The value of the top offensive tackles in the NFL will continue to rise in 2022. Offensive tackle is arguably the second-most important position on the field after the quarterback, so finding solutions at either end of the front five is paramount. Teams with a tackle in our top 32 have a headstart on building a dependable offensive line.
Editor’s note: We did not include any 2022 rookies on this list. Offensive tackles like Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal may be excellent in their first years in the NFL, but until we see them play, it doesn’t seem logical to incorporate them here.
Top NFL offensive tackles in 2022
1) Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Trent Williams was always a superb left tackle when he played for Washington from 2010 to 2018, but he’s taken his play to a new level since joining the 49ers in 2020. It’s easy to forget Williams missed 29 games in four seasons before being traded to San Francisco as a 31-year-old. He wasn’t a slam-dunk acquisition at the time. Yet, the 49ers have reaped the rewards of adding the 6’5″, 320-pounder.
The most physically dominant OL in the league, Williams is the central figure in San Francisco’s rushing attack. He’s outstanding in pass protection, too, but his speed and power allow him to destroy defenders in the run game.
Williams, the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL, is entering his age-34 campaign, but we’ve seen elite tackles play into their mid-to-late-30s in the past. As Trey Lance begins his first season as the 49ers’ starter, Williams will be key to the team’s diversified game plans.
2) Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Although he was the fourth offensive tackle off the board in a 2020 draft that included Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills Jr., and Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs has easily been the most productive of that cohort. He’s the best OL on a Buccaneers front five that’s been among the league’s best over the past two years.
Wirfs hasn’t missed an offensive snap in his career, and he’s only given up three sacks and 39 pressures during his pro tenure. The Iowa alum has looked like a veteran from Day 1, and he was rewarded with a first-team All-Pro nod in 2021. It’s scary to think how good Wirfs could become over the next few seasons. It’s early, but he’s on a Hall of Fame track.
3) Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
If Wirfs is the best right tackle in football, then Lane Johnson is right behind him. In 2021, Johnson allowed the fewest pressures (11) of any tackle who played at least 500 snaps. And he was also essential for an Eagles team that ran the ball at a higher clip than any other club last season.
Many assumed Johnson, one of the most athletic tackles ever to enter the NFL, would eventually take over the left side in Philadelphia. However, Jason Peters’ presence ensured Johnson stayed on the right. He’ll end his career there as one of the top right tackles of his generation.
4) David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
If David Bakhtiari had not suffered a torn ACL at the tail end of the 2020 campaign, he’d likely be at No. 1 or 2 on our list of the top offensive tackles in the NFL. Yet, the veteran Packers left tackle missed nearly the entirety of 2021 while recovering from the injury. Bakhtiari played just 20 snaps in Green Bay’s regular-season finale and was inactive for their Divisional Round loss to the 49ers.
We still don’t know if Bakhtiari will be ready for training camp, so it’s fair to be concerned, as most ACL recoveries don’t take 18-19 months. Still, his track record makes it difficult to rank him any lower than fourth. Bakhtiari was the best pass-protecting tackle in the league as recently as 2020. If he can get healthy, he and Elgton Jenkins will form one of the best OT tandems in the game.
5) Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Another veteran with injury issues, Tyron Smith has appeared in only 13 games over the past two years. He hasn’t completed an entire season since 2015. But when he’s been on the field, Smith has still played at a sensational level. His high points are still outstanding — it’s just a question of whether he can stay healthy.
The Cowboys have undergone an offensive line transformation in recent years, and they drafted Smith’s eventual replacement — Tulsa OL Tyler Smith — in the first round of the 2022 draft. While the younger linemen find their NFL footing, Smith and fellow future Hall of Famer Zack Martin will continue to hold down the fort.
6) Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
The Saints have had one of the NFL’s best offensive lines for several years running, but they could take a step back in 2022 following the loss of Terron Armstead. With the veteran left tackle gone, Ryan Ramczyk’s job at right tackle becomes all the more important. Ramczyk is incredibly quick at the snap, and his game is built on agility, speed, and technique.
He dealt with a knee injury that cost him seven games last season, but the Wisconsin product was extremely durable before that issue popped up. Ramczyk had only missed one game in four seasons, and that absence came when he was rested in a meaningless Week 17 contest in 2018.
7) Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers
While Penei Sewell was the higher-rated tackle in most circles heading into last year’s draft, Rashawn Slater was the better player in 2021. A lineman will probably never win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Slater certainly had a case after delivering 1,100+ snaps of elite play in his first NFL go-round.
Although he’s one of the smaller tackles in the NFL at 6’3″, 315 pounds, Slater didn’t let his size get in the way of production on the way to a second-team All-Pro berth. In Slater and Justin Herbert, the Chargers have found their long-term solutions at the two most important offensive positions.
8) Terron Armstead, Miami Dolphins
Top-10 offensive tackles usually aren’t available on the open market. OTs are such a valuable commodity that teams typically do everything possible to retain them. Armstead is the only tackle on our list who changed teams this offseason, and that’s only because the cap-strapped Saints couldn’t afford to keep him around.
The Dolphins, in search of a left tackle since trading Laremy Tunsil, snatched up Armstead in free agency as part of their offensive line overhaul. Miami perenially had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but Armstead gives them instant credibility up front. The only issue? Injuries. Armstead has never completed an entire season in his career, and he missed nine games just last year.
9) Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Mailata had never played a down of football before the Eagles selected him in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After spending two years on injured reserve, the ex-Australian rugby player took over as a starter in 2020 and hasn’t looked back. Mailata’s performance is a testament to Eagles all-star OL coach Jeff Stoutland, and he’s played so well that former first-round tackle Andre Dillard has become a complete afterthought.
A massive man at 6’8″, 365 pounds, Mailata still managed to run a 5.12 40-yard dash at his 2018 pro day. That athleticism is apparent on tape. Mailata suffocates defensive linemen in pass protection, but he’s also magnificent in the run game, which is especially critical for a team that likes to run as much as Philadelphia.
10) Kolton Miller, Las Vegas Raiders
A holdover from Reggie McKenzie’s final year as the Raiders’ general manager, Kolton Miller was the only player keeping Las Vegas’ offensive line from being the worst in the league in 2021. Unfortunately, the Raiders didn’t do much over the offseason to improve their OL, so Miller will again be the shining star along the front five.
Viewed as a reach at 15th overall in the 2018 draft, Miller struggled over his first two seasons before beginning his ascent in 2020. He posted his best campaign yet in 2021, solidifying himself as a top-10 tackle in the NFL. New head coach Josh McDaniels can rest easy knowing Miller is protecting Derek Carr’s blindside.
Top NFL OTs in 2022 | 11-32
11) Taylor Moton, Carolina Panthers
12) Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
13) Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
14) Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
15) Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills
16) La’el Collins, Cincinnati Bengals
17) Elgton Jenkins, Green Bay Packers
18) Braden Smith, Indianapolis Colts
19) Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
20) Andrew Thomas, New York Giants
21) Jack Conklin, Cleveland Browns
22) Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions
23) Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
24) Brian O’Neill, Minnesota Vikings
25) Duane Brown, Free Agent
26) Charles Leno Jr., Washington Commanders
27) Rob Havenstein, Los Angeles Rams
28) Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29) Jake Matthews, Atlanta Falcons
30) Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots
31) Jonah Williams, Cincinnati Bengals
32) Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans