After months of waiting and anticipating, the NFL season arrived. In a blink, it feels like the season is flying by. Week 9 signals the halfway point for the 2024 regular season, and it’s time to check in on the offensive line rankings in the form of midseason awards.
One of the edges we try to provide fantasy managers at PlayerProfiler is a consistent pulse on offensive line play throughout the NFL. Whether it is a preseason ranking to help fantasy managers in their drafts or our biweekly ranking updates throughout the season, fantasy managers always have access to the best offensive line data.
This article will dive deeper into some of the individual and group performances from offensive lines this season. Below are the midseason awards for offensive line play for the 2024 NFL season.
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Best Overall Offensive Line
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts had a strong unit in 2023 and have followed that up with a great 2024 through the first half of the season. Indianapolis currently ranks No. 1 in average PFF pass blocking grade (72.7), run blocking grade (67.4), and overall PFF grade (69.5).
It hasn’t been perfect for Indianapolis either. Center Ryan Kelly (66.7 PFF grade) has missed two games this season due to injury. Right guard Will Fries (86.9 PFF grade) has been injured for the season. Thankfully, the Colts have gotten strong contributions from 2024 fourth-round pick center Tanor Bortolini (66.3 PFF grade) and 2024 UDFA guard Dalton Tucker (60.0 PFF grade) to weather the storm.
Tanor Bortolini Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Those contributions combined with the continued excellence from left tackle Bernhard Raimann (81.9 PFF grade) and Quenton Nelson (85.1 PFF grade) make Indianapolis the best all-around offensive line this season.
Honorable Mention: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City has had its fair share of struggles at the left tackle position, but the other spots on the offensive line have been good enough to offset those problems.
The Chiefs began the year with 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia manning the left tackle position. He lasted just 114 snaps due to ineffectiveness in both pass protection (42.3 PFF grade) and run blocking (43.7 PFF grade). Second-year left tackle Wanya Morris has provided more consistency but has allowed three sacks and 14 pressures on 208 protection snaps this year.
Wanya Morris Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
The underwhelming play at left tackle hasn’t mattered much thanks to a stellar effort on the interior. Left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, and right guard Trey Smith have an average pass-blocking grade of 79.7, a run-blocking grade of 83.8, and an overall grade of 86.5. They have allowed zero sacks and just 23 pressures on 276 protection snaps.
Add in improved pass protection from Jawaan Taylor at right tackle (one sack and 12 pressures) and you have an offensive line that can challenge for the top unit in 2024 if they can figure out a reliable option at left tackle.
Worst Offensive Line
New England Patriots
It shouldn’t be surprising to see New England as the worst offensive line in 2024. The tackle they acquired this offseason (Chukwuma Okorafor) was benched after 12 snaps at left tackle and has left the team. The tackle they drafted (Penn State right tackle Caedan Wallace) lasted just 40 snaps before hitting the injured reserve.
Left guard Cole Strange is still working his way back from a season-ending injury in 2023. 2023 starting right guard Sidy Sow has played just 114 snaps and has a 25.9 PFF grade. Their starting center (David Andrews) and backup center (Jake Andrews) are both on injured reserve.
The only consistency the team has gotten is from veteran Mike Onwenu, who has moved between right tackle and right guard with a respectable 72.8 PFF grade. 11 different offensive linemen have logged at least 76 snaps for the team this year. That collective group has allowed 19 sacks and 119 pressures.
Things are ugly for the Patriots in the trenches and there is no relief in sight this season.
Honorable Mention: Cleveland Browns
It would be easy to give Cleveland a pass due to the injuries that have plagued the offensive line to start the season. Nine different offensive linemen have played at least 140 snaps for the Browns this season. Only three (Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Dawand Jones) have more than 400 snaps.
However, that ignores the collective struggles of this group to begin the year.
Just two of Cleveland’s offensive linemen have a PFF grade above 59.0 to start the year. One of them (Joel Bitonio) has played every snap. The other (Jack Conklin) has just 183 snaps on the year.
Cleveland has six different players that have allowed 10 pressures this year. Six different offensive linemen have given up at least two sacks.
A single injury can completely derail an offensive line’s performance, so we can’t ignore the fact that Cleveland has had so many players miss time. However, even with context, this has been an abysmal start for a group that has been one of the top offensive lines in the NFL for years.
Things can always change and improve as this unit gets to full strength, but we still can’t ignore just how badly this group has performed to start the year.
Biggest Surprise
Denver Broncos
Denver’s offensive line performed admirably in 2023, but the team let their starting center (Lloyd Cushenberry III) walk in free agency. It would have been fair for the unit to struggle in 2024 with the loss of a key piece and no notable moves to address the position.
Instead, we are getting a fantastic season from Denver’s offensive line despite injuries that have cost them starters through the first half of the season.
The Broncos currently have the fourth-best pass-blocking grade (70.6) and overall PFF grade (67.2) to start the 2024 season. They also have a top-10 group of run blockers (64.5). Those figures are even more impressive when you consider that Denver has been forced to utilize two centers and three right tackles due to injury.
Garett Bolles (78.0 PFF grade) is the headliner of this group, but collectively this is a strong unit this season. Denver has just two offensive linemen (Bolles and Ben Powers) who have given up 10 or more pressures. Just one lineman (backup center Alex Forsyth) has been credited with more than one sack surrendered.
Honorable Mention: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals didn’t make any major moves in free agency, signing Evan Brown to play left guard and Jonah Williams to play right tackle (and, more importantly, to shift Paris Johnson Jr. to his natural position at left tackle).
The Williams move has largely been a wash due to an injury 22 snaps into the season. However, this group continues to play excellent football.
Six different offensive linemen have played at least 150 snaps for Arizona thanks to injuries to Williams and right guard Will Hernandez. All six of those linemen have a PFF grade of 63.0 or higher and a pass blocking grade of 65.0 or higher. Only one lineman (Kelvin Beachum) has a run-blocking grade below 59.0.
The real story of this group has been the growth of 2023 top-10 pick Paris Johnson Jr. He has allowed just three sacks and 13 pressures on 278 snaps this season while also posting a 75.7 run-blocking grade and an 80.0 PFF grade. There were some struggles at right tackle throughout his rookie season, but he is developing into one of the better young tackles in the NFL in his second year.
Biggest Disappointment
Houston Texans
Houston shocked many with their offensive success in 2023 due to the slew of injuries across their offensive line. Many expected the offense to take a significant step forward this season with a healthy offensive line.
That has not been the case.
The Texans have gotten a relatively healthy season from their linemen in 2024. Three of their starting linemen have logged at least 500 snaps. All five starters have played at least 483. However, the results have been underwhelming.
Houston’s offensive linemen have combined to surrender 14 sacks and 84 pressures in 2024. It has been especially rough on the interior, with Shaq Mason, Kenyon Green, and Juice Scruggs having accounted for 10 sacks and 52 pressures by themselves.
Injuries are mounting up for the Texans at other positions this season, so it is crucial that their offensive line finds its footing and plays to the level we expected for them to hit their goals.
Honorable Mention: Tennessee Titans
The Titans spent the offseason trying to build up their offensive line through coaching hires (legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan), free agency (center Lloyd Cushenberry III), and the draft (top-10 pick JC Latham). Those moves were meant to boost the talent surrounding 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski to hopefully stabilize the offense for first-year head coach Brian Callahan.
Peter Skoronski Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Unfortunately, this group has struggled mightily despite the considerable resources spent. None of their offensive linemen have a PFF grade above 61.0. All five of the team’s starters have given up at least 13 pressures with four of the starters giving up at least two sacks.
Nicholas Petit-Frere has been so bad in protection (five sacks and 23 pressures on 173 pass-blocking snaps) that he’s been benched for three different players. None of them have done enough to hold the job.
On the plus side, Tennessee is getting steady play from both Skoronski and Latham. But they need these players to develop into difference-makers to justify their status as first-round picks. That is a considerable amount of pressure to put on two young players who are getting experience in the NFL at positions they didn’t play at the collegiate level.
JC Latham Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Maybe it was too much to expect a massive improvement from this offensive line given how many new pieces they were introducing into the lineup. However, this group has failed to produce even a base-level of offensive line play despite featuring two first-round offensive linemen and a center that was coveted on the free agent market.
Best Run Blocking Offensive Line
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have plenty of new faces on their offensive line this season, but the group still knows how to move bodies in the trenches, especially now that they have found a consistent starting unit.
Collectively, Baltimore’s offensive line has a collective 66.1 average run-blocking grade. They currently have the best yards-before-contact rate this season (3.3). They are also No. 2 in run success rate (47.3%), No. 2 in power run success rate (76.9%), and the No. 6 lowest stuffed run rate (16.5%). The continued growth of Tyler Linderbaum at center has fortified this group despite all the turnover at guard and right tackle.
As a result, Derrick Henry leads all running backs in rushing yards (946), rushing touchdowns (9) and yards per carry (6.5). Lamar Jackson also leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards (481).
Having Derrick Henry in the backfield next to Lamar Jackson certainly bolsters any rushing attack due to their ability to generate explosive plays. However, this group deserves recognition for their ability to move people in the run game.
Worst Run Blocking Offensive Line
Las Vegas Raiders
This is very close because the Cowboys are an equally abysmal run offense (3.4 yards per carry). However, Las Vegas edges them out due to a series of failings. The Raiders have PFF’s fourth-lowest average run-blocking grade (52.2). However, the advanced stats push them to the lead of the worst units in the NFL.
The Raiders have generated the second-fewest yards per carry in 2024 (3.6) and are tied for the third-worst yards before contact (1.6) in 2024. Per FTN Fantasy’s Stats Hub, they rank last in success rate (30.3%) by over three percentage points. They also rank last in power run success rate (38.5%). The next lowest team has a 50% success rate.
Both Zamir White and Alexander Mattison have at least 164 carries this season. Neither is averaging more than 3.2 yards per carry on the season.
Numerous teams are struggling in the trenches this season, but Vegas is at the bottom of the pile at this juncture.
Best Pass Blocking Offensive Line
Green Bay Packers
This is a close race between the Packers and Colts, but Green Bay gets the nod for an array of reasons. The Packers rank No. 2 in PFF’s average pass block grade (81.0). Six different offensive linemen have played at least 120 snaps for Green Bay this year. All of them have a PFF pass-blocking grade above 64.0. Collectively, the group has surrendered six sacks and 60 pressures.
The Packers are allowing pressure on just 20% of their drop backs this season. Quarterbacks have had a 77.9% clean pocket rate this season with 2.5 seconds until pressure on the year. Both of those are top-10 rates this season.
Zach Tom (82.8 PFF grade) is quickly becoming one of the best right tackles in the NFL today. He allowed just 37 pressures on 700 pass-blocking reps in 2023 and has given up just nine pressures on 286 snaps in 2024.
Zach Tom Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Collectively, Green Bay’s offensive line is a bunch of above-average pass protectors who are doing an excellent job of keeping their quarterbacks upright this year.
Worst Pass Blocking Offensive Line
New England Patriots
New England’s offensive line struggles have already been well documented above, but they deserve special recognition regarding their struggles in pass protection.
The Patriots have allowed a sack on 8.6% of their dropbacks this season with a 34.2% pressure rate. Their quarterbacks have the second-lowest clean pocket rate of any team this season (58.8%).
Nine different quarterbacks have logged at least 100 snaps for the Patriots due to an array of injuries. That group has accounted for 18 sacks and 99 pressures in eight games. Collectively, the team has allowed 20 pressures and 123 pressures.
There aren’t any solutions for this group on the horizon. The tackles are a mess and three of their interior offensive linemen are out for the foreseeable future. The lone bright spot is veteran Mike Onwenu, who keeps moving between right guard and tackle due to injuries.
Drake Maye has shown the ability to overcome these shortcomings but expect him to be constantly under duress for the rest of the year.
Best Rookie
Joe Alt
It wasn’t surprising when Joe Alt was selected as the first offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s shown that the lofty status was well warranted with fantastic play at right tackle to begin his career.
Joe Alt Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
He ranks No. 1 in PFF grade among rookie offensive linemen (76.1) and No. 2 in both run blocking (73.3) and pass blocking (75.4) grades. Alt has allowed just two sacks and six pressures on 208 pass protection snaps this season.
There was little doubt that Alt’s play style would translate to the NFL as he was billed as the safest offensive line prospect this season. Alt has met expectations this year and is proving to be a cornerstone on the Chargers offensive line.
Honorable Mention: Dominick Puni
Plenty of offensive linemen were selected during the NFL Draft with premium draft capital. However, the most significant move might have been a steal by the 49ers in the third round of the draft.
Dominick Puni earned the starting right job camp during training camp and has immediately made an impact on this unit. He ranks No. 2 among rookie offensive linemen in PFF grade (76.1), No. 3 in run blocking grade (73.3), and No. 4 in pass blocking (70.0).
Puni, a left tackle during his final season at Kansas, has been fantastic transitioning to the interior offensive line. His success as a run blocker was expected given his collegiate play style, but his play in pass protection has been respectable as well. He’s allowed zero sacks this season and just 14 pressures on 305 protection snaps.
The rookie doesn’t have the length to move out to tackle but can continue to be an impact piece on the interior line going forward.
For years, the 49ers have been Trent Williams and a bunch of average pieces. If Puni can continue to provide excellent play, they may have a second stud on the unit.
Most Disappointing Rookie
Tyler Guyton
Dallas let two experienced offensive linemen walk in free agency at left tackle and center this offseason. They chose to replace them both with rookies. Throughout the preseason, Guyton looked like he was going to be a steal of the draft transitioning from a collegiate right tackle to a professional left tackle.
However, things have not gone as smoothly during the regular season.
Tyler Guyton Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Guyton has played 354 snaps this year in six games. Guyton has given up four sacks and 17 pressures on just 242 pass protection snaps. Through six games, the rookie has just a 54.8 PFF grade while looking overmatched at times, especially in pass protection.
It isn’t shocking that Guyton has struggled out of the gate. He had just one year of starting experience at Oklahoma and was strictly a right tackle. Hope spiked during his strong preseason, but expectations need to be brought back down to earth going forward.
Honorable Mention: Jackson Powers-Johnson
Jackson Powers-Johnson had the makings of the best interior offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Powers-Johnson had just one year of collegiate starting experience at Oregon (but logged 350 snaps in 2022 as well) and won the Rimington Award for the best center in football.
His tape at Oregon was littered with plays showing off his power and mobility as a run blocker and his ability to stay in front of defensive linemen in pass protection. His lack of experience was a concern, but his physical tools were undeniable. Those tools and his size (6’2, 320 pounds) made him a fit at guard or center in the NFL.
Powers-Johnson slid to the Raiders in the second round due to injury concerns. An injury robbed him of reps of training camp and an illness caused him to miss the first two weeks of the season. However, he eventually earned the starting left guard role.
Unfortunately, the production has yet to match the hype.
The rookie has been inconsistent during his first season, posting a 51.0 PFF grade, a 58.9 run-blocking grade, and a 56.6 pass-blocking grade on 350 snaps. He’s allowed pressure on 5% of his pass pro reps. The Raiders running backs are averaging just 2.9 yards per carry running behind him this season.
Jackson Powers-Johnson has every chance to develop into a dominant interior offensive lineman in the NFL. But coming into the season, he was viewed as a potential first-round pick that could transform the interior offensive line for whatever team drafted him. That just hasn’t been the case in his first season.
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