In the NFL, offensive linemen do not get enough credit for the work that they do.
Most times you do not see fans wearing an offensive lineman’s jersey or recognizing them for their work.
But, they are one of the most valuable pieces to any contending NFL team.
Having a successful season with a bad offensive line is very rare.
All of the top teams in the NFL have some very good offensive linemen who can dominate both run blocking and pass blocking.
There is a reason elite offensive linemen are usually taken in the top 10 picks of the NFL Draft.
Through 10 weeks of the season, Pro Football Focus revealed who their top-graded offensive lineman is.
Christian Darrisaw of the Minnesota Vikings takes the top spot with a grade of 89.8.
The highest-graded offensive linemen 💪 pic.twitter.com/JsfyleihYr
— PFF (@PFF) November 16, 2022
Darrisaw was the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He has been well worth the draft capital and has been a big reason for the Vikings’ 8-1 start.
Darrisaw plays left tackle so he has been protecting Kirk Cousins‘ blindside all year.
Offensive Line Is Key To Success
In the NFL there are so many elite pass rushers that having a good offensive line is vital.
We have seen teams like the Cincinnati Bengals get dominated by defensive fronts all year long.
Within the first few weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys both beat the Bengals because of their ability to get pressure.
PFF also released their top offensive lines this year and seven of these 10 teams are .500 or better.
The Top-10 offensive lines after 10 weeks, per @PFF_Sam pic.twitter.com/7oGUXcmw54
— PFF (@PFF) November 17, 2022
Having depth on the offensive line is also important as it is a position with frequent injuries.
Finding an elite offensive lineman is tough, but the teams that do it the best usually have the most success.
