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Dan Fornek looks at the first week of 2024 NFL free agency and which offensive line units improved/regressed the most heading into the NFL Draft.
The major waves of NFL free agency have come and gone and the NFL Draft is just around the corner. Every team will look dramatically different in a month, but we can still take a step back and analyze the moves that were made in free agency.
There were some solid offensive linemen on the market this season, giving teams a chance to upgrade the trenches with proven veteran talent instead of wishing on the development of young players coming out of college. There are plenty of strong offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft class, but several teams have gotten better (or worse) since the Super Bowl ended.
Check out the offensive line risers and fallers through free agency below.
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Offensive Line Risers
New York Jets
The Jets recognized that their offensive line was a massive problem in 2023 after the team surrendered 64 sacks. That quality of play was unacceptable, especially with a soon-to-be 41-year-old quarterback returning under center after missing nearly all of the season with an Achilles injury.
However, the Jets went to work in free agency, working diligently to upgrade their entire unit. New York traded for Baltimore Ravens right tackle Morgan Moses and signed left guard John Simpson and left tackle Tyron Smith in free agency. Those three players combined to allow just 10 sacks in 2023 and join established starters Joe Tippmann and Alijah Vera-Tucker to fortify the trenches.
Tyron Smith All-22 blocks on repeat. pic.twitter.com/3kKMuKHFOt
— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 27, 2024
While this approach isn’t without fault (Tyron Smith has struggled with injuries the last four seasons and John Simpson was solid, but unspectacular in his lone season with the Ravens), it does make for a much better offensive line in 2024. The Jets may not be done either with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a slew of strong right tackle/interior offensive line prospects in their range.
It is hard to argue that the Jets haven’t left free agency as the most improved offensive line unit in the NFL heading into the draft.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers offense was a mess last season, and while a fair amount of blame can be laid on 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young’s feet, the offensive line did him absolutely no favors.
Carolina allowed the fifth-most sacks (63) and pressures (210) in the NFL last season, consistently getting beat due to poor play on the interior of the offensive line. The team has worked to overhaul its offense, hiring quarterback whisperer Dave Canales as head coach and adding Diontae Johnson. However, the most significant work they have done has come across the offensive line.
Carolina headed into the offseason with three solid pieces to work with in left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, right tackle Taylor Moton, and right guard Austin Corbett. The team chose to upgrade its center position by moving Corbett to center. It has addressed the issues at guard by prioritizing free agents Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt to solidify the offensive line.
Robert Hunt: the most efficient pass protector in the NFL for 2023 (99.2) 🥇 pic.twitter.com/VfWtI7xKrL
— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) March 28, 2024
Lewis is a solid veteran who had some good, not great seasons with the Seahawks. However, Robert Hunt could truly be a tone-setting right guard. Originally drafted as a right tackle with the Dolphins, Hunt transitioned to guard in his first year and has developed into one of the better young guards in the NFL. Over the last three seasons, Hunt has scored at least a 67.4 PFF grade on the interior. He was on his way to a career-best season (just five pressures in 376 pass attempts) before a hamstring injury cut his season short.
Carolina’s offense should be much improved in 2024 (it can’t get worse) and a big reason for that will be the upgrades on the interior of the offensive line.
New York Giants
By all accounts, the Giants were the worst offensive line in the NFL in 2023. New York allowed a league-leading 84 sacks and tied for last in pressures surrendered (222). The Giants came into the season with a lack of premier talent in the trenches and then were decimated by injury. Only two offensive linemen (guard Ben Bredeson and rookie center John Michael Schmitz) played 13 or more games. Neither player had a PFF grade above 43.0.
The Giants have worked diligently this offseason to upgrade their offensive line, bringing in quality veterans at guard (Aaron Stinnie and Jon Runyan) and adding Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle. None of these are massive upgrades, but they will allow the team to have depth to survive another run of injuries. The team will undoubtedly have a competition between the three new additions and incumbent right tackle, Evan Neal, to determine its two guards and right tackle in 2024.
.@Giants @Raiders @TheMainShow_ the NYG did their homework…Very solid player; helped @iAM_JoshJacobs win the NFL rushing title in 2022. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/Q4wizkO6ij
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) March 19, 2024
Also, the Giants are in a prime position to further bolster the offensive line with the sixth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team will target a wide receiver or quarterback in Round 1 but can make meaningful and impactful additions to its offensive line on Day 2 of the draft.
Honorable Mention: Tennessee Titans
Adding the Titans to the “risers” section feels like cheating since their most impactful addition has yet to happen, but the team has addressed the trenches in free agency and will do so again in the draft.
The Titans made one huge addition to their offensive line this offseason, adding center Lloyd Cushenberry III to upgrade Aaron Brewer. Cushenberry has improved every season in the NFL and is coming off his best year with the Broncos, finishing with a 73.2 PFF grade after allowing just 14 pressures and one sack on 647 pass protection reps.
However, the most impactful addition for this unit hasn’t happened yet. The Titans are certain to add a cornerstone left tackle with the seventh pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Time will tell whether that is Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, but either way, this team will be getting a massive upgrade at its weakest position in 2023.
Offensive Line Fallers
Baltimore Ravens
Strong offensive line play has been the calling card of the Baltimore Ravens for years, but this team needs some serious development and retooling after free agency.
The Ravens have lost three starters from their 2023 unit due to free agency (left guard John Simpson and right guard Kevin Zeitler) or trade (right tackle Morgan Moses). The losses of Zeitler (71.6 PFF grade) and Moses (80.6 PFF grade) loom particularly large after these players manned the right side of the offensive line over the past two seasons.
That leaves the Ravens with two pieces from their 2023 starting unit: Tyler Linderbaum, who is arguably a top-three center in the NFL, and Ronnie Stanley, who is great when healthy but constantly injured. Baltimore does have solid tackle options in Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele but will be turning to unproven options on the interior.
The Ravens took a significant step as a passing attack under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023 but will need to bolster their offensive line through the draft to provide solid protection for Lamar Jackson and to open running lanes for new running back Derrick Henry.
Dallas Cowboys
Like Baltimore, a strong unit in the trenches has been a significant part of the Dallas Cowboys' identity over the last several years. However, the team will need to find new cornerstone pieces in the trenches after an exodus of talent in free agency.
Don’t get me wrong, the Cowboys still feature two offensive line pillars in right guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith. However, everything around them is much more uncertain. Dallas let longtime left tackle Tyron Smith walk in free agency after several seasons navigating injuries and opted not to re-sign solid center Tyler Biadasz. The team also got inconsistent play from right tackle Terence Steele after inking him to a big contract.
Ultimately, the Cowboys will likely move Tyler Smith after a successful stint playing the position in Tyron Smith’s absence in 2023 (six sacks and 40 pressures in 701 pass protection snaps as a rookie). Still, that is only one fix and opens up another hole on the interior of an offensive line already missing a starter.
The Cowboys seem like a lock to target the offensive line in the first round of the draft, especially if names like Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon center) and Graham Barton (Duke left tackle who will transition to the interior) fall to their draft spot at 24.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins offensive line was seen as a strength heading into the 2023 season. Now, heading into 2024, this unit needs some retooling, specifically on the interior.
A poor salary-cap situation forced the Dolphins to make tough roster decisions at numerous positions but will be most felt on the offensive line. Miami was forced to watch starting center Connor Williams and starting right guard Robert Hunt walk in free agency. Williams had established himself as a top-three center in the NFL over the last two seasons (he did tear his ACL in 2023) and Hunt was a young, ascending talent at guard after being drafted as a right tackle.
Miami was able to get a solid center (but a significant downgrade) in former Tennessee Titan Aaron Brewer, but the team will be hoping that Isaiah Wynn can stay healthy at left guard and Robert Jones can take a significant step at right guard. That, combined with the questionable health of left tackle Terron Armstead, makes this a very questionable unit heading into 2024.
The Dolphins will likely be targeting an offensive lineman early in the NFL Draft and should have several options that can play on the interior of the offensive line (or provide backup for when Armstead goes down with an injury).
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Eagles
By no means are the Eagles a bad offensive line. At least three of their starters (left tackle Jordan Mailata, right tackle Lane Johnson, and interior lineman Landon Dickerson) are at the top of their positions. However, any time you lose a foundational piece like Jason Kelce, your team inevitably gets worse.
Kelce retired as one of the game's best centers and is assuredly a Hall of Fame-caliber lineman. His lowest career PFF grade (62.5) came back in 2011. He had just two seasons (2011 and 2019) with over 30 pressures surrendered. The team has potential in-house replacements in Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens (both played center in college), but they aren’t as good as Kelce and will just introduce another weakness at guard.
The Eagles will still have a top-five offensive line heading into 2024, but this unit is undeniably worse off than they were heading into 2023 thanks to the loss of one of the greatest centers in NFL history.
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