NFL Power Rankings 2023: Top 5 O-Linemen Featuring 49ers’ Giant & Eagles’ WPMOY Candidate

Quarterbacks love their offensive linemen! If the QB is the most important player on the team, then the O-line is responsible for protecting him from getting sacked or tackled by the opposing team’s defensive line. In this Christmas season, Trevor Lawrence went out all out and gifted his entire O-line golf carts because “they sacrifice a lot for us and for myself so I had to do something special for them for Christmas.” 

As the NFL regular season heads into its last couple of weeks, who are the top five offensive linemen who went all out in protecting their QBs and tipped the scales in their team’s favor?

Players from playoff teams dominate the list

A player from the list is not just in the running for the best O-lineman, but also for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. And another player towers above others, both literally and figuratively.

1. Trent Williams

The 6’5″, 320-pound giant from the San Francisco 49ers has proved to be the team’s anchor with his towering frame driving the 49ers’ rushing game and his strength shielding QB Brock Purdy from the opposing team’s defenses. However, it seems that the 10-Pro Bowler will not be playing the team’s next game as he injured his groin in the 19-33 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

2. Lane Johnson

Lane Johnson from the Philadelphia Eagles has been so effective at his role that he has not allowed a sack for 3 years and counting. And in terms of pressures, he has allowed only three in the last seven games. But Johnson does not just deliver on the gridiron, he is active in community service as well. So much so, that Center Jason Kelce gave a speech, lauding him for the man he is.

Johnson had missed two games in 2021 due to anxiety and depression and is a crusader for mental health. His “dedication and commitment to mental health advocacy” has made him a frontrunner in the WPMOY Award race.

3. Jason Kelce

No points for guessing this one, but the man who made it to People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” list is also one of the toughest offensive linemen out there. If it weren’t for Kelce, the Eagles’ famed and debated, “tush push” play would not have seen the 93.5% success rate that it does in converting downs and securing close touchdowns. The less popular Kelce has also been a first-team All-Pro in five of the last six seasons.

4. Zack Martin

Martin played through a thigh injury in the Miami Dolphins game. The 33-year-old is a six-time First-Team All-Pro player.

Read More: “Definitely Not”: Nick Sirianni Shatters Opinions of Benching Jalen Hurts Amid Eagles’ QB’s Health Rumors

Not only that, he is one of the key reasons why the Dallas Cowboys right guard ranks in the top ten list right now, according to the offensive grade metric. His 75.2 pass-blocking metric and 69.0 run-blocking metrics are also in the top ten in the NFL.

5. Christian Darrisaw

The Minnesota Vikings player has made a name for himself as one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the league right now. Even though he was off to a rough start in his career, allowing nine sacks in his first two seasons, he quickly course-corrected. In the current season, which is Virginia Tech product’s third, he has allowed only one sack so far.

Watch This Story: “Be an Example”: Jalen Hurts Reveals His Role in ‘Difficult’ Locker Room Conversations