The offensive line is the unsung hero of any football team. It’s the engine that drives the offense, providing the necessary protection for quarterbacks and creating the lanes for running backs. Despite their critical role, offensive lines often get overlooked, especially in fantasy football where they aren’t directly drafted. However, their performance can significantly impact a player’s season-end statistics.
Check out the attached PDF for a consensus ranking of offensive lines for each NFL team. There’s some consistency at the top and the bottom but there’s also some outlets that disagree. This is where the STD Dev column comes into play. The higher the number here the more disagreement was on their ranking.
Couple things to point out and recap.
Teams with the most consistency when it comes to their rank:
1. Philadelphia Eagles – 0.0
32. Tennessee Titans – 0.4
9. Denver Broncos – 0.9
Teams with the most inconsistency when it comes to their rank:
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 6.9
19. Las Vegas Raiders – 6.8
20. Seattle Seahawks – 6.4
The Jets are a Polarizing Situation: There’s tons of talent on the offensive side of the ball but the offensive line isn’t doing the offensive collective any favors. There’s speculation that Aaron Rodgers and the run game could suffer due to this line according to the Jet’s beat writers. The Jets lost Hall and Vera-Tucker to injury after a good start to the year so them returning healthy is a must for this team.
Concerns about the Patriots’ Offensive Line: Concerns have been raised about the Patriots’ offensive line. The Patriots have one excellent offensive lineman and another good player, but the rest of the line is considered weak. It’s suggested that the Patriots should have prioritized getting a tackle in the last draft.
Derrick Henry’s Performance Despite the Titans’ Ranking: It’s remarkable how Derrick Henry continues to perform well despite the Titans’ offensive line being ranked this low. While the talent is there the Titans continue to make it hard on Henry.
Potential Overranking of the Cowboys: The Cowboys’ offensive line might be ranked a bit too high. Potential issues with player injuries and the lineman rotation could lead to a bit of inconsistency early on in the season.
This just highlights the complexity of evaluating offensive lines and the impact of factors such as player injuries and individual player performance. It also show how these rankings can influence perceptions of individual players’ potential performance in the upcoming season. As the 2023 NFL season unfolds, it will be interesting to see how these rankings hold up and how they impact the performance of key players.