 on better than 4 YPC. If this group can play consistently well in the run game, the Cardinals are going to be even tougher to deal with on offense. 
8. Los Angeles Chargers (Previous Rank: 10) – The Chargers got blown out 34-6, so one might think the line didn’t play well. However, they only allowed four pressures and one sack on 45 pass snaps, and all of that came from one man, Storm Norton. Norton has been bad all year and is among league leaders in most pressures allowed (24). However, the rest of the line played well, and the Chargers should rebound quickly in their next game. LA is now top 10 in PA%. In games where they can actually get rush attempts (only 11 rushes last week), they are one of the better run-blocking teams as well. Linsley, Slater, and Feiler are all playing at a high level which has propelled this unit into the top 10. 
9. Kansas City Chiefs (Previous Rank: 8) – The Chiefs made a lineup change at RT swapping out Mike Remmers for Lucas Niang. While Remmers wasn’t overly impressive in his first start as he allowed a sack and two pressures, he wasn’t bad either. I expect him to be an upgrade long-term over Niang, and based on last season, probably should have been starting from week one at RT. Overall, they allowed a lot of pressures vs. WSH (16) and two sacks. This group did play a lot better in the 2nd half which led to the offense as a whole playing better in the 2nd half. The Chiefs offensive line we saw in the send half is a top-10 caliber group, and they’ll need to play an entire game at a high level against better teams.  
10. Philadelphia Eagles (Previous Rank: 9) – The Eagles offensive line play was solid vs. Tampa. They held up for the most part against the most aggressive blitz-happy defense in the league. Dillard and Kelce struggled in pass pro. Dillard allowed five pressures, and Kelce allowed a sack. However, this offensive line can take pride in the fact they contributed to Philly being the first team to rush for 100 yards and over 4 YPC vs. Tampa. Philly also got good news that Lane Johnson is rejoining the team after missing three games with a personal issue. It’ll be interesting to see if the Eagles move Dillard to guard or to the bench with Johnson coming back. 
11. Baltimore Ravens (Previous Rank: 11) – The Ravens continue to play well as a group, but some of their success on offense can merely be chalked up to the excellence and athleticism of Lamar Jackson. This group doesn’t have anyone playing at a pro-bowl level, but they’ve been successful because they don’t have anyone playing poorly. Villanueva continued his streak of up and down games in pass pro as he has been great in games two, four, and six, and not so great to awful in games one, three, and five. Bozeman struggled in pass pro vs. the Chargers, but the rest of the line was solid to very good. Zeitler and Mekai are starting to emerge as the best players in this group. However, Villanuevea looks like their most talented player at his best but has been their worst performer at his worst. 
12. Cincinnati Bengals (Previous Rank: 14) – The Bengals offensive line has been one of the biggest surprise groups of 2021, and they had another good game vs. the Lions. They had a few bad penalties, but overall, they allowed only seven pressures and one sack. They also had one of their better run-blocking games which helped the Cincy backs rush for 125 yards on nearly 4.5 YPC. Jonah Williams had looked like he was going to be the best player in this group the majority of the season but Quinton Spain is starting to challenge him for that distinction after he played perhaps his best game of the season. He made PFF’s all-week team with a blocking grade second only to Zach Martin. Jackson Carman didn’t start the game due to an illness and when he did play, ended up having to leave the game after throwing up. Hill got his first start at RG, and while it wasn’t perfect and he made his share of mistakes, he did some good things and could push Carman for the job.      
13. Tennessee Titans (Previous Rank: 15) – The Titans o-line was solid in the run game, but a lot of the success on Monday night was simply a result of Henry’s greatness more so than elite run-blocking. However, the Titans are starting to find their groove in pass pro as they have allowed only seven pressures in back-to-back games. Lewan had a scary moment in the game and ended up being carted off, but it looks like he’ll be ok moving forward. While Lewan has only missed one game, He’s only played one game from start to finish without having to miss snaps. They need him to stay healthy because Lamm wasn’t that good in his absence. Quessenberry, Jones, and Saffold all had good games, and between the three, they only allowed two pressures. They are emerging as the most reliable players in this unit through six games.    
14. New York Jets (Previous Rank: 16) – Bye Week 
15. New England Patriots (Previous Rank: 13) – It’s hard to figure out what the Pats were doing on the O-line vs. the Cowboys. Wynn and Onwenu were back active off the Covid-19 list, but neither started. However, both ended up playing. Maybe Bill wanted to reward the offensive line that started last week for their performance, but as I said in last week’s rankings, you can’t overreact to a game vs. the Texans. Albeit in only nine snaps, Wynn didn’t look good when he was out there. Onwenu did, and he ended up playing most of the game at RT taking over for Yodny Cajuste. Given how well Karras has looked at guard, my guess is Onwenu is going to be playing RT until Brown gets back as it’s been a problem all year since Brown went down early in week one. Shaq Mason could also return for their next game. David Andrews had his best game of the season, and if he can play more like that moving forward, the Pats may have something if Wynn can start playing better. 
16. Green Bay Packers (Previous Rank: 12) – Green Bay won Sunday, but it was a struggle, and this offensive line’s inability to consistently keep Rodgers from being under pressure contributed. They allowed 12 pressures on just 30 pass snaps and Elgton Jenkins looked rusty in his first game back after returning from injury (allowed 4 pressures and a sack). Jenkins will play better as he gets back into the groove of things, and the return of Bakhtiari still looms.   
17. Indianapolis Colts (Previous Rank: 22) – Things could be turning around for the Colts offensive line. They’ve put together back-to-back good games, and Nelson could be back for their next game vs. the 49ers. Eric Fisher had his best game of the year, Glowinski has looked better the past few weeks after a rough start to the year, and Pryor has been a significant upgrade at RT over Davenport. Kelly still leaves a lot to be desired as a run-blocker this season, but he’s better in pass pro. A potential starting five of Fisher, Nelson, Kelly, Glowinski, and Pryor suddenly looks like a group with promise.
18. Buffalo Bills (Previous Rank: 18) – The Bills offensive line has played better since moving ford to the bench, kicking Williams inside to guard, and starting Brown at RT. Brown has at least been serviceable in pass pro, and Williams has only allowed four pressures in his three games at G compared to the 12 he allowed in three games at T. While no player in this group has played great overall on the season, they are getting solid play from Dawkins, Williams, Morse, and Feliciano, and Dawkins has been their best player overall.   
19. Atlanta Falcons (Previous Rank: 21) – Bye Week 
20. New Orleans Saints (Previous Rank: 19) – Bye Week 
21. Seattle Seahawks (Previous Rank: 20) – The Seahawks offensive line didn’t play great vs the Steelers, but a lot of offensive lines struggle vs. Pit. They allowed three sacks, eight pressures, and three TFL. Though there was some inconsistency, they blocked well enough overall to rush for 145 yards on over 5 YPC. This offensive line looks like they’ve settled into being a lower-tier middle-of-the-pack caliber group with Duane Brown’s play no longer at an elite level. Gabe Jackson is starting to look like the Seahawks best lineman in recent weeks. 
22. Chicago Bears (Previous Rank: 17) – It was assumed the Bears had turned the corner after putting together two good games in pass-pro for the first time all year in weeks four and five. But inconsistency reared its head again as this group struggled to block a middle-of-the-road Packers pass rush. They allowed 14 pressures and two sacks with most of the damage coming from Whitehair, who allowed two sacks and three pressures, and Wilkinson, who allowed 5 pressures. The one bright spot from the game was that Jason Peters played really well. Despite being nearly 40, He’s been one of the better tackles in the NFL and could get some pro-bowl consideration if he continues to play this way. 
23. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previous Rank: 24) – I never envisioned the Steelers offensive line being ranked this high in the rankings. However, a combination of injuries to better lines and some solid play in recent weeks has the arrow pointing up for this group. A combination of timely pass protection that fits what they're doing in the passing game and improved run-blocking has been the story for this group’s turn-around. Trai Turner is the veteran of this unit and the only player on the line with a resume worth mentioning, and he’s finally starting to play like it. He had his best game of the year allowing no sacks or pressures, and provided solid run-blocking. He’s been the best player on the line, and they need him to lead the way moving forward.   
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (Previous Rank: 29) – The Jags got their first win of the season, and the offensive line played well. They allowed two sacks but only seven pressures, and Cam Robinson had his best game of the year. Three Jagaurs linemen didn’t allow a single pressure. The loss of Linder was felt as Shatley allowed three pressures from the C position, but overall, the Jags have to be pleased with their performance. Norwell had another strong game and is starting to look like his old self again. 
25. Minnesota Vikings (Previous Rank: 27) – The Vikings had only had one reliable player upfront most of the year, but the arrival of Darrisaw is starting to change that. Min 2021 first-round pick got his first taste of NFL action off the bench last week and made his first start this week. It’s a small sample size, but he’s looked good so far, only allowing one pressure on 69 pass snaps. They still have a weak interior, but if Darrisaw can solidify the LT spot where Hill was their worst starter, then the Vikings could have a serviceable offensive line moving forward. 
26. Carolina Panthers (Previous Rank: 26) – The Panthers offensive line continues to struggle in pass pro. They allowed 14 pressures and three sacks in their loss to the Vikings. It may have been the first time in sports history where a team had Michael Jordan at guard and it was a bad thing. Jordan replaced Daley at LG after he got hurt and proceeded to give up three sacks on the day.  
27. Denver Broncos (Previous Rank: 25) – It was a disastrous game for the Broncos offensive line in their loss to the Raiders Sunday. Even with good games from Bolles and Risner, this group allowed 18 pressures and six sacks. The Raiders defensive line generates the most pressure in the NFL, but anytime an O-line allows six sacks and nearly 20 pressures it’s a bad day regardless of opponent. This line hasn’t played a good game as a whole since their week three win over the lowly Jets.     
28. Las Vegas Raiders (Previous Rank: 31) – The Raiders offensive line played their best game of the season and amid turmoil and scandal at that. They allowed fewer than 10 pressures for the first time all season. Leatherwood finally looked like an NFL-caliber player in his second start at RG, and that’ll probably be where he plays the rest of the season. 
29. Detroit Lions (Previous Rank: 30) – The Lions got blown out by the Bengals but the offensive line showed some improvement from the previous week. Sewell played his best game of the season (perhaps he was motivated by our criticism last week). Evan Brown is no Ragnow, but he had a solid game, and even Jonah Jackson held up in pass pro. I still don’t believe you can rely on this offensive line for consistency. 
30. Houston Texans (Previous Rank: 23) – Injuries have left the Texans offensive line decimated, and they had their worst performance of the year vs. the Colts. With Tunsil and Cannon out, this unit just isn’t the same. The team still can’t run block, and Heck allowed four pressures at RT. Christian was solid in relief of Tunsil as he allowed no sacks or pressures. Overall, this group just lacks enough talent with those two out. 
31. New York Giants (Previous Rank: 28) – The good news is Nate Solder had his best game of the year. Perhaps the talk of fans wanting him replaced by Peart gaining steam motivated him to play better. The bad news is Andrew Thomas got hurt again and is now on IR and will miss a minimum of three weeks. The Giants allowed 16 pressures and five sacks in their blow-out loss to the Rams, and with their only offensive lineman that has played well this season out, things could get really bad for this group. 
32. Miami Dolphins (Previous Rank: 32) – The Dolphins had another poor showing in pass pro this week. They allowed 19 pressures, but at this point, the Dolphins coaching staff needs to take some blame. We know the Dolphins are the worst pass-blocking unit in the league, yet they insist on throwing the air out of the ball every week. The game vs. the Jags was close throughout, and they even lead at halftime, so they don’t have the trailing argument this week. It was Tua’s first game back, and they had 52 pass snaps to 18 run snaps. They lead the league in pass play % at nearly 74% and are just not doing anything to help this group out.