15.
The fact that the Panthers are ranked this highly after their starting left tackle, left guard, right guard, and right tackle from a season ago have combined for 385 snaps so far in a Panthers uniform this season is in and of itself a surprise. A big reason for that has been the play of Taylor Moton, who has gone from being a backup to one of the best tackles in the NFL. He’s allowed only 10 total pressures in eight games this year.
16.
Yet another rookie surprising with his superb play right of the bat. Offensive line has historically been one of the steepest learning curves in our grading from college to the pros. Mike McGlinchey has basically picked up where he left off at Notre Dame, though. The right tackle has the highest run-blocking grade of any offensive linemen in the NFL after dominating in that regard his last couple years in college.
17.
We’re only eight games in, but Ryan Jensen already looks like one of the worst free agent signings of the offseason. At the time he signed his four-year, $42 million deal, it was a head-scratcher and makes even less sense now. The former Ravens center was coming off a paltry career-high 71.4 overall grade and has been even worse in Tampa Bay. His 53.8 grade is one of the lowest at the position, and his 15 pressures allowed is already more than last season.
18.
With as technical a position as offensive line is, you traditionally expect a consistently upward trend for young linemen throughout their first few seasons in the league. That’s what makes Graham Glasgow’s backslide after a 71.1 overall grade a season ago concerning. He’s earned only a 64.0 overall grade through 529 snaps this season after many had hoped he’d take the next step.
19.
D.J. Fluker never allowed fewer than 32 pressures in his four seasons as a full-time starter between tackle and guard for the Chargers. If you were to extrapolate out his play so far this year to a 16-game slate, he’d allow all of 11 pressures for the Seahawks. In his six starts this season, Fluker has yet to allow more than one pressure in a game.
20.
It’s only really a surprise if you hadn’t watched him closely in the past, but swing backup Ty Nsekhe is once again balling out wherever needed. He’s allowed only two hurries so far this season while playing 63 snaps at left tackle, 32 at left guard, and 44 at right tackle.
21.
The Broncos’ ground game has been a revelation so far this season, averaging over five yards per carry as a team. A big reason for that has been the breakthrough of third-year guard Connor McGovern. His 72.2 run-blocking grade is the fifth-best among all guards in the NFL so far.
22.
Jacksonville didn’t go out and make Andrew Norwellone of the highest-paid guards in NFL history to just slightly improved play up front. They expected dominance from their starting five and so far it hasn’t been close to that. Norwell has already allowed almost as many pressures this year (11) as he did in all of 2017 (15), and his 48.9 run-blocking grade is a career low.
23.
It’s hard to believe that someone with a 56.4 overall grade this season has been a surprise in a good way, but if you’ve watched Bobby Hart’s career, you’d agree. The Bengals right tackle was much maligned for his first three years with the Giants, yet he’s come to Cincinnati and provided some stability to the right side. After a dreadful two-sack, three-hurry performance against the Colts in Week 1, Hart has allowed only 16 pressures in seven games since.
24.
The Bills didn’t have much hope up front going into the season, and things have played out about as expected. It’s unfortunate that left tackle Dion Dawkins hasn’t been able to build upon an encouraging rookie season. He’s already allowed more sacks (5) than he did all of last season (3), and his 61.9 overall grade is a big step back.
25.
Yet another free agent signing gone awry. Spencer Longwas always solid on the interior for the Redskins after he was third-round pick back in 2014. So far in New York, however, he’s been disastrous. His 14 pressures allowed are more than he gave up in either of the past two seasons, and his 45.5 run-blocking grade doesn’t look much better.
26.
A former third-round pick of the Broncos in 2014, Michael Schofield was waived before he could even finish his rookie deal. He never could quite hack it at tackle, and when the Chargers claimed him expecting to plug and play him at right tackle, they were sorely mistaken last season. His 48.1 pass-blocking grade last year on 407 snaps was one of the lowest in the league, but kicking him inside to guard this year looks to have solved some of those issues. He currently owns a 74.9 pass-blocking grade and has been a massive upgrade over their production from a season ago.
27.
To be quite honest, this might be one of the least surprising groups in the NFL in terms of their performance so far. The fact that free agent Patrick Omameh has already been benched, though, can at least qualify. He’s never graded out well for us at PFF, but his 51.5 overall grade this season has been a career low.
28.
This ranking is no surprise, but the fact that Nick Martinhasn’t lived up to his second-round draft status now two years post-injury is surprising. Martin has struggled mightily to open up holes in the run game, as his 53.8 run-blocking grade is one of the worst among centers.
29.
While not a lot of teams this low have positive takeaways, the Vikings can take solace in the fact that Brian O’Neillhas been an upgrade in his time at right tackle. He’s earned a 63.9 overall grade on 382 snaps this season compared to Rashod Hill’s 58.2 overall grade. That may not sound like much, but we’ve seen rookie second-round picks regularly struggle far worse than O’Neill.
30.
Kelechi Osemele, at one point, was one of the elite guards in the NFL, and the Raiders paid him as such. So far this year, though, he’s looked like a completely different player. His 54.5 pass-blocking grade is far and away an outlier over the course of his career.
31.
After a tumultuous entry in the NFL, Laremy Tunsil’s name is making headlines far less often these days. And that’s usually a good thing for an offensive lineman. After allowing 32 pressures a season ago, Tunsil is on pace to allow fewer than 18 this year.
32.
Mike Iupati has never been one of the best pass protectors at the guard position in the league, but even when he struggled there, you could count on him to open up holes in the run game. That hasn’t been the case so far this season. His 61.5 run-blocking grade is far and away the lowest of his nine-yea
..shyt looks the same.
