With the NFL’s introduction of the Protector of the Year Award in 2025, the unsung heroes along the offensive line will finally be granted the recognition they deserve.
Offensive linemen get the same Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition as every other position, but they rarely get recognized beyond that. As good as an offensive lineman is, they rarely ever generate interest for notable awards like MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. This is a good opportunity to shine a lot on the quality linemen across the league.
Please note that this is not a ranking of all 32 offensive lines as a whole. We broke down how each team’s offensive line unit stacks up in a separate article. Rather, this is a breakdown of each NFL team’s best candidate for the Protector Award.
That means each team was only slotted one candidate. For example, players like Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles) and Frank Ragnow (Detroit Lions) figure to be potential contenders, but neither of them is listed here as the top candidate on their own team.
NFL Protector Award Contenders for Each Team
32) Cincinnati Bengals: Ted Karras
The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2025 season with a lackluster offensive line, which has been the case of much of Joe Burrow’s time with the team. Of their returning starters, Karras had the highest PFF grade last year at 64.1. The two-time Super Bowl champion center for the Patriots joined the Bengals in 2022.
31) Houston Texans: Cam Robinson
Part of why the Houston Texans’ offense regressed in 2024 came down to poor offensive line play, and trading Laremy Tunsil likely won’t help the unit any in 2025. Robinson seems like a longshot to win Protector of the Year, although he’s carved out a long career for himself as a serviceable starting left tackle.
30) Jacksonville Jaguars: Walker Little
The Jacksonville Jaguars were active adding offensive line talent this offseason, signing Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey to boost their interior. There’s a lack of star power on the unit which makes Little the best Protector Award candidate.
29) New England Patriots: Michael Onwenu
Will Campbell, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, deserves recognition in case he dominates right out of the gate in his rookie year. However, the New England Patriots have gotten solid play along the interior out of Onwenu the last five years.
28) Miami Dolphins: Aaron Brewer
If Terron Armstead didn’t retire this offseason, the Miami Dolphins would likely rank higher on this list. That said, Brewer is still a solid starter at center, placing seventh in PFF grading at the position in 2024.
27) Cleveland Browns: Jack Conklin
With Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller both aging and trying to bounce back from down years, the 2025 outlook for the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line looks a little murky. Conklin is hardly a superstar tackle but has been sturdy throughout his tenure with the team.
26) New Orleans Saints: Erik McCoy
In theory, either of the young tackles – Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. – could be the representation here for the New Orleans Saints. However, McCoy has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, even after missing 10 games in 2024 due to injury. He could be a deep sleeper Protector Award contender.
25) Pittsburgh Steelers: Zach Frazier
The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of intriguing young talents along their offensive line, but some of their starters still seem to be a work in progress. Meanwhile, Frazier played at a very high level as a rookie in 2024, and he could generate serious Pro Bowl consideration with another strong campaign in Year 2.
24) New York Jets: Alijah Vera-Tucker
If the New York Jets get solid play out of young tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, they could be a sneaky good unit overall in 2024. Their best player is arguably Vera-Tucker who proved to be one of the best run-blocking guards in the NFL last season.
23) Tennessee Titans: Kevin Zeitler
The young duo up front of Peter Skoronski and JC Latham deserves consideration if they take the next step for the Tennessee Titans this coming year. However, they brought in a steady, reliable veteran at guard this offseason in Zeitler. He was dominant starter for the Detroit Lions last year in Year 13 of his impressive career.
22) Los Angeles Rams: Kevin Dotson
The Rams know how good Dotson is, but he’s quietly been one of the better guards in the entire league since coming over from Pittsburgh in 2023. He has graded above 80.0 by PFF as a run-blocker each of his two seasons in Los Angeles thus far.
21) Buffalo Bills: Dion Dawkins
The Buffalo Bills’ offensive line is one of the better units in the game today, so don’t let this low-ranking trick you into thinking otherwise. There’s no superstar in the bunch, but Dawkins — a four-time Pro Bowler, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds — gets the slight edge over Spencer Brown and Connor McGovern for me.
20) Carolina Panthers: Robert Hunt
The Carolina Panthers got great early returns out of signing Hunt to a massive deal last offseason, as he ended up making his first Pro Bowl after four previous seasons with the Dolphins. That recognition, along with his $100 million contract, rightfully show he’s respected as one of the top guards in the league.
19) Las Vegas Raiders: Kolton Miller
Nobody’s going to mistake the Las Vegas Raiders for having one of the best offenses in the NFL, but Miller has quietly been a force at left tackle for them in recent years. In each of his last four seasons with the team, he has finished the year with PFF grades of 80.0 or above.
18) Arizona Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr.
If you want a true dark horse candidate for Protector of the Year, Johnson Jr. might be it. After an average rookie year in 2023, he exploded for the Arizona Cardinals in Year 2, sliding from right tackle back over to his natural position of left tackle. If he continues his level of development, he should be in Pro Bowl consideration by the end of the season.
17) Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum
Ronnie Stanley deserves some recognition here, but for my money, Linderbaum is the best player on the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line currently. He played a major role in Baltimore finishing with one of the best offensive line units in the NFL in 2024.
16) New York Giants: Andrew Thomas
The New York Giants have a star left tackle in place with Thomas, but the problem for him has been staying healthy. He has missed 18 games in each of the last two years, but when he can stay on the field, he’s been a reliable stalwart for the Giants’ offense.
15) Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross
Cross is the major bright spot on an otherwise lackluster Seattle Seahawks offensive line. He might be hurt by the unit’s overall performance, but individually, he’s one of the best starting left tackles in the NFL today.
14) Green Bay Packers: Zach Tom
Arguably the most underrated offensive tackle in the league, Tom has been a quality starter for the Green Bay Packers for two straight seasons. After an 85.8 PFF grade in 2024 and consistent progression throughout his NFL career to this point, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic in him heading into Year 4 of his career.
13) Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw
The Minnesota Vikings missed Darrisaw down the stretch in 2024, as he played in just seven games before going down for the year due to injury. Assuming he comes back at full strength, he should continue to be one of the top tackles in the game when he returns to the field for regular season play.
12) Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson
Nelson has been a Pro Bowler seven times (2018-24), while racking up five All-Pro nods along the way. He figures to be a strong contender for Protector of the Year and the anchor of the Indianapolis Colts’ offense in 2025.
11) Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith
After the retirement of Zack Martin, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line is Smith’s group now. He’s been a Pro Bowler each of the last two years and should be in the mix for Protector of the Year, especially if the Cowboys’ passing attack fares well with Dak Prescott throwing to the tandem of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
10) Chicago Bears: Joe Thuney
The Chicago Bears’ offensive line didn’t wow anybody in 2024, but adding veterans Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman along the interior should help the unit out tremendously. Oh, and they also traded for a reigning first-team All-Pro in Thuney.
9) Washington Commanders: Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil has been at least an above-average starting left tackle in each of his last six healthy seasons between his stints with the Texans and Dolphins. Now, he figures to be one of the key contributors to a Commanders’ offense that was very tough to stop in 2024.
8) Atlanta Falcons: Chris Lindstrom
A second-team All-Pro for three seasons, Lindstrom is firmly in the mix as one of the top guards in the entire league. If he can crack that first-team All-Pro category in 2025, he could be a strong contender for the Protector of the Year Award.
7) Denver Broncos: Quinn Meinerz
The Denver Broncos rewarded Meinerz with a massive $80 million contract extension last offseason, and he rewarded them by becoming a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career. The former Division III standout at Wisconsin-Whitewater isn’t a sleeper anymore: he’s one of the best linemen in the game today.
6) Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater
Joe Alt projects as a dark horse candidate after a stellar rookie year in 2024, but Slater is the ace up front for the Chargers. He was a popular All-Pro snub last year but still earned Pro Bowl recognition after finishing second among all NFL tackles with a 90.9 PFF grade.
5) San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams
Even as he approaches Year 15 in the NFL, Williams is one of the best offensive linemen in the league. He has been the lynchpin of the San Francisco 49ers’ line since arriving from Washington in 2020. He’ll be 37 years old in July, but the future Hall of Famer hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down any time soon.
4) Kansas City Chiefs: Creed Humphrey
A strong argument could be made that Humphrey is the best center in the NFL. He’s been a Pro Bowler each of the last three years and an All-Pro in two of those seasons. He hasn’t missed a single game for the Kansas City Chiefs since entering the league in 2021, and if he continues that streak, he’ll be a strong Protector of the Year contender.
3) Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Mailata
Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson are all coming off of Pro Bowl seasons along the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line. However, I’d argue that Mailata, who led all offensive linemen with a 95.9 PFF grade, might be the best player on that offensive line currently. His freakish size, strength and athleticism make him a valuable asset as a run blocker and in pass protection.
2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tristan Wirfs
Wirfs didn’t allow a single sack in 664 pass-blocking reps in 2024, which shows just how dominant he was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. He’s coming off a first-team All-Pro campaign, and if he repeats that performance again in 2025, he’ll be a strong frontrunner for the Protector of the Year Award.
1) Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell
Frank Ragnow deserves consideration here, considering he’s one of the best centers in the NFL. That said, Sewell is the anchor of a loaded Detroit Lions offensive line. With elite PFF season-end grades, and just two sacks allowed over the last two seasons, one could argue he’s the best overall offensive lineman in the game. Period.
