Offensive Line Rankings: NFL's best, worst protection units for 2024 (2024)

Justin Boone

5d ago

Julian Catalfo / theScore

Skill-position stars might power fantasy football, but offensive lines are the driving force behind most week-winning efforts.

As you prepare for your fantasy drafts, it's crucial to consider how O-lines across the league have changed this offseason and how that will impact the players they're blocking for and protecting.

We've ranked all 32 offensive lines, taking into account past performances, roster upgrades, overall depth, and the very underrated element of continuity.

Offensive Line Rankings
32-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

32. Washington Commanders

• The Commanders are attempting to fix the left side of their line with three new starters in Lucas, Allegretti, and Biadasz. They also drafted Coleman in the third round, who will provide depth while pushing for playing time.
• Biadasz is a competent starting open at center. However, expectations should be kept in check for Lucas and Allegretti, who have mostly served as backup options in their careers.
• Cosmi and Wylie can do a fine job holding the right side of the line, but Washington has a long way to go before we consider this unit a strength in front of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

31. New Orleans Saints

• The Saints' line is another group trying to retool with three potential new starters. Left guard James Hurst retired, and Ryan Ramczyk is expected to miss the season due to a knee injury that might force him down the same path.
• Ramczyk is a big loss that the team will attempt to fill with this year's first-rounder Fuaga, who earned positive reviews from teammates so far. That's a good sign for a player switching from right tackle (where he mostly lined up in college) to the left side.
• Penning, their former first-round tackle, has struggled since entering the league and is a major question mark as the projected starting right tackle.

30. New York Giants

• Injuries wreaked havoc on the Giants' line in 2023 and could also be a problem early this season. Head coach Brian Daboll wouldn't commit to his right tackle Neal being ready for Week 1 following an offseason ankle surgery.
• The hope is that a series of veteran additions like Runyan, Eluemunor, and Stinnie can help lift New York's blockers' overall quality and depth while taking some of the pressure off their younger talent.
• Continuity can't be overlooked, though. Like most of the teams near the bottom of our rankings, the Giants' incumbents will need to build chemistry with the new starters on the fly. It's a concerning situation for all their fantasy assets after this crew allowed a league-leading 85 sacks last year.

29. New England Patriots

• The Patriots failed to make significant additions to an offensive line that had issues in 2023 - putting them in a difficult position heading into this season.
• Strange is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon, which could keep him out well into the season. His absence has led to several players changing spots, including Sow moving to left guard, Onwenu shifting inside to right guard, and Okorafor stepping in at right tackle.
• With so many moving pieces, it's understandable why the Pats might want veteran QB Jacoby Brissett under center in Week 1 - especially when you factor in New England's daunting schedule in the first half of the season.

28. Seattle Seahawks

• Overcoming injuries is a part of life for NFL teams, but losing two talented starting tackles in the season opener is hard to recover from, and it held the Seahawks' offense back.
• While Cross should return to full health this year, Lucas' knee issues are a chronic problem. Fortunately, the team signed Fant as an insurance policy in case Lucas can't get back to his rookie season form.
• The bigger threat to this unit's success in 2024 will be the changes on the interior, where Seattle could field three new starters. Hopefully, the new coaching staff and system can help them gel and improve their outlook. But at the moment, the Seahawks' line doesn't inspire much confidence.

27. Tennessee Titans

• Unlike the teams ranked lower on this list, the Titans have clear reasons to feel good about their line's potential after they invested heavily in their blocking in recent years.
• The left side of the line is now comprised of back-to-back first picks in Skoronski and rookie tackle Latham. The team also scored a quality center in free agency by inking Cushenberry following his breakout campaign with the Broncos.
• To top it off, new head coach Brian Callahan brought his well-respected father Bill to help guide this group. He'll do his best to recapture some of the success from his past stops as an O-line coach - most recently with the Browns.

26. Arizona Cardinals

• While the Cardinals' offense likely won't be limited by their line play, they probably won't derive many benefits from it either. Arizona has a collection of solid yet unspectacular blockers - most of whom lack upside.
• Last year's first-round pick, Johnson, is the lone exception, but he's also moving from right to left tackle in Year 2. He'll be bookended by Williams, whose best attribute is his durability (which isn't a compliment).
• Fantasy managers should be excited about the Cardinals' potential given a full year of Kyler Murray and the addition of star receiving prospect Marvin Harrison Jr., but this line just doesn't move the needle one way or the other.

25. Miami Dolphins

• Armstead remains the anchor of this unit, even though his availability is often in doubt. The veteran has missed 20 games over the past three seasons, but is a premier tackle when active. Second-round rookie Paul also provides some insurance when Armstead is inevitably sidelined.
• The interior is where things get a little more dicey after the departures of Robert Hunt and Connor Williams. Wynn still doesn't have a timetable for when he'll return from his quad injury, and the rest of the options on the inside are far from sure bets.
• Fortunately, Mike McDaniel's scheme does a lot of the heavy lifting and can mask some of this unit's problems, which might be needed this year more than ever.

24. Carolina Panthers

• The fact that the Panthers are ranked this high is a testament to the team's offseason additions and my faith in new head coach Dave Canales. Carolina's failure to protect Bryce Young was one of the main reasons for his disappointing rookie campaign.
• While the front office had to spend up for some of its free-agent signings, it'll all be worth it if Young gets time in the pocket to develop his skills as a pro. You can't overstate the impact veteran guards like Lewis and Hunt could have on this starting lineup. With more reliable blocking next to them, the three incumbents Ekwonu, Moton, and Corbett should also improve their play.
• It seems hard to imagine after last year's incompetence, but the Panthers could be a sneaky team to target in fantasy in 2024, and the upgrades on the line will have a lot to do with it.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

• Morse is an excellent pickup who should form a dynamic duo with Scherff on the inside. Even though both players are 32 years old, they're above-average starters with veteran savvy.
• Robinson gets the benefit of a healthy offseason after missing the start of last year coming back from an ACL tear. However, after seven seasons as a pro, there likely isn't a higher ceiling for him to reach based on what we've seen so far.
• Last year's first-rounder, Harrison, has the potential to develop further - and he'll need to after finishing 67th among 81 tackles graded by Pro Football Focus in 2023.

22. Las Vegas Raiders

• For the time being, the Raiders are without star left tackle Miller and second-round rookie guard Powers-Johnson, who are both recovering from shoulder injuries. That tandem is expected to be a stronghold for Vegas on the left side of the line.
• Fortunately, the team has made strides in recent seasons to elevate the talent level across the entire line, so it's not a complete disaster in their absence. The team also has better depth this year with veterans like Whitehair and Peat able to step in as injury replacements.
• Hopefully, Miller and Powers-Johnson return soon, because this group will need to be at its best as it buys time for one of the league's weaker QB rooms (Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew) and RB rooms (Zamir White, Dylan Laube).

21. Baltimore Ravens

• An offensive line with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry behind them will be able to play bully ball in the run game more often than not. However, the Ravens only have two established starters in Stanley and Linderbaum - and the former hasn't been the most durable option in recent years.
• The departures of Kevin Zeitler, Morgan Moses, and John Simpson opened spots for former backups Vorhess and Cleveland, as well as second-round rookie Rosengarten.
• It's possible all these gambles work out and result in adequate blocking. Or that the combination of Jackson and Henry helps make life easier on the guys in front of them. But with so much change and uncertainty, it's not a stretch to see this line becoming problematic in 2024.

INJ - Injury that may affect Week 1 availability
R - Rookie

Offensive Line Rankings
32-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

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