It's Week 6. How F****d Up is Your Offensive Line?

What follows are offensive line continuity rankings, NOT offensive line quality rankings.

Don’t make me repeat that or keep tapping the sign. These rankings reflect how healthy and stable all 32 NFL offensive lines have been through five games, not how well they have performed.

Of course, stable lines are usually effective lines, while injury-plagued lines end up getting their quarterbacks creamed, and early-season benchings are rarely a good sign. But while I make some value judgments and observations in the commentary, these rankings are all about whether or not a team’s five blockers each week have been the five blockers they hoped would be on the field at the start of camp.

My goal in writing this was to provide some narrative context for the first quarter of the 2025 season while pushing myself to commit to some deep-dive research. It’s easy for fans, writers, analysts, and so forth to shorthand offensive lines into “good/bad” or “healthy/hurt” paradigms, then shrug our shoulders and give all the credit or blame to the quarterback, unless he’s Jared Goff. There are reasons why Daniel Jones is suddenly amazing and the Packers offense has been up and down. Those reasons just aren’t often reported well to a national audience, and it’s hard for even the professionals to keep track of 160 starting NFL linemen and the dozens of backups who end up on the field.

Let’s start with the healthy lines, then move on to the wobbly ones, and finally to the survivors of Pickett’s Charge.

1. Denver Broncos

This veteran line has been fully healthy through five games. Garrett Bolles is still a frost giant at left tackle. Mike McGlinchey, who was a disaster blocking for Russell Wilson back in 2023, has become a fixture at right tackle.

Gosh, Russ was still in Denver as recently as 2023? It feels like he left halfway through the Protestant Reformation.

The Broncos’ sack rate is just 2.8%. Avoiding negative plays is often a key component of “finding a way to win.” Continuity Grade: A

Late Edit: Ben Powers suffered a bicep injury late in the Eagles game and will miss a few weeks. I was certain I would miss an injury or two in this essay. But I did not expect to miss one right off the bat! The Broncos should therefore be down among teams like the Eagles, but I will keep my shame here for all to see.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

All five Chiefs linemen have been healthy through five games, give-or-take some brief exits. Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons has been as good as the Chiefs could have hoped. Left guard Kingsley Suamataia is happy to no longer be a rookie left tackle; Patrick Mahomes is pretty happy, too. Center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith are playing at their usual high level. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor keeps mixing holding penalties with attempts to line up at fullback, but he’s a familiar and manageable weak link. Continuity Grade: A

3. New York Jets

We’re conditioned to think of the Jets line as a rolling, decade-spanning catastrophe. But the Jets have been completely injury-free on the line so far this year.

What’s more, the Jets line hasn’t been bad. Rookie Armond Membou is a road grader at right tackle, and he has handled some difficult assignments in pass protection. Sophomore left tackle Olu Fashanu has allowed only one sack. Their inexperience shows when coping with crowd noise and silent snap counts (see the Dolphins loss). But watch the Jets running game in the first quarter, and you will see a talented, physical line in action.

Unfortunately, Justin Fields will run and/or dawdle himself into sack situations, and the Jets spend the final three quarters of most games playing catchup, which allows opposing defenses to break out their favorite blitz packages. Continuity Grade: A

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Is the Steelers line “good?” That’s hard to say. The Steelers are averaging just 3.3 yards per rush. Aaron Rodgers is so reluctant to get hit that he’s essentially playing pepper with his receivers. And the Steelers deploy lots of two- and three-tight end personnel groups, which can help mitigate any line problems. Left tackle Broderick Jones and the others look like they are being propped up by scheme and circumstance.

Is the Steelers line healthy? Absolutely. All five starters have played all but seven snaps (left guard Isaac Seumalo was briefly dinged up) through four games. And a healthy mediocre line is better than an injury-plagued great one.

Note: The Steelers line committed just two holds and one false start through four games. Continuity Grade: A- (fewer games)

5. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts line has been extremely healthy and is playing incredibly well. So well, in fact, that their backups have gotten mop-up snaps in the Dolphins, Titans AND Raiders games.

The only injury of note was a Week 3 toe injury to Matt Goncalves, the most obscure starter on a line headlined by past-and-future All Pro left guard Quenton Nelson and stalwart right tackle Braden Smith.

Not to belabor the obvious, but when an offense helmed by a journeyman quarterback suddenly becomes dazzling, enviable line health and continuity is often a major reason why. The Colts’ sack rate is a league-low 2.3%. That’s partially the result of Jones’ decision making, scheme and opponents. But a stable line is also a critical factor. Continuity Grade: B+

6. Buffalo Bills

One of the league’s best offensive lines has also been one of the league’s healthiest. Spencer Brown missed Week 4, but experienced backup Ryan Van Demark only had minor difficulties against the Saints. Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern and the rest have only missed a few isolated snaps and some mop-up series.

A quick note: the Bills lead the NFL with 13 holding penalties. There’s no one culprit. The penalties are starting to become a real restrictor plate on the offense. Continuity Grade: B+

7. New England Patriots

Dig deeper into any rebuilding team’s surprising start, and you will probably discover that the team is enjoying health and stability on the offensive line. Rookie left guard Jared Wilson missed Week 4 against the Panthers. Mike Vrabel plopped a bale of hay between Garrett Bradbury and Will Campbell, and Panthers defenders just kept running into it and flopping to the turf. (Just kidding! Backup Ben Brown played well!)

After a wobbly start, Campbell and Wilson have been everything the Patriots could ask for from rookie starters on the left side. Both had outstanding games against the Bills.

The Patriots spent 2023 and 2024 cycling through backups, failed prospects and bad ideas due to injuries and ineffectiveness. The team’s newfound stability AND upgraded talent on the line has been a refreshing change of pace. Continuity Grade: B+

8. San Francisco 49ers

The offensive line is just about the only 49ers unit which hasn’t been devastated by injuries this year. Left guard is the only trouble spot. Ben Bartch suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2. Connor Colby has been overmatched in relief. Kobie Turner took Colby on a few haunted hayrides straight into Mac Jones’ lap in Week 5.

Trent Williams remains awesome at left tackle. Colton McKivitz is very good at right. The interior line gets by. Center Jake Brendel has his issues, but sometimes it looks like he’s really having Colby’s issues. Continuity Grade: B

9. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks coped with all sorts of line drama in 2025. All has been quiet and steady this season.

Right guard Christian Haynes is on IR with a pec injury, but he was in danger of losing his job to Anthony Bradford, anyway. Bradford is struggling, but rookie left guard Grey Zabel and new center Jalen Sundell are playing well, as is finally-healthy right tackle Abe Lucas. Left tackle Charles Cross had finger surgery at the start of camp but returned for the opener. Everyone has played nearly every snap except for some garbage time against the Saints. Continuity Grade: B

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

Center Robert Hainsey left the Monday night victory over the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. Seventh-round rookie Jonah Monheim replaced him and handled a tough assignment against Chris Jones admirably.

Right guard Patrick Mekari and right tackle Anton Harrison have missed bits and pieces of games; Harrison has been dealing with an elbow injury and missed a few snaps against the Chiefs.

The Hainsey injury and Harrison’s general gimpiness bear monitoring.

Note: The Jaguars line has committed 11 holds and 8 false starts, both high figures. Continuity Grade: B (Assuming Hainsey misses a few weeks.)

11. Philadelphia Eagles

Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson will miss a few games with the ankle injury he exacerbated against the Broncos. Dickerson suffered a meniscus tear in training camp and has not been himself all year. Brett Toth, a bit player on the Eagles bench for most of the 2020s, will fill in.

All Pro right tackle Lane Johnson keeps getting banged up midway through games and spending the second half scowling on the bench. Johnson managed to get through Week 5 unscathed. Fred Johnson, who handled relief stints at both tackle positions in 2024, played well against the Bucs.

The waxing and waning of Dickerson’s and Johnson’s health has roughly corresponded with the waxing and waning of the Eagles offense this year. Continuity Grade: B

12. Detroit Lions

Left tackle Taylor Decker missed Week 5 with a shoulder injury. Backup Giovanni Manu gave up EZ Pass sacks to Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai. It sounds like Decker will miss the Week 7 Chiefs showdown. The Lions stashed veteran multitool Dan Skipper on the practice squad in case of emergency. Skipper subbed for Decker frequently in 2024. He was called up this week .

The rest of the rebuilt Lions line has held firm through five games. Penei Sewell has been his All Pro self at right tackle. Graham Glasgow has been a capable replacement for retired center Frank Ragnow. Rookie right guard Tate Ratledge has been fine with Sewell by his side. Christian Mahogany has rebounded from his awful Week 1 effort against the Packers.

Dan Campbell retained line coach Hank Fraley when Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn raided his staff in the offseason. Smart move. Continuity Grade: B

13. New York Giants

Like the Jets, the Giants are perennial disaster artists on the offensive line, mixing bad play with bad luck year after year. So it may surprise you that All Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas is the only Giants lineman to miss time this year, and he was recovering from a 2024 injury.

James Hudson started the season at left tackle but was benched after committing five penalties in the span of about four minutes against the Cowboys. Marcus Mbow replaced Hudson, swapping out the penalties for blown blocks. Thomas returned to full-time duties in Week 4, and opposing edge rushers appear to have slid to greener pastures along the Giants line rather than challenging him.

The rest of the Giants line is manned by players Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll signed or drafted for their starting roles. Considering that they knew Thomas would be unavailable to start the season, the Giants braintrust cannot use line injuries as an excuse for the team’s 1-4 start. Which is a shame, because they could really use some excuses. Continuity Grade: B

14. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons lost right tackle Kaleb McGary to a season-ending leg injury in late August. Top backup tackle Storm Norton has also been on IR since the preseason, but journeyman Elijah Wilkinson has been a non-problem at right tackle through four games.

The rest of the stalwart Falcons line, headlined by left tackle Jake Matthews and right guard Chris Lindstrom, has been healthy all year. They have been a big part of Bijan Robinson’s success and Michael Penix’s mostly-encouraging early performances.

Per Sports Info Solutions, the Falcons have the lowest blown block rate in the NFL at 1.2%. The Falcons have also incurred just two holding penalties. Continuity Grade: B (McGary counts as a missing starter.)

15. Baltimore Ravens

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) is the only problem, on the line at least. But oh, what a problem. Backup Joe Noteboom was a Rams swing tackle for many years, but Noteboom flunked the Will Anderson Challenge against the Texans.

Stanley was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. He should be back to full strength in Week 8, after the Ravens’ bye. But Stanley’s injuries also tend to linger/recur, so don’t take anything for granted. Continuity Grade: B

16. Tennessee Titans

Right tackle JC Latham suffered a hip injury in Week 1. Two guys I am unfamiliar with whose names I do not feel like spelling out replaced Latham, badly. It sounds like Latham could return to face Maxx Crosby in Week 6, which would be a blessing for Cam Ward.

Kevin Zeitler missed Week 3. Otherwise, the Titans offensive line has been healthy. Continuity Grade: B-

17. Cincinnati Bengals

All the drama has been at right guard. Cordell Volson suffered a shoulder injury in camp. Lucas Patrick started the season but lasted just 16 snaps before landing on IR with a calf injury. Former Vikings starter Dalton Risner, signed in the wake of the Volson injury, played just long enough to surrender the sack that KO’d Joe Burrow, then suffered his own calf injury.

Enter fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers, who has been truly overmatched in two-and-a-half games of action. Risner might soon return to duty, though he appears to have been half hurt/half benched.

The situation at right guard doesn’t begin to explain the Bengals’ offensive line woes. Rookie right guard Dylan Fairchild has been surrendering too many pressures. Second-year right tackle Arnarius Mims is just getting by. And veteran left tackle Orlando Brown looks leaden and sluggish.

With Jake Browning looking like Elizabeth Barrett Browning these days, the Bengals panic-traded for Joe Flacco on Tuesday. I cannot imagine what the rusted-through Flacco can do behind this line besides chuck ‘n’ duck. Which is what Browning is doing.

Note: The Bengals have the NFL’s worst blown block rate, per Sports Info Solutions, at 4.2%. The Chargers, who have been juggling linemen all year, are a distant second at 3.7%. Continuity Grade: B-

18. Las Vegas Raiders

Left tackle Kolton Miller suffered a hairline ankle fracture late in Week 4 and is on IR. Stone Forsythe, a longtime swing tackle for (you guessed it) the Seahawks, filled in capably in Week 5.

Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson missed two games with a concussion. He has been a mauler since his return. There’s been drama surrounding Powers-Johnson, a second-round pick in 2024, since training camp. Some in the organization appear to prefer veteran backup Alex Cappa. Cappa spent several years in Tampa blocking for (you guessed it) Tom Brady. But it’s not like a Raiders braintrust to fall prey to cronyism or anything. Continuity Grade: B-

19. Arizona Cardinals

Right guard Will Hernandez returned from a 2024 ACL tear for the Titans debacle, but he appeared to be on a pitch count. Evan Brown missed the Week 5 travesty with a pulled hamstring. Isaiah Adams moved from right to left to spell Brown and will probably move to the bench when Hernandez is 100%.

Left tackle Paris Johnson missed Week 3 with a knee injury but is back now. Longtime starter Kelvin Beachum remains on the bench in case of left tackle emergencies.

The Cardinals offensive line is tricky to evaluate because: a) running back James Conner is hurt; b) Kyler Murray still runs around in circles as if that’s how the play was drawn up; and c) no one really cares. Continuity Grade: B-

20. Houston Texans

The Texans kick off a batch of teams that have made line moves which were not totally injury-related.

There’s a “we meant to do that” element to the Texans’ line discontinuity in 2025. When right guard Ed Ingram suffered an abdominal injury late in the preseason, the Texans shuffled Tytus Howard inside, started rookie Aireontae Ersery at right tackle and gave beleaguered/oft-injured/washed-up free agent splash Cam Robinson a Week 1 start at left tackle. They shuffled everyone back and traded Robinson to the Browns when Ingram returned to the lineup.

Meanwhile, left guards Laken Tomlinson and Juice Scruggs appear to be in some sort of rotation. And center Jake Andrews missed Week 2 with an ankle injury. Initial reports indicated that he might miss several weeks, but he returned in Week 3.

The Texans line may still be a work in progress, but it is healthy and features five (or six) non-catastrophic regulars. That’s a significant upgrade from last season. Continuity Grade: C+

21. Washington Commanders

There has been drama at the guard positions. Right guard Nick Allegretti got benched in favor of former starter Andrew Wylie after a brutal outing against the Packers. Left guard Brandon Coleman, who was impressive as a rookie left tackle in 2024, also got benched after the Packers game. He was replaced by Chris Paul, another experienced backup.

Sam Cosmi, who suffered an ACL tear in the 2024 playoffs, has returned to practice and should soon be back at right guard. What that means for the other four is unclear, though Coleman’s youth and versatility make him valuable, while Allegretti is the subject of trade speculation.

Give the Commanders credit for maintaining veteran depth on the line. Continuity Grade: C+

22. Chicago Bears

There’s all sorts of confusion at the tackle spots. Braxton Jones won the left tackle job in training camp but was benched against the Raiders. With right tackle Darnell Wright (elbow) injured, Ben Johnson slid backup Theo Benedet from right to left tackle mid-game and inserted second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo at right tackle. Shockingly, juggling linemen and inserting a newcomer on Maxx Crosby’s side of the field (the offensive right) did not work out so well!

Wright could be back on Monday night against the Commanders. But Ben Johnson is part Gloomy Gus, part Secret Squirrel, so he is not giving any updates on Wright, Jones or anyone else. But don’t worry! Johnson is a tactical genius and leader of men, so he’ll have a situation he should have sorted out in training camp sorted out in no time! Continuity Grade: C+

23. Los Angeles Rams

There may be some “soft benchings” afoot in Los Angeles.

Left guard Steve Avila suffered a sprained ankle in the first half of Week 1 against the Titans. Justin Dedich, an UDFA in 2024, got clobbered by Jeffery Simmons and Jalen Carter in his first two relief starts but has settled down. Avila has been playing on special teams, so Sean McVay may have decided to stick with the smaller, quicker Dedich.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein had a rough outing against the Colts in Week 4 and missed Week 5 with an ankle injury. Warren McClendon, who filled in for Havenstein for much of 2024, was adequate against the 49ers. Havenstein, now 33 years old, was charged with 19 blown blocks by Sports Info Solutions, the second-highest figure in the NFL. McVay’s plans moving forward are unclear.

Yes, I just ripped Ben Johnson for juggling linemen while giving McVay some leeway. Benefit of the doubt must be earned. And McVay isn’t sliding inexperienced players across the formation midgame. Continuity Grade: C+

24. New Orleans Saints

Left guard Trevor Penning has been back from a toe injury since Week 4. Right guard Cesar Ruiz suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 4. Ruiz avoided IR, so he is probably week-to-week. Right tackle Taliese Fuaga has been playing through knee and back injuries that sidelined him in Week 3.

As you might imagine, the Saints bench is littered with utter randos. Former Titans prospect Dillon Radunz filled in well for Penning, but undrafted rookie Torricelli Simpkins III has been awful at both guard spots. Radunz has recovered from a toe injury. Maybe he will slide over to replace Ruiz. At any rate, the Saints are better off with injured starters in the lineup than whoever Mickey Loomis dug up at a rummage sale. Continuity Grade: C

25. Carolina Panthers

Right guard Robert Hunt suffered a bicep injury in Week 2. The Panthers experimented with a couple of bad ideas before plugging longtime super-sub Brady Christensen into the role. Christensen played well against the Dolphins.

Austin Corbett is on IR due to his ever-balky right knee. Cade Mays, who has backed up Corbett for years, has been steady in relief. Left tackle Ickey Ekwonu missed Week 1 with an appendectomy. He has been his usual wildly inconsistent self since.

Rico Dowdle rushed for 205 yards behind this patchwork line in Week 5. Impressive. Despite the fact that the opponent was the Dolphins. Continuity Grade: C

26. Miami Dolphins

Right tackle Austin Jackson went on IR in Week 1 with turf toe. Former Bears swing tackle Larry Borom has struggled in relief. Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday that Jackson is still “weeks away.”

James Daniels suffered a pectoral injury three snaps into the Dolphins’ Week 1 loss to the Colts. Kion Smith, Cole Strange and Daniel Brunskill have taken turns replacing him. All have been dreadful. You may remember Strange as one of Bill Belichick’s final midlife crisis brainstorms before he gave up and just started banging postgrads.

It is worth noting that rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea has posted some of the lowest pass protection grades I have ever seen at Pro Football Focus. A starter getting the Bluto Blutarsky 0.0 in three weeks out of five? Highly unusual.

PFF grades are subject to a pretty powerful halo effect, with established players and stars getting far more benefit-of-the-doubt than rookies. As bad as Savaiinaea may be, the evaluators must be going a little hard on him. Seriously, if he was that bad, Tua Tagovailoa would be standing at the pearly gates.

(Note: I just studied Savaiinaea’s film against the Panthers. Disregard the previous paragraph.) Continuity Grade: C

27. Green Bay Packers

Great news, Cheeseheads! Right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks returned to practice this week! Tom has been either missing or hobbled all season with an oblique injury. Banks has also alternated between “out” and “playing hurt” with an ankle injury.

There was no new early-week injury news on rookie tackle Anthony Belton, who has also dealt with an ankle injury all year. But Tom’s return will send Belton back to the bench.

Tuesday’s health updates were especially wonderful news for me, because I was dreading the task of fine-tooth-combing Packers injuries reports to determine who was available when and why. It doesn’t matter now! I got this done in 120 words and 15 minutes of research and writing! Continuity Grade: C-

28. Dallas Cowboys