Pro Football Focus released its top 101 players from the last ten years, the PFF All-Decade team. And as he should be, former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas figures prominently in the rankings.
Thomas was the top-rated offensive tackle of the last 10 seasons. His overall ranking was 11th, just outside the top 10. That’s a little disappointing, though to be fair Thomas didn’t play in the final two full seasons and half of another.
His greatness extended back to his rookie season of 2007, though Thomas’ early years don’t count here. He made the 7.5 seasons in the 2010s stand up, however,
Joe Thomas is unquestionably one of the best players in NFL history; he was the gold standard for pass protection from the moment he entered the NFL. For the decade, only Andrew Whitworth surrendered pressure at a lower rate than Thomas (3.9%), and Whitworth was often far more protected within his offense in Cincinnati than Thomas was in Cleveland, where he blocked for a succession of quarterbacks who made his life tougher by holding onto the ball longer than they should. Thomas had three straight seasons in the decade with a PFF grade above 90.0 and will be Canton-bound before long.
That is lofty praise for Thomas, one of four players who spent time in Cleveland to make the list. Former Browns center Alex Mack was No. 44, current wide receiver Odell Beckham checked in at No. 91 and former right tackle Mitchell Schwartz was No. 100.
