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Top offensive linemen in 2015
Jake Long, Tyron Smith among top projected offensive linemen
Originally Published: June 18, 2012
By Matt Williamson | ESPN.com
Jake Long has steadied the offensive line for the Miami Dolphins for years.
The offensive line is vital to the success of any NFL offense. Without good pass protection, a quarterback doesn't have enough time to throw, tight ends have to stay in to block and wide receivers don't have time to get open. Without good run blocking, running backs usually don't get far past the line of scrimmage.
Continuing with this summer's theme of looking ahead in the NFL, we took a look at the top 15 offensive lineman in 2015.
1. Jake Long, LT, Miami Dolphins
Long fought injuries and wasn't himself in 2011, but I have no doubts about his overall talent. In fact, I think he might just be the best offensive lineman in the game today. Many don't realize just how light on his feet Long is for such a massive offensive tackle, and he plays with a great tenacity. The first overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Long will turn 30 years old in the offseason before the 2015 season, and I don't see him slowing down by then.
2. Tyron Smith, LT, Dallas Cowboys
Smith was sensational in his rookie season last year at right tackle. Wisely, the Cowboys will move him to left tackle with Doug Free heading over to the right side. I was tempted to put Smith at the top spot on this list, but after only seeing one season (on the right side), I felt like Long was the safer choice for three years down the road. Plus, Smith didn't even play left tackle in college, as that job belonged to Matt Kalil (listed below) at USC. But Smith was a very special player as a rookie with remarkable movement skills, leverage and the ability to recover once beaten. Bill Callahan is among the league's best offensive line coaches, which should make Smith's transition and maturation much smoother.
3. Joe Thomas, LT, Cleveland Browns
Thomas isn't a killer in the run game, but he might be the premier pass-protector in the NFL -- and that is what left tackles get paid to do. Thomas just makes it look easy -- even against the league's best edge pass-rushers. Thomas is 27 and has gone to four Pro Bowls already. Heading into 2015, Thomas most likely will have finished his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl season. That is the type of career that leads to Hall of Fame inductions.
4. Maurkice Pouncey, C, Pittsburgh Steelers
Injuries have been a problem for Pouncey, but it isn't difficult to see what a tremendous talent he is. Pouncey is next in line in what is a simply amazing Steelers tradition at the center position and playing alongside what is now a very young, and extremely talented, offensive front should only help Pouncey's rise to stardom. By 2015, led by Pouncey and this year's first-round pick David DeCastro (listed below), the Steelers could have the best offensive line in the NFL.
5. Mike Pouncey, C, Dolphins
Pouncey entered the league one year after his twin brother, and on a struggling Dolphins' team, he didn't get the recognition that Maurkice did in Pittsburgh. Mike's pass protection needs some work, but he is already an excellent run-blocker. Like his brother, Pouncey has outstanding physical tools to be one of the best pivots in the league. With Long and Pouncey as anchors for years to come, Miami's offensive line should be a strength as Ryan Tannehill develops behind center. The Pouncey twins don't turn 23 until July, which certainly bodes well for their production in 2015.
6. Mike Iupati, G, San Francisco 49ers
This is the season that Iupati will establish himself as one of the elite guards in the NFL. A project coming out of college, Iupati has progressed well -- and is loaded with great tools for playing the position. He is huge, extremely powerful and nasty. Run blocking isn't a problem at all and his pass protection has consistently improved. Iupati and Joe Staley (listed below) quietly make up one of the very best left sides of any offensive line in the NFL -- and should only improve going forward. Iupati will only be 28 when the 2015 season begins.
Nick Mangold anchors the Jets' O-line.
7. Nick Mangold, C, New York Jets
The premier center in the NFL right now, Mangold is going to the Hall of Fame quickly following his retirement. He is the total package for a center. Mangold is great at everything, from his run blocking to pass protection, to making the line calls and adjustments, to leading his teammates with great attention to detail for the position on and off the field. Mangold is 28 now and when the 2015 season rolls around, I think that the Pouncey twins will have barely supplanted Mangold as the top pivots in the game. But that doesn't mean that this all-time great won't still be very effective.
8. Duane Brown, LT, Houston Texans
Much better in protection than as a run blocker, Brown still fits the Texans' movement-based run scheme very well. But like other left tackles mentioned above, keeping his quarterback clean in the pocket is what Brown excels at doing. Getting past him in this capacity was extremely difficult in 2011, and he has never missed a start in his career. Brown, a cornerstone of what was the league's best offensive line last year, will turn 27 soon, making him a young 30 when the 2015 season begins.
9. Jahri Evans, G, New Orleans Saints
Evans is only 28 and easily one of the elite guards in football today. Although he is massive player who can simply overpower his opponent with size and strength, Evans also is very technically sound and tough. With Carl Nicks (also in my top 15) now in Tampa Bay, Evans is the best player on the Saints' line. While Ben Grubbs is a good player, New Orleans no longer has an elite pair of starting guards. Don't expect much decline by 2015 from Evans, though, who is the younger of the two.
10. Josh Sitton, G, Green Bay Packers
Sitton just turned 26, but has already established himself as one of the best guards in the game today. When the 2015 season arrives, Sitton should be in his prime and firmly entrenched as a Pro Bowl regular. As you would suspect in the Packers' offense, Sitton excels in protecting Aaron Rodgers. Like other truly great quarterbacks, Rodgers can make his line look even better than it truly is, but that doesn't detract from what a high quality performer Sitton has been for an extremely productive Packers offense.
11. Marshal Yanda, G, Baltimore Ravens
Yanda is one of the most underrated players in the game today. He does everything well and is one of the best guards in the league in pass protection. In fact, Yanda has been quite successful on the edge at right tackle. He is also an excellent run-blocker who paves the way for Ray Rice when the Ravens need a tough yard or two. Yanda turns 28 in September and with his great fundamentals to always fall back on, he should remain one of the best around.
12. Carl Nicks, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After signing him to a huge contract this offseason, the Buccaneers obviously agree with me that Nicks will be an elite guard for years to come. While they still appear weak at right tackle, adding Nicks to this line and moving Jeremy Zuttah to center should give Tampa Bay one of the better offensive lines in the league in 2012. Nicks will turn 30 years old in March, so he will be 32 when the 2015 season begins. At that point, some decline may have occurred, but I still expect the Nicks contract to be paying off for the Bucs. Josh Freeman and Doug Martin surely will appreciate Tampa's new left guard.
13. Alex Mack, C, Browns
Like his teammate Thomas, Mack will turn 30 years old during the 2015 season. He is a real tough guy who plays with very good technique, so age might not affect him as negatively as other players that rely mostly on their physical gifts. That isn't to imply that the former first-round pick isn't physically gifted though. Better in protection than run blocking, Mack should rank among the best interior linemen in the game for the foreseeable future. It would help Mack's cause overall if he were to get better support from the guards on either side of him.
14. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LT, Jets
Ferguson had a down season in 2011 as a run-blocker, but he is ideally suited from a length, footwork and agility standpoint for protecting a quarterback's blind side. Ferguson can handle speed rushers as well as just about any offensive tackle in the league and is also very rarely penalized. He will turn 29 near the end of the 2012 season, so by the 2015 season, his great agility might be slipping -- which is why he is low on this list.
15. Jason Peters, LT, Philadelphia Eagles
Peters was probably the best offensive lineman in the NFL in 2011. He was simply phenomenal in every facet of playing left tackle and teamed with Evan Mathis (listed below) to form an elite left side of the line. But he turns 31 years old in January and tore his Achilles tendon on two separate occasions this offseason. He is very unlikely to see the field in 2012. Will he return to action as someone in the same mold as when we saw him last?
Honorable mention (alphabetical): Bryan Bulaga, Ryan Clady, David DeCastro, Matt Kalil, Ryan Kalil, Andy Levitre, Evan Mathis, Eugene Monroe, Russell Okung, Michael Roos, Amini Silatolu, Nate Solder, Joe Staley, Sebastian Vollmer, Trent Williams, Eric Winston, Stefen Wisniewski, Eric Wood, Kevin Zeitler
Jake Long, Tyron Smith among top projected offensive linemen
Originally Published: June 18, 2012
By Matt Williamson | ESPN.com
Jake Long has steadied the offensive line for the Miami Dolphins for years.
The offensive line is vital to the success of any NFL offense. Without good pass protection, a quarterback doesn't have enough time to throw, tight ends have to stay in to block and wide receivers don't have time to get open. Without good run blocking, running backs usually don't get far past the line of scrimmage.
Continuing with this summer's theme of looking ahead in the NFL, we took a look at the top 15 offensive lineman in 2015.
1. Jake Long, LT, Miami Dolphins
Long fought injuries and wasn't himself in 2011, but I have no doubts about his overall talent. In fact, I think he might just be the best offensive lineman in the game today. Many don't realize just how light on his feet Long is for such a massive offensive tackle, and he plays with a great tenacity. The first overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Long will turn 30 years old in the offseason before the 2015 season, and I don't see him slowing down by then.
2. Tyron Smith, LT, Dallas Cowboys
Smith was sensational in his rookie season last year at right tackle. Wisely, the Cowboys will move him to left tackle with Doug Free heading over to the right side. I was tempted to put Smith at the top spot on this list, but after only seeing one season (on the right side), I felt like Long was the safer choice for three years down the road. Plus, Smith didn't even play left tackle in college, as that job belonged to Matt Kalil (listed below) at USC. But Smith was a very special player as a rookie with remarkable movement skills, leverage and the ability to recover once beaten. Bill Callahan is among the league's best offensive line coaches, which should make Smith's transition and maturation much smoother.
3. Joe Thomas, LT, Cleveland Browns
Thomas isn't a killer in the run game, but he might be the premier pass-protector in the NFL -- and that is what left tackles get paid to do. Thomas just makes it look easy -- even against the league's best edge pass-rushers. Thomas is 27 and has gone to four Pro Bowls already. Heading into 2015, Thomas most likely will have finished his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl season. That is the type of career that leads to Hall of Fame inductions.
4. Maurkice Pouncey, C, Pittsburgh Steelers
Injuries have been a problem for Pouncey, but it isn't difficult to see what a tremendous talent he is. Pouncey is next in line in what is a simply amazing Steelers tradition at the center position and playing alongside what is now a very young, and extremely talented, offensive front should only help Pouncey's rise to stardom. By 2015, led by Pouncey and this year's first-round pick David DeCastro (listed below), the Steelers could have the best offensive line in the NFL.
5. Mike Pouncey, C, Dolphins
Pouncey entered the league one year after his twin brother, and on a struggling Dolphins' team, he didn't get the recognition that Maurkice did in Pittsburgh. Mike's pass protection needs some work, but he is already an excellent run-blocker. Like his brother, Pouncey has outstanding physical tools to be one of the best pivots in the league. With Long and Pouncey as anchors for years to come, Miami's offensive line should be a strength as Ryan Tannehill develops behind center. The Pouncey twins don't turn 23 until July, which certainly bodes well for their production in 2015.
6. Mike Iupati, G, San Francisco 49ers
This is the season that Iupati will establish himself as one of the elite guards in the NFL. A project coming out of college, Iupati has progressed well -- and is loaded with great tools for playing the position. He is huge, extremely powerful and nasty. Run blocking isn't a problem at all and his pass protection has consistently improved. Iupati and Joe Staley (listed below) quietly make up one of the very best left sides of any offensive line in the NFL -- and should only improve going forward. Iupati will only be 28 when the 2015 season begins.
Nick Mangold anchors the Jets' O-line.
7. Nick Mangold, C, New York Jets
The premier center in the NFL right now, Mangold is going to the Hall of Fame quickly following his retirement. He is the total package for a center. Mangold is great at everything, from his run blocking to pass protection, to making the line calls and adjustments, to leading his teammates with great attention to detail for the position on and off the field. Mangold is 28 now and when the 2015 season rolls around, I think that the Pouncey twins will have barely supplanted Mangold as the top pivots in the game. But that doesn't mean that this all-time great won't still be very effective.
8. Duane Brown, LT, Houston Texans
Much better in protection than as a run blocker, Brown still fits the Texans' movement-based run scheme very well. But like other left tackles mentioned above, keeping his quarterback clean in the pocket is what Brown excels at doing. Getting past him in this capacity was extremely difficult in 2011, and he has never missed a start in his career. Brown, a cornerstone of what was the league's best offensive line last year, will turn 27 soon, making him a young 30 when the 2015 season begins.
9. Jahri Evans, G, New Orleans Saints
Evans is only 28 and easily one of the elite guards in football today. Although he is massive player who can simply overpower his opponent with size and strength, Evans also is very technically sound and tough. With Carl Nicks (also in my top 15) now in Tampa Bay, Evans is the best player on the Saints' line. While Ben Grubbs is a good player, New Orleans no longer has an elite pair of starting guards. Don't expect much decline by 2015 from Evans, though, who is the younger of the two.
10. Josh Sitton, G, Green Bay Packers
Sitton just turned 26, but has already established himself as one of the best guards in the game today. When the 2015 season arrives, Sitton should be in his prime and firmly entrenched as a Pro Bowl regular. As you would suspect in the Packers' offense, Sitton excels in protecting Aaron Rodgers. Like other truly great quarterbacks, Rodgers can make his line look even better than it truly is, but that doesn't detract from what a high quality performer Sitton has been for an extremely productive Packers offense.
11. Marshal Yanda, G, Baltimore Ravens
Yanda is one of the most underrated players in the game today. He does everything well and is one of the best guards in the league in pass protection. In fact, Yanda has been quite successful on the edge at right tackle. He is also an excellent run-blocker who paves the way for Ray Rice when the Ravens need a tough yard or two. Yanda turns 28 in September and with his great fundamentals to always fall back on, he should remain one of the best around.
12. Carl Nicks, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After signing him to a huge contract this offseason, the Buccaneers obviously agree with me that Nicks will be an elite guard for years to come. While they still appear weak at right tackle, adding Nicks to this line and moving Jeremy Zuttah to center should give Tampa Bay one of the better offensive lines in the league in 2012. Nicks will turn 30 years old in March, so he will be 32 when the 2015 season begins. At that point, some decline may have occurred, but I still expect the Nicks contract to be paying off for the Bucs. Josh Freeman and Doug Martin surely will appreciate Tampa's new left guard.
13. Alex Mack, C, Browns
Like his teammate Thomas, Mack will turn 30 years old during the 2015 season. He is a real tough guy who plays with very good technique, so age might not affect him as negatively as other players that rely mostly on their physical gifts. That isn't to imply that the former first-round pick isn't physically gifted though. Better in protection than run blocking, Mack should rank among the best interior linemen in the game for the foreseeable future. It would help Mack's cause overall if he were to get better support from the guards on either side of him.
14. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LT, Jets
Ferguson had a down season in 2011 as a run-blocker, but he is ideally suited from a length, footwork and agility standpoint for protecting a quarterback's blind side. Ferguson can handle speed rushers as well as just about any offensive tackle in the league and is also very rarely penalized. He will turn 29 near the end of the 2012 season, so by the 2015 season, his great agility might be slipping -- which is why he is low on this list.
15. Jason Peters, LT, Philadelphia Eagles
Peters was probably the best offensive lineman in the NFL in 2011. He was simply phenomenal in every facet of playing left tackle and teamed with Evan Mathis (listed below) to form an elite left side of the line. But he turns 31 years old in January and tore his Achilles tendon on two separate occasions this offseason. He is very unlikely to see the field in 2012. Will he return to action as someone in the same mold as when we saw him last?
Honorable mention (alphabetical): Bryan Bulaga, Ryan Clady, David DeCastro, Matt Kalil, Ryan Kalil, Andy Levitre, Evan Mathis, Eugene Monroe, Russell Okung, Michael Roos, Amini Silatolu, Nate Solder, Joe Staley, Sebastian Vollmer, Trent Williams, Eric Winston, Stefen Wisniewski, Eric Wood, Kevin Zeitler
