Of all the players who factor heavily into a football team’s success, guards and centers are often the most overlooked. Unless you’re working with advanced metrics, there are no statistics to speak of, and unless you have access to overhead and (especially) end zone footage, it’s hard to discern what these guys are doing that is so important.
But those in the know, know better. Centers control the entire offense — they make protection calls, they align with their quarterbacks both intellectually and literally on every snap, and they have to take the brunt of the opponent’s decisions to point one or more large angry men in their exact directions.
Guards are often the athletes of their offensive lines as much as tackles are — it’s just a different kind of athleticism. Whether on the left or right side, these big guys had better be able to execute inside and outside zone, man-based snaps in which it’s mano a mano, and all kinds of combinations in which it’s important to coordinate with others.
So, in the spirit of giving these fine gentlemen more play in the court of public opinion. we continue our position lists for the 2023 season with the 12 best interior offensive linemen in the NFL today.
In a recent version of “The Xs and Os” with Greg Cosell, Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug Farrar (of Touchdown Wire) got into the attributes for guards and centers at the elite level.
Centers:
Guards:
In addition to this list, you can read all of our position rankings for the 2023 NFL season, on the way to our late August list of the 101 best players in the league today.
The NFL’s top 11 offensive tackles
The NFL’s top 11 interior defensive linemen
The NFL’s top 11 edge defenders
The NFL’s top 11 linebackers
The NFL’s top 11 slot defenders
The NFL’s top 11 cornerbacks
The NFL’s top 11 safeties
And now, the 12 best interior offensive linemen in the NFL today.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated).
12. Wyatt Teller, OG, Cleveland Browns
Teller dealt with injuries throughout the 2022 season, which is why his tape and metrics didn’t quite match up to his 2021 season, after which he finished fifth on last year’s guard list. Not that last year was a disaster — Teller allowed four sacks in each of those seasons, but his quarterback hits allowed went from zero to five. Teller’s quarterback hurries allowed dropped from 20 to 17, and that’s especially good given the Browns’ unstable quarterback situation, but something about Teller’s tape was just a bit off in 2022.
We do not expect a fully healthy Teller to repeat that. And he showed more than enough to make this year’s list — especially as a pulling guard in the run game. He might be the NFL’s best in that particular category. If Teller’s on the move, and you’re in the way, it’s not going to go well for you, as it didn’t for Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis on this nine-yard Nick Chubb run in Week 17.
And on this Jacoby Brissett 25-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper against the Bills in Week 11, Teller showed defensive tackle Ed Oliver exactly how he can boot a guy right out of the Octagon.
11. Quenton Nelson, OG, Indianapolis Colts
Nelson played through an undisclosed injury in the 2022 season, which explains to a point the kind of tape we would never expect from a player of his caliber. When healthy, Nelson is the NFL’s best guard without question, but he wasn’t healthy in 2022, and he wasn’t the best. Not by a long shot. He allowed five sacks, six quarterback hits, and 20 quarterback hurries last season after allowing four sacks total in his first four NFL seasons. Sacks come for different reasons; in Nelson’s case, he was physically overwhelmed at times to the point where you were wondering if an imposter was wearing his No. 56 jersey.
I mean… Dexter Lawrence of the Giants is the best nose tackle in the league right now, but this just smarts.
Still, Nelson had enough on the ball to make his placement on this year’s list to be more than a legacy proposition.
10. Erik McCoy, Center, New Orleans Saints
Whenever McCoy has lined up as the Saints’ center since the team selected him with the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 draft, McCoy has done his level best to make sure that his quarterbacks suffer as little disruption as possible. Last season, he allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and eight quarterback hurries in 427 pass-blocking reps, with one sack, two hits, and five hurries coming in True Pass Sets.
Whether in pass protection or run-blocking, McCoy is a load to handle, and he plays bigger than his 6-foot-4, 302-pound frame would indicate, because he’s so good with getting low, using leverage, and putting the defender where McCoy wants him to go. And when McCoy gets forward momentum going, watch out. On this 48-yard Jameis Winston pass to Tre’Quan Smith against the Panthers in Week 3, McCoy started the play by going after linebacker Frankie Luvu, and then decided to take down defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis as a two-for-one deal.
Few centers in the game today combine the roles of aggressor and technician better than the four-year veteran.
9. Michael Onwenu, OG, New England Patriots
The Patriots have had better luck with sixth-round picks over the last couple decades than most teams. That Tom Brady guy in 2000, for example. Not that Mike Onwenu has a chance to eclipse Brady’s deeds in Foxboro, but the 2020 sixth-rounder out of Michigan has become one of the NFL’s most effectively versatile offensive linemen. Onwenu has taken serious reps at all five offensive line positions in his three NFL seasons, and 2022 marked the first NFL season in which he was in one place — right guard — the whole time.
As much as Onwenu can fill in everywhere (especially important for an offensive line in a rebuilding state), it’s what he did last season in an offense that should have been locked in a shed and set ablaze that put him on this list. In 634 pass-blocking reps under the coaching brain-drain of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, Onwenu allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and 11 quarterback hurries. No sacks, one hit, and 10 hurries came in True Pass Sets.
Run or pass, whether it worked or not — and under Patricia and Judge, it didn’t more often than it did — Onwenu played above the station of his offense. This four-yard Damien Harris run against the Dolphins in Week 17 was one such example. Onwenu started the rep by erasing linebacker Elandon Roberts, and then hit the second level to take cornerback Noah Igbinoghene out of the discussion.
With Bill O’Brien in charge of New England’s offense, maybe Onwenu will benefit from a cohesive set of blocking schemes and offensive concepts. He’s already proven the ability to transcend his environment.
8. Joe Thuney, OG, Kansas City Chiefs
Thuney signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs in 2021 after five years with the Patriots, in which time he had proven to be perhaps the most technically proficient guard in the NFL. He’s continued that level of excellence in three years with the defending Super Bowl champs. There’s nothing about Thuney’s tape that blows you away from a physical perspective. He’s not going to drive-block defenders out of the screen, but he will keep your quarterback clean. Last season, in 799 pass-blocking reps, Thuney allowed one sack, four quarterback hits, and 15 quarterback hurries. One sack, two hits, and 14 quarterback hurries came in True Pass Sets.
Thuney has allowed a total of five sacks in his last five seasons after giving up five sacks in each of his first two NFL campaigns. Once he got his technique together, that was that. This 29-yard Patrick Mahomes pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals happened in part because Thuney not only took care of defensive tackle D.J. Reader, but also fanned out to help left tackle Orlando Brown on the back half of the arc against edge-rusher Joseph Ossai.
7. Chris Lindstrom, OG, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ quarterback situation wasn’t exactly stable last season with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder fighting for pole position, but right guard Chris Lindstrom was a bastion of stability in Arthur Smith’s offense. The 2019 first-round pick out of Boston College allowed two sacks, one quarterback hit, and six quarterback hurries in 517 pass-blocking snaps, and no sacks, no hits, and four hurries in 142 True Pass Sets.
Like Thuney, Lindstrom doesn’t blow you away with amazing athletic feats’ he’s just in the right place at the right time more often than not, and his acumen allows him to pick things up that lesser guards might not. On this 22-yard pass from Mariota to Drake London against the Commanders in Week 12, Lindstrom started off by taking on Daron Payne (no mean feat), and he then picked up end Montez Sweat on the loop inside.
The Falcons had no desire for Lindstrom to play anywhere else in the league, which is why they sealed his future with a five-year, $103 million contract extension with $62.7 million guaranteed.
6. Frank Ragnow, Center, Detroit Lions
Detroit selected the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Ragnow with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 draft, and while he played left guard in his first season with the Lions, he’s been the team’s starting center since 2019, and to great effect. He didn’t allow a single sack in either the 2020 or 2021 seasons, and he was a big part of the Lions’ redefined offense under Ben Johnson. Returning from a turf toe injury that cost him all but four games in 2021, Ragnow decided against surgery in 2022 when a similar problem popped up. All he did last season was to allow one sack, no quarterback hits, and 12 quarterback hurries in 627 pass-blocking snaps, with one sack and eight hurries in True Pass Sets.
Ragnow combines power and functional mobility as well as any center in the NFL right now, and if you’re in his way on a run play, you’re probably not going to like the result. On this nine-yard Jamaal Williams run against the Packers in the Lions’ season finale, Ragnow finished the season as he started it — by dominating his opponents. Here, he took nose tackle Tedarrell Slaton out at the line of scrimmage with help from left guard Jonah Jackson, and then, Ragnow erased linebacker De’Vondre Campbell at the second level.
The Lions have much more of a chance to meet their offensive goals in 2023 with Ragnow on the field, and he’s a joy to watch, so let’s hope for good health in the new season.
5. Corey Linsley, Center, Los Angeles Chargers
The Packers selected Linsley in the fifth round of the 2014 draft out of Ohio State, and he spent the first seven years of his NFL career blocking for Aaron Rodgers with increasing efficiency. Then, the Chargers offered him a five-year, $62.5 million contract in March of 2021, and Linsley secured the bag. It’s been a great deal for the Chargers, as Linsley has never allowed a single sack in 1,325 pass-blocking snaps as Justin Hebert’s primary interior protector. He’s allowed just three quarterback hits and 14 quarterback hurries in that time, and just two hits and eight hurries in True Pass Sets.
Naysayers might want to point to the restrictive nature of the Chargers’ offense under Joe Lombardi as a primary reason Linsley has been able to keep Herbert so clean, but the tape tells a different story, and it should continue to under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Herbert didn’t throw deep a lot last season, but when he did, Linsley was there to help deal with the protection ramifications therein.
On this 31-yard completion to Keenan Allen in Week 15 against the Titans, watch how Linsley mirrors defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, one of the best in the business, ensuring that Simmons doesn’t disrupt the play, even when Herbert roams into what would be Mr. Simmons’ neighborhood against lesser centers. At 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, Linsley doesn’t look like a power player, but he can put his ankle in it when it’s necessary to do so.
4. Zack Martin, OG, Dallas Cowboys
Martin caught the Cowboys’ eye with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and the former Notre Dame offensive tackle has been on a Hall of Fame track ever since as the team’s right guard. With eight Pro Bowl nods, six First-Team All-Pro nominations, and a place on the NFL’s Hall of Fame All-2010s team, Martin is getting closer and closer to Canton as he goes along.
The 32-year-old Martin didn’t rest on his laurels in the 2022 season, either — he allowed no sacks, two quarterback hits, and 15 quarterback hurries in 706 pass-blocking reps, with one hit and 11 hurries coming in True Pass Sets.
Martin is a technical marvel with all the power you want from a guard, and his NFL experience shows up all over his tape. Throwing a stunt at him generally doesn’t work, as was seen on this Dak Prescott 36-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb against the Eagles in Week 16. Martin started the rep by blasting Fletcher Cox off the line of scrimmage, and he then picked up edge-rusher Haason Reddick on the loop.
Not bad work, if you can actually pull it off.
3. Creed Humphrey, Center, Kansas City Chiefs
There was no question about Humphrey’s expertise at center based on his career at Oklahoma, and the Chiefs made him the fulcrum of a complete offensive line re-do when they selected him with the 63rd overall pick in the 2021 draft. Humphrey hit the ground running, allowing just three sacks and 12 total pressures in his rookie campaign, and he showed considerable improvement as a pass-blocker last season. In 2022, Humphrey gave up no sacks, two quarterback hits, and 17 quarterback hurries in 956 pass-blocking snaps. One hit and 12 hurries came in True Pass Sets.
It’s not always easy pass-blocking for Patrick Mahomes given the extemporaneous nature of Mahomes’ playing style, but it has come naturally to Humphrey. On this Mahomes 25-yard completion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals, Humphrey just shoved nose tackle B.J. Hill right off the screen, giving Mahomes a clear line of sight.
And when it’s time to run-block… well, Humphrey can draw on all the gap and inside zone stuff he learned at Oklahoma, and just start throwing dudes all over the place.
2. Joel Bitonio, OG, Cleveland Browns
Bitonio is one of those tackle-to-guard converts at the NFL level — he was an athletic tackle for the Nevada Wolf Pack, kicked inside after the Browns took him with the 35th pick in the 2014 draft, and over the last couple of seasons, it’s hard to argue against his status as the best overall guard in the game. Last season, as Cleveland’s quarterback situation morphed from Jacoby Brissett to Deshaun Watson to greater or (mostly) lesser effect, Bitonio was on point for all of it, allowing one sack, six quarterback hits, and 13 quarterback hurries in 667 pass-blocking snaps. That sack, along with just three hits and eight hurries, came in True Pass Sets.
But where it’s really fun to watch Bitonio is when he gets on the move as a puller in the run game. With Bitonio and the aforementioned Wyatt Teller, the Browns have the best pulling guards in the league. On this 22-yard Nick Chubb run against the Ravens in Week 7, Bitonio took off to his left, and laid waste to veteran edge defender Jason Pierre-Paul.
Bitonio’s overall efforts would be further magnified with any kind of consistent quarterback situation, but if you’re going to play for the Browns, you might just have to accept the possibility that it’s never going to happen. Fortunately for the franchise, Bitonio is a top-tier player no matter the environment around him.
1. Jason Kelce, Center, Philadelphia Eagles
In 2020, there was a bit of concern that Jason Kelce might be on the downside of his remarkable career. He made the Pro Bowl at the end of the season, but it was the first time since 2017 that he hadn’t made First-Team All-Pro, and the career-high four sacks he allowed in that season seemed to indicate that it was time for a change.
So much for that early dismissal. In the two seasons since, Kelce has allowed just one sack (in Week 6 of the 2021 season), no quarterback hits, and 27 quarterback hurries. He’s also maintained his excellence as a run-blocker with an offense that has changed pretty drastically with the development of quarterback Jalen Hurts as a thrower and as a runner. The Eagles’ move to the Super Bowl, and the near-win they pulled off, was the capper on a renaissance season for the 12-year veteran.
At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Kelce has always been more athletic than brawny, but he has a speed-to-power sense on the move that allows him to send opposing defenders to places they don’t really want to go. On this 14-yard Kenneth Gainwell run against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, Kelce started his rep by helping left guard Landon Dickerson blow out tackle Javon Kinlaw, and he then rose to the second level to handle linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Kelce is the NFL’s best interior offensive lineman in part because he makes the hard stuff look impossibly easy.
Honorable mention
Kevin Zeitler, OG, Baltimore Ravens
Ethan Pocic, Center, Cleveland Browns
Ben Powers, OG, Denver Broncos
Elgton Jenkins, OL, Green Bay Packers
Brandon Scherff, OG, Jacksonville Jaguars
Landon Dickerson, OG, Philadelphia Eagles
Isaac Seumalo, OG, Pittsburgh Steelers
