Eagles lead NFL line race as others scramble to catch up

2026 NFL – A league built to pressure quarterbacks starts up front. The Philadelphia Eagles are projected to top the NFL offensive line rankings for 2026, returning all five starters—while teams from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Miami Dolphins lean on big offseason bets,

Philadelphia fans already know how quickly a season can swing when there’s no pocket to stand in. In 2026, the same pressure points are being fought at ground level—on the offensive line.

The Philadelphia Eagles are projected to have the best unit in the league. largely because they’re not tearing everything down. They’re bringing back their five starting offensive linemen from the previous season. keeping continuity as they prepare to play without longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. who stepped down after 13 seasons.

But across the NFL, other teams are trying to rewrite their protection—through retirements, injuries, trades, and aggressive rebuilding. The Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans are among the teams that made major offseason moves. The New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns are looking for answers after pressure numbers and wholesale changes. Even the best teams aren’t immune; the Philadelphia Eagles’ depth additions come alongside the simple reality that the league is unforgiving when the rushing lanes close and the pass rush gets free.

The quarterback can’t do much if he’s always late to the play.

1. Philadelphia Eagles
LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, RG Tyler Steen, RT Lane Johnson.

Philadelphia is bringing back its five starting offensive linemen from last season after Dickerson opted against retiring to play a sixth NFL season. Continuity is part of the pitch as Philadelphia prepares to play without longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. who stepped down after 13 seasons.

The Eagles also have Mailata and Johnson as a top tackle tandem, and they added two offensive linemen in the 2026 NFL Draft: Markel Bell (6-9, 345 pounds) and Micah Morris (6-4, 340 pounds) to strengthen depth behind the starting group.

2. Denver Broncos
LT Garret Bolles, LG Ben Powers, C Luke Wattenberg, RG Quinn Meinerz, RT Mike McGlinchey.

Denver is returning all five starters from last season. It also has a strong tackle tandem in Bolles and McGlinchey, while Meinerz—graded as Pro Football Focus’ top guard in 2025—is the biggest star along the line.

The Broncos also spent a fourth-round pick on Kage Casey and have 2024 undrafted free agent Frank Crum in reserve. Bo Nix should benefit, with RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins also expected to play behind the group.

3. Los Angeles Rams
LT Alaric Jackson, LG Steve Avila, C Coleman Shelton, RG Kevin Dotson, RT Warren McClendon.

Los Angeles’ offensive line helped drive its run to the NFC championship game. Jackson and McClendon formed one of the league’s most rock-solid tackle tandems—both ranked top-five in ESPN’s run blocking win rate metric while placing top-20 in pass blocking win rate—while Dotson was Pro Football Focus’ No. 3-ranked guard for the 2025 season.

The concern is Jackson. He was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence during the offseason. NBC4 reports he won’t face felony charges for the incident, but it remains unclear whether he could face NFL discipline.

4. Buffalo Bills
LT Dion Dawkins, LG Alec Anderson, C Connor McGovern, RG O’Cyrus Torrens, RT Spencer Brown.

Buffalo had the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense last season, with its blocking unit playing a major role in James Cook’s success. The Bills are returning four of their five offensive line starters, giving them a chance to repeat under first-year coach Joe Brady.

Their lone loss up front was left guard David Andrews, who signed with the Saints in free agency. Buffalo has veteran options to replace Andrews, including Anderson, who frequently played as a sixth offensive lineman last season on running plays, along with Austin Corbett and Lloyd Cushenberry.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LT Tristan Wirfs, LG Ben Bredeson, C Graham Barton, RG Cody Mauch, RT Luke Goedeke.

Graham Barton was the only Buccaneers offensive lineman to play more than 800 snaps last season. Wirfs, Goedeke, and Mauch all missed time due to injury, so getting them healthy could help Tampa Bay establish itself as one of the league’s best.

Wirfs has been an offensive tackle star, earning the No. 2 overall grade at his position last season, per Pro Football Focus. His ability to stay on the field is tied to how far this unit can go, and on paper the line has the talent to boost Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, and Kenneth Gainwell.

6. Detroit Lions
LT Penei Sewell, LG Christian Mahogany, C Cade Mays, RG Tate Ratledge, RT Blake Miller.

Dan Skipper retired during the offseason and Taylor Decker was released, leaving Detroit with a new look at tackle. Sewell will move to Jared Goff’s blind side, while rookie first-round pick Blake Miller slots in on the right side.

Detroit signed Mays to fill its center hole, but the interior line will depend on younger players like Mahogany and Ratledge after the Lions’ interior struggled last season. Sewell’s presence raises the floor, even if improvement isn’t guaranteed.

7. Chicago Bears
LT Ozzy Trapilo, LG Joe Thuney, C Garrett Bradberry, RG Jonah Jackson, RT Darnell Wright.

Drew Dalman’s surprise retirement dealt a blow to Chicago’s interior line. Acquiring Bradberry as a bridge to second-round pick Logan Jones should help with the center question. Thuney and Jackson are among the league’s best guard duos, which could support the Bradberry/Jones pairing.

The bigger question sits at left tackle. Trapilo. a 2025 second-round pick. took over the position midway through his rookie season. but he tore his patellar tendon in Chicago’s wild-card win over the Packers. Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, and Jedrick Wills would battle for playing time if Trapilo can’t start the season.

8. Indianapolis Colts
LT Bernhard Raimann, LG Quenton Nelson, C Tanor Bortolini, RG Matt Goncalves, RT Jalen Travis.

Longtime right tackle Braden Smith joined the Texans during the offseason. That means the Colts figure to rely on Travis, a 2025 fourth-round pick, to replace him.

Travis is still an unknown, but Indianapolis’ left side is strong. Nelson and Bortolini were graded as top-five players at their positions by Pro Football Focus. while Raimann measured third in ESPN’s run block win rate metric last season. That strength should anchor the unit and help Jonathan Taylor build on his stellar 2025 campaign.

9. New Orleans Saints
LT Kelvin Banks Jr., LG David Edwards, C Erik McCoy, RG Cesar Ruiz, RT Taliese Fuaga.

New Orleans added Edwards to its offensive line. The former Bill ranked 10th in run-blocking win rate last season and should be an excellent complement to McCoy, one of the best centers in the league who has played just seven games in each of the last two seasons.

If McCoy stays healthy and first-round tackles Banks and Fuaga keep developing, it could boost New Orleans’ running game and Tyler Shough.

10. Atlanta Falcons
LT Jake Matthews, LG Matthew Bergeron, C Ryan Neuzil, RG Chris Lindstrom, RT Jawaan Taylor.

Lindstrom was graded as the top guard in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus, and has been an All-Pro second-teamer four consecutive campaigns. His elite play will be crucial for Atlanta’s offensive line, which should create running room for Bijan Robinson.

The possible weak spot is right tackle, where Taylor is replacing the retired Kaleb McGary. Taylor has committed 50 penalties across the last three seasons, all with the Chiefs. A similar performance could cause the Falcons offense to stall more often than most would like.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
LT Josh Simmons, LG Kingsley Suamataia, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Jaylon Moore.

Kansas City’s offensive line still has holes, but the Humphrey-Smith duo at center and right guard remains one of the league’s best. Humphrey ranked No. 1 overall in pass block win rate among interior linemen last season and should continue to provide elite blocking at center.

The unit’s ceiling depends on Simmons. The 2025 first-round pick was limited to eight games last season but was responsible for eight penalties and two sacks. A developmental leap would help keep Patrick Mahomes protected as he returns from a torn ACL suffered at the end of last season.

12. Los Angeles Chargers
LT Rashawn Slater, LG Jake Slaughter, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Cole Strange, RT Joe Alt.

Justin Herbert was pressured a league-high 268 times last season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The number was driven in part by injury-related absences for Slater and Alt, along with a leaky interior defensive line.

In 2026, the Chargers are getting the tackle duo back and invested in three new interior starters, including Biadasz—surprisingly released by the Commanders earlier in the offseason. The improved unit should give Herbert more time to throw and help his production.

13. San Francisco 49ers
LT Trent Williams, LG Connor Colby, C Jake Brendel, RG Dominick Puni, RT Colton McKivitz.

The 49ers used to rely heavily on Williams, but McKivitz took a step forward last season. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall tackle while Williams checked in at No. 3, making them the only tackle duo in the NFL to share top-10 PFF grades.

Brendel and Puni are also solid starters, so Kyle Shanahan’s offense should keep benefiting from a quality blocking unit. The concern is about Williams turning 38 in July and whether performance eventually tails off.

14. Carolina Panthers
LT Rasheed Walker, LG Damien Lewis, C Luke Fortner, RG Robert Hunt, RT Taylor Moton.

Carolina spent big money on Lewis and Hunt during the 2024 offseason to improve blocking, and it worked. The Panthers now have a respectable blocking unit.

Still. their normal starting left tackle. Ikem Ekwonu. may miss a large chunk of the 2026 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Carolina signed Walker as a stopgap and used a first-round selection on Monroe Freeling to compete for playing time. helping fill in for Ekwonu. There could be growing pains with a significant left tackle change.

15. New York Jets
LT Olu Fashanu, LG Dylan Parham, C Josh Myers, RG Joe Tippmann, RT Armand Membou.

The Jets invested back-to-back first-round picks in offensive tackles, a plan that appears to be working. Membou starred as a rookie and Fashanu has continued to make strides at left tackle.

The interior has question marks. Parham is a downgrade from the departed Alijah Vera-Tucker, while Myers was the unit’s weak link last season. Still, Tippmann is a good player who just signed an extension, giving New York a chance at solid protection in front of Geno Smith and Breece Hall.

16. Las Vegas Raiders
LT Kolton Miller, LG Spencer Burford, C Tyler Linderbaum, RG Jackson Powers-Johnson, RT DJ Glaze.

The Raiders are answering how much one acquisition can change the makeup of an offensive line. They made star center Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid player at his position during the offseason.

The return of Miller—who played just four games last season due to injury—should improve a Raiders offensive line that was among the worst in the NFL last season. Even if it doesn’t reach league-average, the talent could give Fernando Mendoza and Ashton Jeanty better support.

17. Minnesota Vikings
LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Donovan Jackson, C Blake Brandel, RG Will Fries, OT Brian O’Neill.

Darrisaw is among the best tackles in football when healthy, but he has been limited to 17 games across the last two seasons and has never played more than 15 games in a season. That caps the Vikings’ ceiling.

The tackle tandem still includes O’Neill. who ranked 10th in run block win rate and 15th in pass block win rate last season. The interior line took a blow with Ryan Kelly’s retirement. so Jackson and Fries need to take steps in their second seasons in Minnesota for the unit to reach its full potential. The line is described as a boom-or-bust group in front of Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.

18. New York Giants
LT Andrew Thomas, LG Jon Runyan, C John Michael Schmitz, RG Francis Mauigoa, RT Jermaine Eluemunor.

The Giants used a top-10 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft on Mauigoa. The team expects his toughness to open up more running room for Cam Skattebo.

The question is whether that happens at right guard or right tackle. Eluemunor is an experienced option at right tackle, but his penalties matter: he committed 14 last season. Thomas’s health is likely the key, as he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 overall offensive tackle but has played only 29 total games over the last three seasons.

19. Baltimore Ravens
LT Ronnie Stanley, LG Vega Ioane, C Danny Pinter, RG John Simpson, RT Roger Rosengarten.

Baltimore has a three-way battle to replace Tyler Linderbaum at center: Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock. Pinter, a 30-year-old veteran with 10 career starts, will get the early nod.

Baltimore upgraded the guard group, with Ioane potentially emerging as Pro Bowl talent and Simpson as a proven veteran starter. Stanley at left tackle raises the floor, but questions at center and injury concerns for Stanley could prevent the group from reaching its ceiling.

20. Dallas Cowboys
LT Tyler Guyton, LG Tyler Smith, C Cooper Beebe, RG Tyler Booker, RT Terence Steele.

Smith and Booker have shown signs of being a very good guard tandem. The same cannot be said for the tackle spot, where Guyton is battling Nate Thomas and Drew Shelton for playing time.

The blocking group should be solid, but with Steele being the team’s highest-graded tackle—51st among 84 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus—there’s limited reason to be optimistic about edge protection.

21. Seattle Seahawks
LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abraham Lucas.

Seattle comes off a Super Bowl win, and its offensive line helped. The unit was much better in 2025 than in 2024, driven largely by Zabel’s performance as a rookie. The first-round pick ranked first in run block win rate as a rookie and helped establish a strong running game.

With Zabel and the Cross-Lucas tackle tandem in place, Seattle still needs improvement at center and right guard. Bradford struggled—graded 71st among 79 offensive guards by Pro Football Focus. The hope is that fifth-round rookie Beau Stephens can replace him; if not, Seattle still has a right guard hole.

22. New England Patriots
LT Will Campbell, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, C Jared Wilson, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses.

Vera-Tucker and moving Wilson to center should help long-term. The Patriots also spent a first-round pick on Utah’s Caleb Lomu, whose technique and athleticism are described as strong.

The issue is protection under pressure. Drake Maye was pressured 232 times last season—second-most league-wide behind only Justin Herbert, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. It isn’t clear whether Campbell can hold up at left tackle long-term. New England is giving him another chance. but if the unit is as leaky as it was during the playoff run. the Patriots may struggle to replicate last season’s success.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers
LT Troy Fautanu, LG Gennings Dunker, C Zach Frazier, RG Mason McCormick, RT Max Iheanachor.

Pittsburgh lost starting left guard Isaac Seumalo to the Cardinals in free agency. The Steelers used a third-round pick on Dunker to replace him, while Iheanachor was brought in to compete with—and eventually replace—Broderick Jones.

The moves have upside, but Iheanachor is a raw product who has only played a handful of years of football after growing up in Nigeria. Frazier’s status as one of the NFL’s best centers lifts the outlook, but the line may need a year or two to blossom into an above-average unit.

24. Houston Texans
LT Aireontay Ersery, LG Wyatt Teller, C Keylan Rutledge, RG Ed Ingram, RT Braden Smith.

Houston continues an offensive line overhaul into the 2026 offseason. Teller and Smith are described as savvy veterans who can serve as stopgap starters, while Rutledge—Houston’s first-round pick—received rave reviews from scouts for toughness and physicality.

The blocking unit is still new enough that it may take time for the group of new starters to jell. That could affect C.J. Stroud’s start after he struggled greatly under pressure during the NFL playoffs.

25. Arizona Cardinals
LT Paris Johnson Jr., LG Isaac Seumalo, C Hjalte Froholdt, RG Chase Bisontis, RT Elijah Wilkinson.

Adding Seumalo and Bisontis should upgrade Arizona’s interior offensive line, with hope it benefits Jeremiyah Love. The team is still lacking at right tackle, where Wilkinson—described as a 10th-year journeyman from UMass—is favored to hold down the role.

Arizona also doesn’t have much proven depth behind its starting five, and the outlook worsens quickly if injuries hit.

26. Green Bay Packers
LT Jordan Morgan, LG Aaron Banks, C Sean Rhyan, RG Anthony Belton, RT Zach Tom.

Green Bay’s pass protection is rated by the numbers, with Tom ranking sixth in pass block win rate last season. The rest of the line leaves more to be desired.

The Packers are transitioning away from Rasheed Walker and Elgton Jenkins and will rely on inexperienced starters, including Morgan and Belton. If Morgan doesn’t deliver at left tackle, Jordan Love could face plenty of blindside pressure.

27. Washington Commanders
LT Laremy Tunsil, LG Chris Paul, C Nick Allegretti, RG Sam Cosmi, RT Josh Conerly Jr.

Tunsil remains a strong left tackle. The Commanders need Cosmi to stay healthy and need Conerly to take a leap forward for the unit to protect Jayden Daniels.

Washington made a decision in the offseason to move on from Tyler Biadasz, leaving a gap to be filled by either Allegretti or sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbis. The plan isn’t described as ideal.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars
LT Cole Van Lanen, LG Ezra Cleveland, C Robert Hainsey, RG Patrick Mekari, RT Anton Harrison.

Jacksonville has a solid offensive line group but lacks a single standout. The team signed Van Lanen to a big-money extension after he emerged as a surprise starter during a career-best season. His performance, along with 2023 first-round pick Harrison’s leap forward last season, becomes central to how the line plays.

29. Cleveland Browns
LT Spencer Fano, LG Zion Johnson, C Elgton Jenkins, RG Teven Jenkins, RT Tytus Howard.

Cleveland rebuilt its offensive line during the offseason. The outcome is uncertain, and much of the team’s success may hinge on whether Fano can develop into a franchise left tackle. If he can’t deliver immediately, the Browns could be lacking on the edges in 2026.

30. Cincinnati Bengals
LT Orlando Brown Jr., LG Dylan Fairchild, C Ted Karras, RG Dalton Risner, RT Amarius Mims.

The Bengals face familiar scrutiny: protecting Joe Burrow. Karras and Risner are fine starters, but Cincinnati lacks a difference-maker up front. Brown is described as seemingly on the decline, and Burrow could face a lot of heat again in 2026.

31. Tennessee Titans
LT Dan Moore Jr., LG Peter Skoronski, C Austin Schlottman, RG Cordell Volson, RT JC Latham.

The Titans may be regretting the four-year, $82 million contract given to Dan Moore before the 2025 season. His play hasn’t been good, and the rest of the starting unit is described as lackluster even with Skoronski and Latham both earning first-round statuses.

32. Miami Dolphins
LT Patrick Paul, LG Kadyn Proctor, C Aaron Brewer, RG Jonah Savaiinaea, RT Austin Jackson.

There’s a clear bright spot: Brewer is arguably the best center in the NFL. The challenge is what comes after him. Proctor, a first-round rookie, could become a powerful weapon at guard, but Malik Willis may have to scramble often behind what looks like a shaky unit.

The central throughline is simple: teams aren’t just counting on star skill players. They’re trying to keep quarterbacks upright and runners moving—whether by continuity, new additions, or repairs after injuries and retirements.

The Eagles start with the most stability. The rest of the league, in one way or another, is still chasing the same thing: time in the pocket and room up front.

2026 NFL offensive line rankings Philadelphia Eagles offensive line Joe Burrow protection offensive tackle Jared Goff blind side Dallas Cowboys offensive line Miami Dolphins offensive line