As it stands for the moment, the NFL is playing its season in full come September. As the season approaches, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up first, we’re talking about the top 10 NFL offensive lines for 2020!
Top 10 NFL Offensive Lines
10. Cleveland Browns – You know what? It may be a bit of a reach here – and you can call me out for using this 10th spot as a bit of a wild card in most of these Top 10s. Guilty. But, I actually commend the Browns for going out and aggressively addressing the biggest weakness on their offense. They draft Jedrick Wills, who I thought was the best tackle in this year’s draft class. Then, they go and bookend him with the stout Jack Conklin. Factor in some of the talent they have along the interior of the line, and they’ve got somethin’ cookin’ in Cleveland.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers – There aren’t a lot of names on this Steelers unit that pop like some of the teams that follow on this list, or some of the names of Steelers past. Maurkice Pouncey may be the guy you think of, but a lot of talented and smart writers have pointed out that he may be making his name off reputation more than quality of play at this point. Not meant to be shade, just pointing out that this line is a lot of ‘solid’ without a whole lot of ‘elite.’
8. Philadelphia Eagles – Asking Andre Dillard to step in and replace Jason Peters is like asking the kid to move a mountain with his bare hands. Still, he went in the first round for a reason, and this Eagles o-line still has Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. Both of those guys are among the best, if not the best, at their respective positions.
7. Green Bay Packers – You have some promising, yet unproven, talent along the interior of the offensive line. You have one of the best left tackles in the league in David Bakhtiari. But, that right tackle spot is a huge question mark in an offense that’s going to lean heavily on running the ball under Matt LaFleur. The question marks outside of Bakhtiari keep the Packers out of the ‘elite’ conversation, in my opinion.
6. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys seem to field one of the league’s best offensive lines year in and year out, and with the talent and names in this unit, it’s easy to see why. Tyron Smith is one of the best left tackles in the league, but replacing the retiring center, Travis Frederick, isn’t going to be easy. If La’el Collins and Connor Williams can continue on their trajectory, expect the Cowboys to have a solid unit once again.
5. Tennessee Titans – If you take the first few games of the season out of the equation, this Titans line was one of the best in the NFL. After a shaky start, they got it together and helped Derrick Henry get out there and claim the NFL’s rushing title. Ben Jones is one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the league. Rodger Saffold got his shit together big time down the stretch in 2019. Taylor Lewan is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. I’m not as concerned about the loss of Jack Conklin as others are, given the presence of Touchdown Dennis Kelly and the drafting of Isaiah Wilson, aka Isaiah The Giant.
4. San Francisco 49ers – Replacing Joe Staley, who retired this offseason, won’t be easy, but the 49ers just happened to luck into trading for Trent Williams, who has been one of the best tackles in the NFL for years. All in all, this is a unit littered with capable starters and quality depth. Don’t expect much of a dip in production in 2020.
3. Baltimore Ravens – You don’t just stumble into averaging 206 rushing yards per game by happenstance. Them boys up front were paving the way for a historic rushing season in Baltimore. Ronnie Stanley has developed into one of the best all-around tackles in the game (run and pass pro). Opposite Stanley is the emerging stud, Orlando Brown, at right tackle. The question in 2020 is how on Earth this unit is going to replace the all-timer, Marshal Yanda.
2. New Orleans Saints – Ryan Ramczyk was Pro Football Focus’ highest graded tackle in 2019, and bookended across from Terron Armstead, they may very well be the best tackle duo in the NFL. They end up at #2 because of the interior line – the Colts just have ’em edged out there. This offensive line and the Saints running game has helped extend the career of Drew Brees.
1. Indianapolis Colts – For the second year in a row, I’m going Colts here at the top of my list. There’s just so much talent along that line, and all five guys from a season ago are going to be back. I don’t think it’s a reach at all to call Quenton Nelson the best guard in all of football. They have a pair of tackles that are among the best in the league, and Ryan Kelly is emerging as one of the best centers in the league. You can’t sleep on this Colts offense, and the big boys up front are a big reason why.
OTHER 2020 NFL TOP 10S
Cornerbacks
Defensive Coordinators
Head Coaches
Offensive Coordinators
Wide Receivers
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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