2009 Offensive Line Rankings

While the offensive line might not represent a direct draft day decision for your roster, few areas of knowledge can offer a competitive advantage in fantasy football like having a good grasp of the various units of trench soldiers around the league. So with that in mind, each year at FanHouse we break down every NFL team's offensive lines into five tiers: the crème de la crème, the highly competent, the serviceable, the grim, and the bunk.

The Crème de la Crème

Denver - It should be pretty obvious that Denver has a dominating offensive line given the success shared by all 85 different starting running backs last season. Led by its young star Ryan Clady, Denver boasts a young unit dotted with All-Pro quality players. Look for more of the same from the Denver backfield and perhaps even a surprise uptick in performance from Kyle Orton.

New England - This consistent group operates with great chemistry. The core of Logan Mankins, Matt Light, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, and Dan Koppen remains entirely in tact, so expect continued outperformance as usual. While fantasy owners will certainly be concerned about Tom Brady's ability to bounce back from knee surgery, this tenured crop should help ease those fears.

New York Jets - The Jets offensive line provided a nice surprise in 2008. Well, I suppose it should not really come as a surprise given the team could have purchased a small country for what they paid for Alan Faneca, but it was worth it. With Pro Bowl veteran Nick Mangold in the middle and D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Damien Woody fortifying the two stars, the Jets unit is among the best in the game.

Tennessee - Kevin Mawae at center and Michael Roos at left tackle - both Pro Bowlers - lead a healthy, stable unit that allowed a league low in sacks in 2009. Select those Tennessee running backs with confidence.

Carolina - Carolina has big time names in both Pro Bowler Jordan Gross and star-in-the-making Jeff Otah and it shows. I mean, is DeAngelo Williams really that good? Come on, these are the guys who deserve the credit.

New Orleans - In terms of pass blocking, the New Orleans line might be the best in the game and the numbers prove it, allowing an amazing league-low 13 sacks. With a strong young core and great chemistry, the run blocking should follow suit.

New York Giants - Led by Pro Bowlers Shaun O'Hara and Chris Snee, this unit plays well together, works hard, and demonstrates remarkable stability. The Giants' offensive line is solid all around, but the run blocking excels above and beyond.

Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay has Pro Bowler Davin Joseph, a veteran center in Jeff Faine, and powerhouse guard Arron Sears paving the way for what looks to become a dynamic backfield tandem in Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward. The Bucs offensive line looks to be one of the league's best and there is still room for improvement.

The Highly Competent

Baltimore - The Ravens selected monolith Michael Oher with their first round draft pick to fill the spot at right tackle. Superstar Jonathan Ogden is gone, but left tackle Jared Gaither is solid. Furthermore, Baltimore signed Pro Bowl Center Matt Birk from Minnesota. This should be a young, virile squad with lots of upside potential.

Cleveland - Head coach Eric Mangini is trying to instill an old time bruising, mean unit and improve their run blocking. The Browns picked up rookie center Alex Mack as another anchor alongside Joe Thomas. Despite having the talent, the Browns underperformed high expectations last season, but this year they should start making strides towards the elite.

Indianapolis - Indianapolis finished 31st overall in rushing after injuries decimated the squad. This year, Jeff Saturday and company will be healthy (and signed), so it's safe to expect a vast improvement.

Miami - Jake Long and Vernon Carey seal off the tackles as dual pillars on this solid unit. The middle of the line is less domainating, but should be filled aptly with Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas returning from injuries. Jake Grove, who came over in a trade from Oakland, should help shore up the center spot.

San Diego - The Chargers are one of the few really stable units in the league and a pretty good one at that. They did lose a key player in Mike Goff to Kansas City, but the rest of the group is solid, particularly Marcus McNeill, has played together a long time, and should continue to do well.

Arizona - It was only a matter of time before offensive line coach Russ Grimm whipped these boys into a reliable group. The unit is young (and healthy) and will continue to improve. A better running back in Beanie Wells will likely help highlight how good they really can be.

Philadelphia - A revamped, but stacked group should prove interesting for the Eagles. While normaly change equals question marks, the addition of Jason Peters from Buffalo squashes that concern. Peters is a two-time Pro Bowler and an elite player. If the Andrews brothers, Shawn and newcomer Stacy, return to full speed from injuries, the Eagles should be a top performer.

The Serviceable

Houston - The zone blocking schemes provided nice holes for a successful 2008 campaign, particularly on the ground. With five starters returning on a unit that gelled as the season progressed, this season should see continued improvement.

Jacksonville - Jacksonville got hit hard by the injury bug in '08. Brad Meester returns at center and the Jaguars added a solid veteran in Tra Thomas, but pieces are still being moved around. Hence, the final product come draft draft will likely still be a work in progress.

Kansas City - The Chiefs need a lot from second year man Branden Albert for 2009 to be a success. Brian Walters at left guard earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2008 and Mike Goff is a solid veteran, but the other two spots are anybody's guess. This group is definitely improving, but not quite there yet.

Atlanta - A vastly improved line, this group works well together and gets the job done without huge names. The Falcons should continue to gel and help support what could become a very explosive offense.

Dallas - With tackle Marc Columbo and center Andre Gurode, the Cowboys have the talent, so it will be interesting to see how this unit does assuming Dallas attempts to pound the ball more often this season. Their massive size should suit the run-first offense well. The big ticket Flozell Adams is the big question mark as he seems to be on the brink of falling apart.

Minnesota - No more Matt Birk at center hurts. The Vikings do still have Steve Hutchinson, but a transition at right tackle and center makes Minnesota a weakened unit.

The Grim

Buffalo - The Bills line disappointed in 2008 and now they lost their best player, Jason Peters to the Eagles. With Brad Butler moving to right tackle, and two early draft picks, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre likely to start at the guards, the chemistry and skill of this group will take time to develop.

Oakland - This is a perpetually changing unit with no keystones holding it together. There is really no reason to expect much here, but the Raiders do manage to keep serviceable guys around.

Pittsburgh - Ironically, the Super Bowl champs have pretty crappy protection up front. Nobody on the line dominates and the team gave up 46 sacks with a league worst yards-per-carry average on the ground. Maybe they can get by with this house of cards once again, but don't count on it.

Chicago - The Bears brought in Orlando Pace, providing both a star and a veteran, despite his age becoming a question mark. He is still Orlando Pace after all and better than most NFL linemen though. Olin Kreutz holds strong in the middle, but there are moving parts and question marks elsewhere.

Green Bay - Green Bay faces a big time transition as they are in the midst of rebuilding a unit with a lot of injuries and position changes. Furthermore, they do not have great talent, so this could spell trouble for the Packers.

St. Louis - A lot hinges on the #2 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Jason Smith,and his ability to replace a living legend in Orlando Pace. The other tackle Alex Barron is mediocre at best and does not work hard. The Rams took major strides in the off-season to shore up the line, a key initiative, but this unit will need some time to heal itself.

San Francisco - The Niners did nothing in the draft to help the offensive line, opting instead for skill positions and defensive players. The problem is they needed linemen and it will come back to haunt them. They gave up a league high 55 sacks last season.

Washington - With a weak spot at right tackle, Chris Samuels coming off both knee and tricep surgeries, and tough defenses within the division, the 'Skins look to suffer this season.

The Bunk

Cincinnati - The Bengals quarterbacks got sacked 51 times in 2008. They did spend their top pick on first rounder Andre Smith out of Alabama as a replacement for Levi Jones, but with lots of moving parts, inconsistency, and shoddy personnel, this Bengals group has a long way to go.

Detroit - This perpetual turd still smells. Detroit didn't do much to address this burning need, besides drafting a good blocking tight end in Brandon Pettigrew. There is no reason to be optimistic.

Seattle - Every starter in this group missed time last season due to injuries including anchorman, Walter Jones, who underwent micro-fracture knee surgery. Hence, there are a lot of concerns about health. If everybody stays on the field, this unit can be decent, but don't hold your breath.