Post by motm on Jan 12, 2017 15:59:18 GMT -6
The 2016 regular season has drawn to a close, and with it, another season with incredible highs and lows from the big guys in the trenches have been recorded in the Pro Football Focus database.
We have seen a season in which some offensive lines have been the bedrock of their offense—the foundation on top of which everything else is built—and others have been the sand upon which their figurative houses have been built.
We’re going to take a run through the league and rank every offensive line in the NFL this season, from best to worst, based largely on PFF’s grades, but also factoring in external factors, such as the quarterbacks those lines were blocking for, and the kind of scheme they were blocking within.
Without further delay, here’s the ranking of all 32 NFL offensive lines in the 2016 regular season:
First let's start with our team.
15. Chicago Bears (30)
Top overall grade: C Cody Whitehair, 87.2 (No. 6)
Top pass-blocking grade: G Josh Sitton, 91.2 (No. 3)
Top run-blocking grade: C Cody Whitehair, 82.2 (No. 6)
The Chicago Bears still probably can’t believe their luck—they had the league’s best pass-blocking guard land in their lap shortly before the year when Josh Sitton was cut by the Packers. He showed immediately what an upgrade he could be for the team, and in 468 pass-blocking snaps, he surrendered only six QB hurries. Chicago’s interior was arguably the league’s best, with Kyle Long playing well and rookie Cody Whitehair having an excellent debut season at center, having been a college tackle at Kansas State. The offensive tackle combination of Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie was a different story, however, as the pair combined to surrender 73 total QB pressures and 14 penalties all season, with neither grading well in the run game. Tackle is an area for the Bears to focus on in the offseason, because that interior is alreaady excellent.
Here is the list for the top 5 and the rest of the NFC North.
1. Tennessee Titans (Preseason rank: 25)
Top overall grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.9 (No. 5 among OTs)
Top pass-blocking grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.5 (No. 7)
Top run-blocking grade: LT Taylor Lewan, 88.4 (No. 2)
It seems heretical to suggest that the Dallas Cowboys did not field the best offensive line in the game in 2016, but Tennessee’s unit really was without a weakness all season. All five starters earned impressive grades in both run blocking and pass protection, paving the way to 2,180 rushing yards as a team, 1,777 of which came from their first two running backs, DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. No member of the offensive line surrendered more than three sacks on the season, and while LT Taylor Lewan fell off a little as the year wore on, conceding more penalties than you would like, on the other side, rookie RT Jack Conklin earned PFF All-Pro honors. This unit may not be able to match the Dallas line in terms of its very peak performers, but there was no weak link along this chain all season long, and that’s why the Tennessee Titans finish the season as our No. 1 ranked line.
2. Dallas Cowboys (1)
Top overall grade: C Travis Frederick, 90.0 (No. 3 among centers)
Top pass-blocking grade: LT Tyron Smith, 86.5 (No. 12)
Top run-blocking grade: C Travis Frederick, 88.9 (No. 3)
At their best, this unit is the best line in football, but left tackle Tyron Smith missed time due to injury, and on the other side, RT Doug Free has been a problem player for the team, surrendering eight sacks on the season and struggling with his run blocking. At left guard, the loss of La’el Collins actually upgraded the unit, with veteran Ronald Leary having a fine season in his place. Leary didn’t surrender a sack all season, and was PFF’s No. 21 ranked guard, earning a grade of 81.8. In the middle, C Travis Frederick and RG Zack Martin were first-team PFF All-Pros this season, and the driving force of this line that catalyzed exceptional rookie campaigns from both RB Ezekiel Elliott and QB Dak Prescott.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
Top overall grade: RT Marcus Gilbert (No. 13) and LG Ramon Foster, 87.1 (No. 6 among guards)
Top pass-blocking grade: LG Ramon Foster, 89.7 (No. 4)
Top run-blocking grade: RG David DeCastro, 82.7 (tied for No. 7)
One of the most underrated stories of this season has been just how good the Pittsburgh offensive line has been. Like Tennessee, there is no weakness on this unit, and Alejandro Villanueva—a player who had previously been that weak link—has upped his game dramatically and surrendered just one sack over the final 10 weeks of the season, all while crushing players at times in the run game. The guard pairing of Ramon Foster and David DeCastro have been the strength of this unit, with Foster allowing no sacks and just one penalty all season. Even the Steelers’ bench was able to provide some quality play, with tackle Christopher Hubbard in particular showing well when he was forced into action.
4. Oakland Raiders (2)
Top overall grade: C Rodney Hudson, 88.7 (No. 4)
Top pass-blocking grade: C Rodney Hudson, 90.0 (No. 2)
Top run-blocking grade: LT Donald Penn, 88.3 (No. 3)
Teams all try and build through the draft, but the Raiders have shown that if you have the spending money, you may be better off shooting for proven commodities when it comes to the offensive line—such is the strike rate of linemen coming into the NFL from the college game. Only Gabe Jackson among the starting five on this line was drafted by the Raiders, but he has been outshone by free-agent imports in the shape of LT Donald Penn, LG Kelechi Osemele, and C Rodney Hudson. Osemele, in particular, was a monster this season, and was narrowly edged onto PFF’s All-Pro second team by his former teammate Marshal Yanda—the league’s best guard. If not for the injury problems Oakland has experienced all season at right tackle, the Raiders would likely be higher on the list. Oakland has used four different players at RT for extended snaps; those players have combined to surrender seven sacks and 15 penalties.
5. Green Bay Packers (3)
Top overall grade: LT David Bakhtiari, 89.9 (No. 3)
Top pass-blocking grade: LT David Bakhtiari, 93.4 (No. 1)
Top run-blocking grade: C J.C. Tretter, 78.7 (No. 8)
This has been the best pass-protecting offensive line in the game, and it isn’t particularly close to the next-best side in that regard. The terror that Aaron Rodgers instills in defenses when he escapes the pocket and makes game-defining passes helps in that regard a little, but he also holds the ball longer than every other QB in the league except Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor, so it likely evens out overall. LT David Bakhtiari surrendered just 20 total QB pressures, and is the league’s only left tackle to be charged for less pressure than the QB he is protecting (Rodgers has been at fault for 23). RT Bryan Bulaga would likely have been a PFF All-Pro had his run blocking been anything better than below-average, and while LG Lane Taylor has been able to do a reasonable job in replacing Josh Sitton as a pass blocker, his run blocking hasn’t been of the same quality.
19. Detroit Lions (22)
Top overall grade: LT Taylor Decker, 82.8 (No. 23)
Top pass-blocking grade: RG Larry Warford, 82.6 (No. 33)
Top run-blocking grade: RG Larry Warford, 81.8 (No. 16)
The play of rookie LT Taylor Decker was a pleasant surprise for this team. Decker was a player that didn’t overly impress PFF as a draft prospect out of Ohio State, but he was consistently solid all season, performing above-average as both a run blocker and pass protector in his first pro season. Larry Warford was markedly better than a year ago at RG, at least when it comes to run blocking, and Travis Swanson was solid at center. The biggest issue this team had was at LG, where the combination of Graham Glasgow and Laken Tomlinson simply took turns getting abused. As a pair, they surrendered six sacks, 10 penalties, and 49 total pressures, with neither countering that form with dominant run-blocking displays.
29. Minnesota Vikings (15)
Top overall grade: C Joe Berger, 85.0 (tied for No. 7)
Top pass-blocking grade: C Joe Berger, 87.9 (tied for No. 3)
Top run-blocking grade: C Joe Berger, 80.7 (No. 7)
The Vikings’ offensive line became a disaster as the year went on. Matt Kalil had been playing poorly before he went down, but it turns out the drop-off from even that level of play to T.J. Clemmings was precipitous. Clemmings gave up nine sacks, 12 penalties, and 58 total QB pressures between right and left tackle over the year, and in the second half of the season, the Vikings were operating an offense virtually impossible to surrender pressure in, with the league’s lowest average depth of target and one of the faster average times to throw. The play of center Joe Berger saves this unit from being ranked among the very worst in the league, and while Alex Boone didn’t exactly justify his contract, he was solid in his first year with the team.
I put the top 5 and the rest of the NFC North on here as a point of comparison. For full list here is the link: www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-this-season/
We have seen a season in which some offensive lines have been the bedrock of their offense—the foundation on top of which everything else is built—and others have been the sand upon which their figurative houses have been built.
We’re going to take a run through the league and rank every offensive line in the NFL this season, from best to worst, based largely on PFF’s grades, but also factoring in external factors, such as the quarterbacks those lines were blocking for, and the kind of scheme they were blocking within.
Without further delay, here’s the ranking of all 32 NFL offensive lines in the 2016 regular season:
First let's start with our team.
15. Chicago Bears (30)
Top overall grade: C Cody Whitehair, 87.2 (No. 6)
Top pass-blocking grade: G Josh Sitton, 91.2 (No. 3)
Top run-blocking grade: C Cody Whitehair, 82.2 (No. 6)
The Chicago Bears still probably can’t believe their luck—they had the league’s best pass-blocking guard land in their lap shortly before the year when Josh Sitton was cut by the Packers. He showed immediately what an upgrade he could be for the team, and in 468 pass-blocking snaps, he surrendered only six QB hurries. Chicago’s interior was arguably the league’s best, with Kyle Long playing well and rookie Cody Whitehair having an excellent debut season at center, having been a college tackle at Kansas State. The offensive tackle combination of Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie was a different story, however, as the pair combined to surrender 73 total QB pressures and 14 penalties all season, with neither grading well in the run game. Tackle is an area for the Bears to focus on in the offseason, because that interior is alreaady excellent.
Here is the list for the top 5 and the rest of the NFC North.
1. Tennessee Titans (Preseason rank: 25)
Top overall grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.9 (No. 5 among OTs)
Top pass-blocking grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.5 (No. 7)
Top run-blocking grade: LT Taylor Lewan, 88.4 (No. 2)
It seems heretical to suggest that the Dallas Cowboys did not field the best offensive line in the game in 2016, but Tennessee’s unit really was without a weakness all season. All five starters earned impressive grades in both run blocking and pass protection, paving the way to 2,180 rushing yards as a team, 1,777 of which came from their first two running backs, DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. No member of the offensive line surrendered more than three sacks on the season, and while LT Taylor Lewan fell off a little as the year wore on, conceding more penalties than you would like, on the other side, rookie RT Jack Conklin earned PFF All-Pro honors. This unit may not be able to match the Dallas line in terms of its very peak performers, but there was no weak link along this chain all season long, and that’s why the Tennessee Titans finish the season as our No. 1 ranked line.
2. Dallas Cowboys (1)
Top overall grade: C Travis Frederick, 90.0 (No. 3 among centers)
Top pass-blocking grade: LT Tyron Smith, 86.5 (No. 12)
Top run-blocking grade: C Travis Frederick, 88.9 (No. 3)
At their best, this unit is the best line in football, but left tackle Tyron Smith missed time due to injury, and on the other side, RT Doug Free has been a problem player for the team, surrendering eight sacks on the season and struggling with his run blocking. At left guard, the loss of La’el Collins actually upgraded the unit, with veteran Ronald Leary having a fine season in his place. Leary didn’t surrender a sack all season, and was PFF’s No. 21 ranked guard, earning a grade of 81.8. In the middle, C Travis Frederick and RG Zack Martin were first-team PFF All-Pros this season, and the driving force of this line that catalyzed exceptional rookie campaigns from both RB Ezekiel Elliott and QB Dak Prescott.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
Top overall grade: RT Marcus Gilbert (No. 13) and LG Ramon Foster, 87.1 (No. 6 among guards)
Top pass-blocking grade: LG Ramon Foster, 89.7 (No. 4)
Top run-blocking grade: RG David DeCastro, 82.7 (tied for No. 7)
One of the most underrated stories of this season has been just how good the Pittsburgh offensive line has been. Like Tennessee, there is no weakness on this unit, and Alejandro Villanueva—a player who had previously been that weak link—has upped his game dramatically and surrendered just one sack over the final 10 weeks of the season, all while crushing players at times in the run game. The guard pairing of Ramon Foster and David DeCastro have been the strength of this unit, with Foster allowing no sacks and just one penalty all season. Even the Steelers’ bench was able to provide some quality play, with tackle Christopher Hubbard in particular showing well when he was forced into action.
4. Oakland Raiders (2)
Top overall grade: C Rodney Hudson, 88.7 (No. 4)
Top pass-blocking grade: C Rodney Hudson, 90.0 (No. 2)
Top run-blocking grade: LT Donald Penn, 88.3 (No. 3)
Teams all try and build through the draft, but the Raiders have shown that if you have the spending money, you may be better off shooting for proven commodities when it comes to the offensive line—such is the strike rate of linemen coming into the NFL from the college game. Only Gabe Jackson among the starting five on this line was drafted by the Raiders, but he has been outshone by free-agent imports in the shape of LT Donald Penn, LG Kelechi Osemele, and C Rodney Hudson. Osemele, in particular, was a monster this season, and was narrowly edged onto PFF’s All-Pro second team by his former teammate Marshal Yanda—the league’s best guard. If not for the injury problems Oakland has experienced all season at right tackle, the Raiders would likely be higher on the list. Oakland has used four different players at RT for extended snaps; those players have combined to surrender seven sacks and 15 penalties.
5. Green Bay Packers (3)
Top overall grade: LT David Bakhtiari, 89.9 (No. 3)
Top pass-blocking grade: LT David Bakhtiari, 93.4 (No. 1)
Top run-blocking grade: C J.C. Tretter, 78.7 (No. 8)
This has been the best pass-protecting offensive line in the game, and it isn’t particularly close to the next-best side in that regard. The terror that Aaron Rodgers instills in defenses when he escapes the pocket and makes game-defining passes helps in that regard a little, but he also holds the ball longer than every other QB in the league except Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor, so it likely evens out overall. LT David Bakhtiari surrendered just 20 total QB pressures, and is the league’s only left tackle to be charged for less pressure than the QB he is protecting (Rodgers has been at fault for 23). RT Bryan Bulaga would likely have been a PFF All-Pro had his run blocking been anything better than below-average, and while LG Lane Taylor has been able to do a reasonable job in replacing Josh Sitton as a pass blocker, his run blocking hasn’t been of the same quality.
19. Detroit Lions (22)
Top overall grade: LT Taylor Decker, 82.8 (No. 23)
Top pass-blocking grade: RG Larry Warford, 82.6 (No. 33)
Top run-blocking grade: RG Larry Warford, 81.8 (No. 16)
The play of rookie LT Taylor Decker was a pleasant surprise for this team. Decker was a player that didn’t overly impress PFF as a draft prospect out of Ohio State, but he was consistently solid all season, performing above-average as both a run blocker and pass protector in his first pro season. Larry Warford was markedly better than a year ago at RG, at least when it comes to run blocking, and Travis Swanson was solid at center. The biggest issue this team had was at LG, where the combination of Graham Glasgow and Laken Tomlinson simply took turns getting abused. As a pair, they surrendered six sacks, 10 penalties, and 49 total pressures, with neither countering that form with dominant run-blocking displays.
29. Minnesota Vikings (15)
Top overall grade: C Joe Berger, 85.0 (tied for No. 7)
Top pass-blocking grade: C Joe Berger, 87.9 (tied for No. 3)
Top run-blocking grade: C Joe Berger, 80.7 (No. 7)
The Vikings’ offensive line became a disaster as the year went on. Matt Kalil had been playing poorly before he went down, but it turns out the drop-off from even that level of play to T.J. Clemmings was precipitous. Clemmings gave up nine sacks, 12 penalties, and 58 total QB pressures between right and left tackle over the year, and in the second half of the season, the Vikings were operating an offense virtually impossible to surrender pressure in, with the league’s lowest average depth of target and one of the faster average times to throw. The play of center Joe Berger saves this unit from being ranked among the very worst in the league, and while Alex Boone didn’t exactly justify his contract, he was solid in his first year with the team.
I put the top 5 and the rest of the NFC North on here as a point of comparison. For full list here is the link: www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-this-season/
