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The NFL's top 11 offensive guards

Once upon a time, offensive guards were the forgotten men in the interior. Tackles drew the attention of the masses, as they were often tasked with handling the most imposing pass rushers on the other side of the football. Centers were known for what they offered in terms of being another coach on the field, calling out protections and helping the quarterback.

Guards? They were often described as pavers. Road graders. The guys who helped with the running game.

But times sure have changed. As more defenses kick pass rushers inside on passing downs, or have elite players such as Aaron Donald who can destroy worlds from the interior, the days of the road grader are gone. Now guards need to do it all, and do it well, otherwise offenses will struggle.

Here are the NFL’s top 11 offensive guards, all of whom do it all very well indeed.

11
Roger Saffold, Tennessee Titans

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Since entering the league in 2010 Roger Saffold has been a consistent performer up front for now two different organizations. Saffold began his career in Los Angeles with the Rams, starting as a left tackle during his rookie campaign before sliding inside to see time at both guard spots. His switch to left guard became permanent in 2017, and since then Saffold has been a force in the run game and as a pass blocker.

Anytime you catch the eye of Brandon Thorn, one of the most knowledgeable observers of offensive line play, you are doing good work. Jump-setting is a nice little club to have in the bag:

Of course, some of Saffold’s best work comes in the running game, paving the way for Derrick Henry:

Plays like that help a running back eclipse 2,000 yards in a season, and get you noticed league-wide.

10
Brandon Brooks, Philadelphia Eagles

(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)

The Philadelphia Eagles struggled in 2020, due in large part to inconsistency from the quarterback position. As the organization looks to bounce-back from a rough campaign a year ago it is clear that their strength lies in the trenches.

A big part of their hopes for 2021 rest on the healthy return of guard Brandon Brooks. He has struggled with injuries during his career, including missing all of the 2020 season with a torn Achilles — the second such injury he has suffered — but when healthy Brooks is one of the best interior linemen in the league. This clip dives into the technique that makes him one of the game’s best:

If the Eagles are going to surprise teams in 2021, a healthy Brooks will be a huge reason why.

9
Kevin Zeitler, Baltimore Ravens

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

We now come to one of the first players to switch teams this off-season, yet still appear on this list. Last season Kevin Zeitler suited up for the New York Giants, but in the year ahead he’ll be protecting another young quarterback, Lamar Jackson, as Zeitler signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.

What helps get Zeitler onto this list is the scheme fit in Baltimore. Greg Roman incorporates a number of different run schemes into the Baltimore playbook, among them Counter Bash, which generally tasks a pair of linemen pulling in front of a potential run from the QB:

One of the things that Zeitler does so well is pull, using his athleticism and awareness all along the offensive front. Here’s a cut-up of Zeitler doing just that last season, and you can just picture how that will work in Baltimore this fall:

This should work nicely.

8
Shaq Mason, New England Patriots

(Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)

“You homer!”

Look, as someone who suffered through watching, and studying, the New England Patriots offense in 2020 I can tell you without reservation that if that unit had a strength, it was in the trenches. That includes guard Shaq Mason who, along with rookie Michael Onwenu (who just missed out on this list) and Joe Thuney (who we will see in a moment) helped hold down the interior offensive line.

The Patriots faced a transition last year, moving from a pocket quarterback in Tom Brady to a more athletic QB in Cam Newton. Yet like the rest of his linemates, Mason helped ease the transition with his play up front. Hailing from a college that tasked him with pulling and movement up front, Mason’s skill-set helped the Patriots on designs like this one:

The Patriots still face questions on offense, most notably at the quarterback position, but the play of Mason is not anywhere close to a concern heading into 2021.

7
Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season the Cleveland Browns rode an improved offense to the AFC Divisional Round, winning their first playoff game in over twenty years. A big part of their success last year with the offensive system installed by new head coach Kevin Stefanski, incorporating a lot of outside zone run designs with boot-action concepts working off those designs in the passing game.

It helped that the Browns put together one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, and the team placed a pair of guards on this list. First up is Wyatt Teller, who did miss time in the middle of the season but was a dominant force at right guard, particularly in the running game. Given the offensive system in Cleveland, guards need to be quick and athletic to handle the outside zone game, so to that end enjoy this cut-up of Teller’s technique on just some of those plays from 2020:

You can expect a lot more of this in 2021.

6
Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Yes, adding Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers paid immediate dividends, as the organization marched to a victory in Super Bowl LV. But anyone who has watched Brady over his illustrious career knows that if he is going to be at his best, he needs stout protection in the interior. Brady — like most quarterbacks — struggles in the face of immediate interior pressure.

Which is why Ali Marpet is on this list.

Take these two plays from Super Bowl LV, which show Marpet and the rest of the offensive line locking things down in front of the veteran passer:

On the second you can see Marpet fighting for every inch of turf in front of Brady, and that fight gives the QB enough time to find Rob Gronkowski late in the down for the touchdown.

Perhaps the game’s biggest play was a touchdown run from Leonard Fournette in the second half. Again we see Marpet helping pave the way:

There is a case to be made that Brady could be even better next year, his second in Tampa Bay. If that comes to fruition, the play from Marpet will be a part of that story.

5
Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

We now complete an offensive guard pair, as Joel Bitonio joins Wyatt Teller on this list. (Although technically the New England Patriots had a pair of their own in Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. But now Thuney is in Kansas City with the Chiefs and no I’m not mad about it at all. Please don’t put in the newspaper that I was mad).

Where was I?

Right, Bitonio, who has been one of the NFL’s most consistent performers at guard since entering the league. With more and more defenses kicking pass rushers inside on passing downs, as well as the ability of many interior defenders to be pass rushers in their own right, guards have to be able to protect the passer.

Which is a strength of Bitonio.

Take the AFC Divisional Round game against the Chiefs. Bitonio saw a lot of Chris Jones in that game, so take some time to watch this cut-up of some of those battles:

Two very impressive players going after it, but on these plays you can see the footwork, the upper- and lower-body strength, and even the awareness from the Browns left guard. Just some of the reasons why he is one of the NFL’s top guards.

4
Brandon Scherff, Washington Football Team

(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)

There are a number of reasons why the Washington Football Team did not let Brandon Scherff leave town.

Turn on any Washington game in which Scherff is playing, and you will immediately see the right guard doing things that are dominant at the position, and against top-level talent on the other side of the football.

On this play Scherff is working against Javon Hargrave, a premier talent at defensive tackle. But Scherff just stones him, combining footwork with power and punch up top with his hands.

Next, you see Scherff battling Hargrave again, with the defensive tackle trying a bull-rush:

Hargrave drives Scherff back off the snap, but the right guard fights and fights for every critical inch in the pocket, giving quarterback Alex Smith just enough room to get off a throw to move the chains on a 3rd-and-long situation.

Then there is this play in the running game:

That’s a “you might be wondering how I got here” moment for safety Tre Boston. And yes, I kept the end of that play in the clip when it seems like the safety is asking Scherff that same question…

Scherff has dealt with injuries in the past, such as a torn pectoral muscle in 2018 and a knee injury in 2020. But when healthy, he is among the sport’s elite in the interior.

3
Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Thuney Patriots

(Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports)

Okay okay fine… let’s talk about it.

There are moments when it is hard to separate the fan part of the brain from the analyst part of the brain, and this is one of those moments. As someone who grew up a New England Patriots fan seeing Joe Thuney leave town — and head to the Kansas City Chiefs of all teams — this is a hard move to swallow.

Why? Because during his time in New England Thuney grew into an elite offensive guard. Few Patriots fans will ever forget his effort against Aaron Donald in Super Bowl LIII. And last season, as the offense went through a transition, Thuney was a steady force in the interior. The Patriots implement a varied run scheme, with a mix of both zone and gap/power concepts, and Thuney can handle them all.

Yet in today’s NFL we all know passing is king, and Thuney is stout in pass protection. He has the awareness and experience to identify twists and stunts up front, and the power, technique and lower-body strength necessary to win many one-on-one matchups. Take this example against the Baltimore Ravens:

Now he’ll be doing that in front of Patrick Mahomes.

I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine no really I’m fine.

2
Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys

(Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

Since entering the league in 2014, right guard Zack Martin has consistently been one of the NFL’s top players in the interior. 2020 was no exception. While the Dallas Cowboys endured struggles on the defensive side of the football and saw their starting quarterback go down with a horrific injury early in the year, Martin continued to impress week-in and week-out. As the offensive line suffered through some injuries of their own, Martin even slid to right tackle for 117 snaps, showcasing his skills on the outside.

Let’s take a quick look at some of what makes Martin such an elite player, focusing on awareness in both the run and pass game, his ability to anchor his lower body against power moves in pass protection, and his willingness to look for work:

Cowboys fans are hoping that a healthy Dak Prescott and an improved defense will translate to a better 2021 campaign. Having Martin in the fold will certainly help.

1
Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Similar to Zack Martin, Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts has helped to change the conversation around offensive guards.  There was some skepticism when the Colts made Nelson the sixth-overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, but his elite play over the past three seasons has changed the way some view the position.

Nelson is elite both as a run blocker, and in pass protection. Since entering the league he has allowed just three sacks, two as a rookie and one a season ago. He has also allowed just 11 quarterback hits over his career, and when you consider that he has almost 2,000 pass blocking snaps over that three-year span, those numbers are even more impressive.

Let’s dive into a quick cut-up of what Nelson offers up front for the Colts:

Combination blocks, execution against top talent such as Myles Garrett and Kenny Clark, and his willingness to scan for targets and find work. These are just some of the reasons Nelson is must-watch each week, and tops lists like this one.

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