As the season changes, so do my rankings, folks.
A lot has happened since I dropped my initial offensive line rankings in July. Training camp and the preseason are complete, and we know much more about these players than we did back then. We’ve had some significant injuries and surprising releases that have shifted things for several teams. Some units have shown they might be better than expected, while others have been underwhelming.
As the season marches on, there will be even more surprises and disappointments. I’ll be back periodically to give you updates and adjustments. For now, here are my updated rankings as we head into the 2022 NFL season.
*All changes in projected starters are in italics
1) Philadelphia Eagles (No Change)
Starters
– LT Jordan Mailata
– LG Landon Dickerson
– C Jason Kelce
– RG Isaac Seumalo
– RT Lane Johnson
2) Cleveland Browns (+3)
Starters
– LT Jedrick Wills
– LG Joel Bitonio
– C Nick Harris
– RG Wyatt Teller
– RT Jack Conklin
The starting corps is one of the best in the league and seems to be primed to keep QB Jacoby Brissett in a clean pocket. I had them ranked #5 in my pre-season ranks, but with how they looked this pre-season as a unit, they deserve a bump.
3) Los Angeles Chargers (+1)
Starters
– LT Rashawn Slater
– LG Matt Feiler
– C Corey Linsley
– RG Zion Johnson
– RT Trey Pipkins
4) Kansas City Chiefs (+3)
Projected Starters
– LT Orlando Brown
– LG Joe Thuney
– C Creed Humphrey
– RG Trey Smith
– RT Andrew Wylie
This line is as good as expected, if not better. LT Orlando Brown ended his holdout and will play 2022 under the franchise tag. RT Lucas Niang is still recovering from the torn patella he suffered in Week 17 last season and will start the year on the PUP list. Andrew Wylie has been more than adequate in place of Niang.
5) New England Patriots (+1)
Projected Starters
– LT Isaiah Wynn
– LG Cole Strange
– C David Andrews
– RG Mike Onwenu
– RT Trent Brown
6) Indianapolis Colts (+7)
Starters
-LT Matt Pryor
– LG Quenton Nelson
– C Ryan Kelly
– RG Danny Pinter
– RT Braden Smith
This is a talented line that I was far too low on heading into the season. The interior trio of Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Danny Pinter is amongst the league’s elite. LT Matt Pryor is looking like he’ll make the most of an opportunity to play on this unit full-time.
7) Washington Commanders (+1)
Starters
– LT Charles Leno
– LG Andrew Norwell
– C Chase Roullier
– RG Trai Turner
– RT Sam Cosmi
Free-agent acquisition Trai Turner impressed in training camp and the preseason, winning the starting RG position over incumbent Wes Schweitzer. This line might be the deepest in the league.
8) Green Bay Packers (+10)
Starters
– LT David Bakhtiari
– LG Jon Runyan
– C Josh Myers
– RG Royce Newman
– RT Elgton Jenkins
I was lower on this unit than some this preseason. Injury recovery is always a concern, but David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins look close to 100 percent. This should prove to be one of the better groups in the league this season.
9) Detroit Lions (No Change)
Starters
– LT Taylor Decker
– LG Jonah Jackson
– C Frank Ragnow
– RT Penei Sewell
10) Los Angeles Rams (No Change)
Starters
– LT Joe Noteboom
– LG David Edwards
– C Brian Allen
– RG Logan Bruss
– RT Rob Havenstein
11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8)
Starters
– LT Donovan Smith
– LG Luke Goedeke
– C Robert Hainsey
– RG Shaq Mason
– RT Tristan Wirfs
Losing C Ryan Jensen for the season is a huge blow to this unit. His replacement, second-year lineman Robert Hainsey, was only on the field for 77 snaps last season, 46 of which were on special teams. It’s a lot to ask an inexperienced lineman to step into a lead role protecting a future Hall-of-Fame QB.
12) Dallas Cowboys (-10)
Starters
– LT Tyler Smith
– LG Connor McGovern
– C Tyler Biadasz
– RG Zack Martin
– RT Terence Steele
An injury to starting LT Tyron Smith has thrown this offensive line unit into turmoil. LG Tyler Smith will now move outside to tackle and third-year lineman Connor McGovern will get the nod at LG. Losing Tyron Smith is a huge blow to what was a stellar unit. While they should still be in the top 15 units all season, they are no longer a top-ten group.
13) Carolina Panthers (+1)
Starters
– LT Ikem Ekwonu
– LG Brady Christensen
– C Bradley Bozeman
– RG Austin Corbett
– RT Taylor Morton
14) Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Starters
– LT Jonah Williams
– LG Jackson Carman
– C Ted Karras
– RG Alex Cappa
– RT La’el Collins
15) San Francisco 49ers (+1)
Starters
– LT Trent Williams
– LG Aaron Banks
– C Jake Brendel
– RG Daniel Brunskill
– RT Mike McGlinchey
16) Denver Broncos (+1)
Starters
– LT Garett Bolles
– LG Dalton Risner
– RG Quinn Meinerz
– RT Billy Turner
17) Minnesota Vikings (+2)
Starters
– LT Christian Darrisaw
– LG Ezra Cleveland
– C Garrett Bradbury
– RG Ed Ingram
– RT Brian O’Neill
18) Houston Texans (+5)
Starters
– LT Laremy Tunsil
– LG Justin McCray
– C Justin Britt
– RG A.J. Cann
– RT Tytus Howard
LT Laremy Tunsil has looked solid in his return from injury, and this line as an overall group has looked better than expected. Rookie Kenyon Green is waiting in the wings should anyone on this line falter.
19) New York Giants (-8)
Starters
– LT Andrew Thomas
– LG Shane Lemieux
– C Jon Feliciano
– RG Mark Glowinski
– RT Evan Neal
This unit hasn’t exactly gelled as expected. High hopes seem to have been unfounded so far, though there is an improvement over 2021. They could climb back up into my top-15 by season’s end, but for now, they just aren’t there.
20) New York Jets (-8)
Starters
– LT Duane Brown
– LG Laken Tomlinson
– C Connor McGovern
– RG Alijah Vera-Tucker
– RT George Fant
In a tale all too familiar this offseason, starting LT Mekhi Becton was lost for the season with a knee injury. The team signed free agent lineman and former all-pro Duane Brown as his replacement. This is a huge downgrade at LT and a massive blow for this line and team.
21) Baltimore Ravens (No Change)
Starters
– LT Ronnie Stanley
– LG Ben Powers
– C Tyler Linderbaum
– RG Kevin Zeitler
– RT Morgan Moses
This unit is banged up. LT Ronnie Staley has been dealing with chronic ankle injuries since last season, and C Tyler Linderbaum has been dealing with Lisfranc issues all off-season. If they can stay healthy, this unit could easily be a top-15 squad, but for now, the lingering health issues are a concern moving forward.
22) Miami Dolphins (+2)
Starters
– LT Terron Armstead
– LG Connor Williams
– C Michael Deiter
– RG Robert Hunt
– RT Liam Eichenberg
23) New Orleans Saints (+2)
Starters
– LT Trevor Penning
– LG Andrus Peat
– C Erik McCoy
– RG Cesar Ruiz
– RT Ryan Ramczyk
After losing oft-injured LT Terron Armstead in free agency, rookie Trevor Penning appears to be the odds-on favorite to take his place, which could go well or very poorly, ala Garret Bolles’ rookie season in Denver. However, the rest of the unit is returning from last season, presumably healthy, and should be improved over what we saw in 2021.
24) Buffalo Bills (+2)
Starters
– LT Dion Dawkins
– LG Rodger Saffold
– C Mitch Morse
– RG Ryan Bates
– RT Spencer Brown
25) Las Vegas Raiders (-3)
Starters
– LT Kolton Miller
– LG John Simpson
– C Andre James
– RG Lester Cotton
– RT Jermaine Eluemunor
The Las Vegas Raiders have issues with their offensive line and it’s not getting better. 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood was so bad he was released ahead of this season. The team will be rolling out a journeyman RT and a practice squad guy at RG. While they could surprise and be a solid addition to this unit, it’s unlikely.
26) Atlanta Falcons (-6)
Starters
– LT Jake Matthews
– LG Elijah Wilkinson
– C Drew Dalman
– RG Chris Lindstrom
– RT Kaleb McGary
With two new starters on the Falcons line, this unit could be improved from 2021, but you shouldn’t hold your breath. Second-year C Drew Dalman only saw 68 offensive snaps in 2021 and LG Elijah Wilkinson is a journeyman who may be past his prime.
27) Jacksonville Jaguars (No Change)
Starters
– LT Cam Robinson
– LG Ben Bartch
– C Luke Fortner
– RG Brandon Scherff
– RT Jawaan Taylor
Rookie C Luke Fortner managed to beat out veteran Tyler Shatley and RG Jawaan Taylor supplanted favorite Walker Little to shore up the inside of the Jaguars’ line. Despite the moves, this is still a below-average blocking group.
28) Pittsburgh Steelers (No Change)
Starters
– LT Dan Moore
– LG Kendrick Green
– C Mason Cole
– RG James Daniels
– RT Chukwuma Okorafor
29) Seattle Seahawks (No Change)
Starters
– LT Charles Cross
– LG Damien Lewis
– C Austin Blythe
– RG Gabe Jackson
– RT Abraham Lucas
30) Tennessee Titans (No Change)
Starters
– LT Taylor Lewan
– LG Aaron Brewer
– C Ben Jones
– RG Nate Davis
– RT Dillon Radunz
31) Arizona Cardinals (No Change)
Starters
– LT D.J. Humphries
– LG Justin Pugh
– C Rodney Hudson
– RG Will Hernandez
– RT Kelvin Beachum
32) Chicago Bears (No Change)
Starters
– LT Braxton Jones
– LG Cody Whitehair
– C Lucas Patrick
– RG Teven Jenkins
– RT Riley Reiff
In a puzzling move, the Chicago Bears signed 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders. Leatherwood failed to impress and likely has no impact on this team. If he gets significant playing time, that is a bad sign for the league’s worst offensive line.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.
