Now that we’re nearly halfway through the 2022 season, we’re resetting our NFL OL rankings. Injuries and below-average play have forced a lot of changes up front, and even the league’s best lines have been forced to adapt. Which units have played the best through seven weeks?
2022 OL Power Rankings | Tier 1: Elite
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Excellent at both pass and run blocking, the Eagles’ OL has been in the top spot in our rankings since the preseason. Right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce are arguably the two best players at their position in the NFL.
2. Cleveland Browns
Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio represent the No. 1 guard tandem in the league, while free agent addition Ethan Pocic has been a welcome surprise at center. Cleveland boasts the NFL’s most efficient run game by a wide margin, and the front five is a critical part of that effort.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Like the Browns, the Chiefs are strongest on the interior, where Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith reside. Orlando Brown Jr. hasn’t been the same since coming to Kansas City, but given the dearth of available left tackles, he could still land an expensive deal next spring if the Chiefs don’t franchise him.
4. New England Patriots
Michael Onwenu has finally been allowed to reside at a single position (right guard), and he’s been dominant, especially as a pass protector. The Patriots still need to figure out their right tackle situation, but they’ve allowed the NFL’s lowest pressure through seven weeks.
2022 OL Power Rankings | Tier 2: Above Average
5. Detroit Lions
Injuries have destroyed Detroit’s interior and left them with a consistent weak link at right guard. But the Lions have above-average talent everywhere else. Right tackle Penei Sewell has lived up to his top-10 draft status and then some.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tristan Wirfs is Lane Johnson’s primary competition for the “best right tackle in football” mantra, and left tackle Donovan Smith’s return from injury has been a sight for sore eyes. Left guard remains a concern — the Buccaneers rotated veteran Nick Leverett and rookie Luke Goedeke (who’s struggled as a starter) in Week 7.
7. Baltimore Ravens
Blocking for Lamar Jackson is different than blocking for most NFL quarterbacks, and the Ravens have integrated several new faces. Rookie center Tyler Linderbaum and veteran right tackle Morgan Moses are in their first seasons with Baltimore, and Ronnie Stanley is back at left tackle after missing the better part of two years.
8. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys may no longer have the best offensive line in the NFL, but they’re still a top-10 unit in our book. They used Jason Peters as a sixth offensive lineman on Sunday, and he should probably be in the starting lineup at either left guard or left tackle. Dallas is still holding out hope that Tyron Smith can return later this year.
9. San Francisco 49ers
I had a lot of questions about San Francisco’s inexperienced interior heading into the season, but Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, and Spencer Burford have held up surprisingly well. And the 49ers’ entire front five got a boost when Trent Williams — the best lineman in the NFL — returned to action in Week 7.
10. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have offered the league’s most astounding OL performance through the first half of the season. Atlanta’s run-heavy offensive scheme and prevalent use of play-action in the passing game make it easy on the team’s line, but right tackle Kaleb McGary may have earned himself a significant contract next spring.
11. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay let David Bakhtiari practice three days in a row, then his knee acted up and he was inactive against the Commanders in Week 7. His upside keeps the Packers relatively high in our rankings, but we’ll have to reassess if Bakhtiari suffers another setback.
12. Minnesota Vikings
Credit to first-year Vikings OL coach Chris Kuper, who’s gotten the best performance out of a Minnesota line in years. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill look like a long-term tackle pairing, and while right guard Ed Ingram is giving up too much pressure, growing pains are expected for rookies.
2022 OL Power Rankings | Tier 3: Middle of the Road
13. Denver Broncos
Not much has gone right for Denver’s offense, but their front five has been pretty solid. We’ll have to see how long the tackle combination of Cameron Fleming and Billy Turner can hold up. I have a feeling the loss of Garett Bolles will be felt as the season progresses.
14. Buffalo Bills
Guards Ryan Bates and Rodger Saffold have been the clear weak links along the Bills’ offensive line. Buffalo may have to experiment with a few different OL combinations if things don’t improve. Hopefully, Week 8 will see the return of right tackle Spencer Brown, who suffered an ankle injury against the Chiefs in Week 6.
15. New Orleans Saints
James Hurst was always one of the NFL’s best swing tackles, and he’s remained above average in a starting role. The Saints want to see first-round pick Trevor Penning when he returns from injury, but Hurst should retain a role. Calvin Throckmorton struggled while filling in for left guard Andrus Peat last Thursday night, but Peat had been struggling too — no harm, no foul.
16. Houston Texans
There hasn’t been any trade buzz about Laremy Tunsil, but he’s playing the best football of his career. The Texans probably couldn’t recoup what they gave up to get Tunsil from the Dolphins in 2019, but they could push their rebuild into overdrive by acquiring draft capital for the 28-year-old left tackle.
17. Los Angeles Chargers
LA’s line looked cooked when second-team All-Pro Rashawn Slater went down with a significant injury in Week 3, but sixth-round rookie Jamaree Salyer has posted three excellent games in four attempts. If Slater can return late in the season, this unit could be firing on all cylinders.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
As the Bengals’ offense has improved, so too has the club’s offensive line. Cincinnati has moved to an all-shotgun offense, and the change has suited their front five, especially in the run game. This unit made too many errors early on to move up any higher, but the potential is there.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
No singular player on Jacksonville’s offensive line has been outstanding, but no one has been detrimental either.
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Tyler Shatley has proven capable of replacing injured left guard Ben Bartch, and the Jaguars are second in the NFL in yards before contact per rushing attempt.
20. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have struggled without center Rodney Hudson and left guard Justin Pugh in recent weeks. Pugh is out for the season after tearing his ACL, but Hudson should return at some point. Arizona’s line will need an injection of youth during the offseason.
21. Carolina Panthers
It took a Pat Elflein injury for the Panthers to realize Bradley Bozeman is their best center. The former Raven dominated in the run game against the Buccaneers, and he’ll get the chance to improve his free agent stock with Elflein on IR. Fellow offseason addition Austin Corbett has been worth the money, too.
22. Seattle Seahawks
John Schneider’s 2022 draft class looks like a home run, and rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas were key pieces of that effort. Both will have their ups and downs throughout the year, but Seattle may have found its bookends for the next decade.
23. Washington Commanders
Washington’s offensive line has been one of the more disappointing units in the NFL through seven weeks. Some of that is because of injuries, but it’s largely due to ineffectiveness along the interior. Trai Turner was benched in Week 4, Andrew Norwell has struggled, and Commanders are on their third center.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pegged as one of the worst OLs in the league heading into the year, the Steelers’ line has surprised at times. Free agent James Daniels has been a huge success, and he’s still only 25 years old. I still think Pittsburgh needs to upgrade over LT Dan Moore Jr. in the long term.
2022 OL Power Rankings | Tier 4: Lackluster Lines
25. New York Jets
The loss of Breece Hall was devastating for the Jets, but Alijah Vera-Tucker’s season-ending injury may have an even greater impact. AVT lined up at left tackle, right tackle, and his customary right guard this season and played all of them well. New York will have to reshuffle once again up front.
26. Tennessee Titans
Dennis Daley hasn’t cut it as the fill-in for injured left tackle Taylor Lewan. If the Titans are serious about a postseason run, they need to find help on Ryan Tannehill’s blind side. Tennessee’s only reliable starters are center Ben Jones and right guard Nate Davis.
27. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ free agent investments (Terron Armstead and Connor Williams) have mostly played well when healthy, but Miami has a lot of problems elsewhere. Liam Eichenberg and Greg Little — the latter benched in favor of Brandon Shell in Week 7 — have looked borderline unplayable. Austin Jackson could return soon, but the Dolphins could explore adding another body at the deadline.
28. Chicago Bears
The Bears changed things up against the Patriots on Monday night, shifting Lucas Patrick from left guard to center while inserting Michael Schofield in the starting lineup. That didn’t last long, as Patrick got injured after 10 snaps. Sam Mustipher (23 starts since 2021) came in at center and will be there for as long as Patrick is sidelined.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
After trying out multiple combinations, the Raiders appear to have found an OL mixture they like. This line could be ascending, and they bullied the Texans in Week 7. Dylan Parham has started every game, and fellow rookie Thayer Munford took over for veteran Jermaine Eluemunor early on Sunday.
30. Indianapolis Colts
The sky is falling in Indianapolis, and the OL’s struggles have played a large role in the Colts’ tragedy. They finally relented and placed Dennis Kelly at left tackle on Sunday, and we’ll see if that helps matters going forward. New quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s mobility could give the line a boost, too.
31. New York Giants
Andrew Thomas has developed into one of the best left tackles in the NFL, but the rest of the Giants’ OL has been a disaster. It will probably get even worse over the next several weeks. Right tackle Evan Neal and left guard Ben Bredeson are due to miss time, leaving Tyre Phillips and Joshua Ezeudu to step in.
32. Los Angeles Rams
Sure, the Rams didn’t adequately build enough offensive line depth heading into 2022 — but no one could have predicted the rash of injuries they’re now dealing with. Los Angeles played backups or third-stringers at four of five OL spots in Week 6. Luckily, they hope to get center Brian Allen back in Week 8.