Week 7 of the NFL season is here, and PFN’s OL power rankings and tiers are in flux. Some teams have remained steady in our rankings, while others have moved up or down the spectrum. Here’s how NFL offensive lines are shaping up after six weeks of action.
Week 7 OL Power Rankings 2022
Let’s go around the league and delve into the most notable offensive line situations in the NFL. We’ll start in Los Angeles, where the Rams’ offensive line continues to get hit hard by injuries.
Rams Reach Rock Bottom After Losing LT Joe Noteboom
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Rams’ OL, they did. Left tackle Joe Noteboom suffered a torn Achilles against the Panthers on Sunday, plunging the LA offensive line even further into despair.
Noteboom and right tackle Rob Havenstein had been the rocks of the Rams’ front five. Along the interior, Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, David Edwards, Tremayne Anchrum, and Logan Bruss have all gone down, and the latter two are out for the rest of the year.
After losing Noteboom, Los Angeles shifted Alaric Jackson from right guard to left tackle and inserted recent free agent signing Oday Aboushi at RG. On Tuesday, they added another body by signing veteran swingman Ty Nsekhe off the Colts’ practice squad, as PFN’s Aaron Wilson reported.
Given all the commotion up front, it’s unsurprising that the Rams’ OL has struggled this year. They’re dead last in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards, which attempts to credit or debit the offensive line’s performance in the running game. And they’ve allowed 22 sacks, tied for second-most in the league.
Still, there may be at least some hope on the horizon. Allen, Shelton, and Edwards should all return at some point this season and reclaim starting (or top backup) jobs. Plus, the Rams have a bye in Week 7, allowing them time to sort out their new OL alignment.
Cardinals LG Justin Pugh Out for Season
The Rams weren’t the only NFC West club to lose a starter in Week 6. Cardinals left guard Justin Pugh tore his ACL against the Seahawks and will miss the remainder of the year.
It’s easy to kick a team when they’re down, and Arizona is undoubtedly down after scoring just three offensive points against a previously-gashed Seattle defense on Sunday. But their OL situation is largely indicative of their problems as a team.
Counting Pugh and center Rodney Hudson (who is also injured), three of the Cardinals’ five OL starters are at least 32 years old. Pugh, Kelvin Beachum, Will Hernandez, and top reserve Max Garcia are all scheduled to reach free agency next season, and Hudson will be a potential release candidate.
Arizona hasn’t made any serious draft investments along the offensive line. General manager Steve Keim has had 19 top-100 picks since selecting left tackle D.J. Humphries 24th overall in 2015. He’s only used two on offensive linemen: Mason Cole (third round, 2018) and Josh Jones (third round, 2020).
Will the Patriots Trade Isaiah Wynn?
Isaiah Wynn is having an incredibly rough season. The former first-round pick moved from left to right tackle over the summer, but he’s struggled with limiting pressure and has committed a league-leading seven penalties (plus one more that was declined).
Wynn lined up against Browns All-World edge rusher Myles Garrett in Week 6, and it went about as poorly as you might have expected. After giving up a strip-sack in the first quarter, Wynn was sent to the bench in favor of Marcus Cannon.
Wynn later saw more action in the second half, but he continued to struggle, and it’s fair to wonder if New England will trust him going forward. If that’s the case, he could potentially be shopped before the NFL’s Nov. 1 trade deadline.
The 27-year-old is playing on his fifth-year option, so he isn’t exactly cheap. An acquiring team would take on roughly $6-7 million in salary by trading for Wynn, so the Pats might have to eat some of that money to make a trade work.
Combine his financials with his performance, and Wynn probably wouldn’t garner more than a late-round pick from a desperate team. The Rams, who we touched on earlier, could be one club to watch.
NFL OL Rankings | Tiers 1-4
Now that we’ve taken a deeper look at some of the more notable offensive line groups around the NFL, let’s lay out how they rank based on tiers.
OL Rankings: Tier 1
Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions
OL Rankings: Tier 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos
OL Rankings: Tier 3
Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins
OL Rankings: Tier 4
New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants