Though it’s typically ignored in comparison with the opposite football positions, we thought it was vital to take a look at one of the best offensive linemen in 2023 earlier than the beginning of a brand new NFL season.
Clearly, this can be a largely thankless place with offensive linemen taking the blame when one thing goes mistaken however getting little credit score after they do their job. That gave us much more motive to take a better have a look at the highest offensive linemen within the NFL.
Finest offensive linemen 2023
However who’re one of the best NFL offensive linemen presently? That’s not a simple query to reply as a result of there are such a lot of nice linemen within the league proper now, together with a number of guys who will probably be thought-about among the many greatest offensive linemen in NFL history in the future.
We took an in depth have a look at our choices and got here up with a listing of the ten greatest offensive linemen in 2023.
10. Andrew Thomas
There have been positively some rising pains for Andrew Thomas early in his profession. A few minor accidents have tripped him up alongside the way in which too.
Nevertheless, he’s coming off a breakout season, asserting himself as the most effective younger tackles within the NFL. Outdoors of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, he is likely to be a very powerful participant the Giants have on offense. Thomas was a Second-Crew All-Professional final 12 months and continues to be solely 24. There’s a probability he has an excellent higher season in 2023.
9. Tristan Wirfs
As a rookie, Tristan Wirfs performed a key function in serving to the Buccaneers win the Tremendous Bowl. Since then, he’s continued to show himself to be the most effective younger offensive tackles within the NFL.
Wirfs has earned a Professional Bowl invitation and All-Professional picks in every of the previous two seasons. When he obtained damage late final season and missed Tampa’s playoff recreation, the Bucs undoubtedly missed his presence. However so long as he’s wholesome in 2023, Wirfs ought to proceed to carry out at a excessive stage and be the most effective offensive tackles within the league.
8. Quenton Nelson
Sadly, Quenton Nelson is coming off a down 12 months in 2022. Whereas he nonetheless went to the Professional Bowl, final 12 months was the primary time in his profession that he wasn’t named an All-Professional. To be truthful, he performed on a nasty workforce in Indianapolis final season, so it was laborious for him to face out.
Nevertheless, Nelson continues to be the highest-paid guard within the NFL and shouldn’t have any drawback bouncing again in 2023. He’s positively not somebody you need to guess in opposition to.
7. Chris Lindstrom
For many followers, Chris Lindstrom is a newcomer among the many NFL’s elite offensive linemen. He was drafted in 2019 and has gotten slightly misplaced within the shuffle whereas taking part in for the underachieving Falcons all through his profession. However after going to the Professional Bowl and being a Second-Crew All-Professional choice final 12 months, Lindstrom is on the radar.
He’s performed nicely sufficient for the Falcons to offer him a five-year, $105 million extension earlier this 12 months. Lindstrom figures to anchor Atlanta’s offensive line for a very long time, and so long as he can dwell as much as that contract, he’ll be among the many NFL’s prime offensive linemen in 2023 and past.
6. Jason Kelce
Even when he’ll be 36 by the tip of the season, Jason Kelce nonetheless seems like he’ll be the most effective offensive linemen in 2023. He definitely holds the title of one of the best middle within the NFL after being a First-Crew All-Professional choice in back-to-back seasons and 5 of the final six years.
For a man who has mulled retirement lately, Kelce continues to be acting at a excessive stage. It’s no shock that the Eagles ended up having such an incredible season in 2022 with somebody like Kelce anchoring the offensive line. With 176 video games underneath his belt, he’s nonetheless going robust and among the many elite offensive linemen within the NFL.
5. Joel Bitonio
On the heels of his fifth straight journey to the Professional Bowl final season, Joel Bitonio is undoubtedly among the many prime offensive linemen within the NFL heading into the season. In spite of everything, who do you assume helps to pave the way in which for Nick Chubb and Cleveland’s potent speeding assault?
Bitonio has performed a key function within the Browns with the ability to run the ball so successfully lately. He’s additionally been an All-Professional in 5 straight years, together with First-Crew picks in back-to-back years. With Bitonio nonetheless in his prime, he’ll be among the many NFL’s greatest offensive linemen this 12 months.
4. Zack Martin
For practically a decade, Zack Martin has been a key issue on the most effective offensive traces in soccer. He’s coming into his tenth season with the Cowboys and continues to be among the many greatest inside offensive linemen within the recreation. Over his first 9 seasons, Martin has been to eight Professional Bowls and been a First-Crew All-Professional six instances.
Actually, Martin has been a First-Crew All-Professional choice in 4 of the final 5 seasons. Even in his 30s, Martin is sustaining a excessive stage of play and continues to be an enormous motive why the Cowboys have such a powerful offensive line 12 months after 12 months.
3. Laremy Tunsil
It’s taken slightly little bit of time, however Laremy Tunsil has lastly labored his means among the many greatest offensive linemen within the NFL. He had some struggles early in his profession with the Dolphins. Nevertheless, Tunsil has taken his recreation to a different stage since being traded to the Texans.
He’s turn out to be a shiny spot throughout Houston’s rebuilding course of, incomes a Professional Bowl invitation 3 times within the final 4 seasons. Even after a thumb harm restricted him to only 5 video games in 2021, Tunsil bounced again and had one other dominant 12 months in 2022. He seems to be in his prime proper now and is poised for an additional good season in 2023.
2. Lane Johnson
Age doesn’t appear to be a lot of a difficulty for Lane Johnson, who must be one of many prime offensive linemen in 2023. A 12 months in the past, Johnson earned his fourth Professional Bowl choice and returned to the First-Crew All-Professional for the primary time since 2017. For sure, he was an enormous a part of serving to the Eagles get to the Tremendous Bowl, serving to to guide a powerful speeding assault and preserve Jalen Hurts protected.
Late within the 2022 season, Johnson set a brand new NFL report by going 26 consecutive video games with out permitting a sack. That report says all the things you want to learn about how good Johnson is at this stage in his profession.
1. Trent Williams
For a very long time, Trent Williams has been one of many prime offensive linemen within the NFL, and that’s not going to vary in 2023. To be truthful, he’ll be 35 initially of the 2023 season. However Williams has additionally been a First-Crew All-Professional in every of the previous two seasons on prime of going to the Professional Bowl in 10 of the final 11 years.
There’s been no decline in his efficiency even after 163 profession video games. Clearly, Williams was ejected from the NFC Championship Sport the final time he was on the sector. However that ought to simply encourage him to come back again and have one other nice season in 2023 whereas serving to the 49ers return to the promised land.
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