A few years ago, long before a career change that brought me to this moment, I was doing what probably everyone reading this piece was doing: Watching the NFL Draft. It was the 2013 NFL Draft to be exact, and the Miami Dolphins had just made their first-round selection: Dion Jordan, a pass rusher out of the University of Oregon.
It was a bit of a shocking move, in that Jordan was considered a first-round prospect but maybe not someone worthy of a Top Five selection. He also tore his labrum that February and would be sidelined for three to four months as he recovered from the surgery to repair the injury.
When the pick was made Mike Mayock, covering the draft for the NFL Network, said something that has stuck with me since. He talked about how the Jordan pick was more evidence that the most important spot on a football field is the seven yards behind the center. I’m paraphrasing now, but he said that teams need guys who can “throw from that spot, protect that spot, and attack that spot.”
When you are going to pay the guy throwing from that spot somewhere in the vicinity of $500 million dollars, the guys protecting that spot better be darn good at what they do.
Here are some of the best the league has to offer at protecting the spot from the tackle position.
More Top 11 lists: Slot defenders | Outside cornerbacks | Safeties | Linebackers | Edge defenders | Interior defensive linemen
Honorable Mentions
Two names are going to be glaringly absent from this list, so we need to address them right out of the gate. First up is Trent Williams, who found a new home this offseason with the San Francisco 49ers. Williams is usually a lock for lists like this, but as he missed all of 2019, he failed to meet the snap threshold for this piece. Then there is Jason Peters, another mainstay at the offensive tackle position. Part of the criteria for these lists is a bit of forward-thinking, and since Peters is actually kicking inside to guard this year for the Philadelphia Eagles, it is hard to consider him a tackle for this exercise.
Other names that just missed out include Bryan Bulaga, who is sliding into a tackle spot for the Los Angeles Chargers this season, and Jake Matthews, who continues a long lineage of NFL success. Then there is Trent Brown, a massive human who locked down Tom Brady’s blindside two seasons ago, and now handles the right tackle spot for the Las Vegas Raiders. A few more years of success from Brown probably slides him onto future such lists. Finally Braden Smith is worthy of consideration after just two years in the league, and perhaps he’ll crack the Top 11 in next year’s edition.
Best Tackle Pair
As we will discuss in a few minutes, you need bookends at the tackle position in today’s NFL. Gone are the days when the best pass rusher was going to be attacking your left tackle on down after down. Now defenses are attacking from every possible angle, and some of the best pass rushers in the game (such as Von Miller and Khalil Mack) are working against your right tackle in large part. So the teams that have a pair of bookend tackles are in good shape.
Those teams include the Baltimore Ravens, who get to roll out Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr. on Sundays. Then there are the Dallas Cowboys, and we will see both La’el Collins and Tyron Smith on this list. Indianapolis has a solid pair as well, with Anthony Castonzo and the previously-mentioned Braden Smith. Some good pairs were broken up this offseason, such as Bavid Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga, as well as Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin. Lane Johnson and Jason Peters are still teammates, but no longer the pair of bookends they once were.
That brings us to the top duo, the combination of Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead in New Orleans. Both players make this list and they are both elite talents at the position. Sean Payton and company have assembled a talented offensive line group and these bookend tackles are a huge part.
Now, the Top 11.
11. Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis Colts
Virtually since coming out of college Anthony Castonzo has locked down the left tackle spot for the Indianapolis Colts. 2019 was another rock steady campaign for Castonzo, who logged over 1,000 snaps for the sixth time in his career. He allowed 34 pressures last season and just three sacks, very solid numbers for an offensive tackle in today’s game. He is also a solid run blocker, who works well with the guard next to him, the fabulous Quentin Nelson.
Watching Castonzo you see technical work that makes offensive line coaches smile. He is almost like Greg Maddux in a sense, as he can change things up on pass rushers and keep them on their toes. He has great hand usage, as he displays on this play against Von Miller to ride the pass rusher outside and behind the pocket:
Castonzo is also a poster child for the slogan “Pass Protection is not Passive.” Watch him on this play against the New Orleans Saints take the right right to Trey Hendrickson off the edge:
Castonzo faced free agency this past offseason but the Colts found a way to keep him in town. Now he’ll get the chance to protect Philip Rivers for the next season or so.
10. Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans
Drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Taylor Lewan has been a good-to-great left tackle for the Tennessee Titans for the bulk of his six years in the league. As he enters his seventh season in the NFL, Lewan is coming off one of his best years in the league. Last season he allowed just two sacks and a seven quarterback hurries, which was his lowest mark since his rookie season, when he saw just 353 snaps overall.
Lewan has a bit of a brawler’s mentality, which serves him well in the running game. He can work combination blocks and down blocks with ferocity and power, and in Tennessee’s diverse running scheme he handles everything that is asked of him conceptually quite well.
As a pass blocker, Lewan can be susceptible to some quicker moves around the arc of the pocket, and there are times on film when you can see him get crossed up on more creative stunts and twists. But he also does some things extremely well in protection. Watch how well his feet and hands works in concert on this play from the AFC Championship Game:
The hand placement and counter-strike ability is impressive. But you also have to appreciate the footwork. Lewan slides and maneuvers the arc to perfection here, and even mirrors a late change-of-direction move well for an offensive tackle. He might not be everyone cup of tea, but Lewan is quite good at what he does.
9. Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
It certainly was an auspicious start to an NFL career, when Laremy Tunsil’s draft night was marred by a photo of him surfacing right as the draft began. That photo, of Tunsil wearing a mask while smoking marijuana, likely contributed to a bit of a draft night slide. But he has found his way to the Houston Texans, after a quick stint in Miami with the Dolphins, and over the past few seasons he has displayed the promise that came with his first-round selection.
2019 was a bit of a breakout year for him, as he logged over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career. Tunsil was credited with three sacks allowed, but that number needs a bit of context, as Deshaun Watson continues to be plagued by high sack numbers, some of which can be attributed to his willingness to fight in the pocket when other quarterbacks might just throw the football away and fight on the next down.
When you study Tunsil you’ll see why he was a first-round pick. He is constantly looking for work, and shows tremendous athleticism for a big man. Watch what he does on this play-action design:
Tasked with coming across the formation, he identifies a wide threat coming around the pocket, and gets into the rushing defensive end to give Watson just enough time to make the throw.
When you talk about an offensive tackle “dropping the anchor,” this is a prime example. Watch how Tunsil handles Marcus Davenport on the first play of this clip:
Tunsil absorbs the initial contact and drops his lower body, anchoring himself and screwing his feet into the turf. That is how you build the wall from the ground up as a pass blocker.
More seasons with technique and execution like this, and Tunsil will find himself working up boards like this list.
8. La’el Collins, Dallas Cowboys
Many expected La’el Collins to be a first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but just days before that draft got underway, word leaked that authorities wanted to speak with him after the draft in connection with the shooting of a pregnant woman with whom Collins previously had a relationship. Despite the fact that the police did not consider him a suspect, Collins was too risky of a pick early in the draft, and basically pulled himself out, hoping to test the UDFA market.
He ended up signing with the Dallas Cowboys, and became something of a steal. He started his career at the left guard spot before kicking to the right tackle position for the 2017 campaign. He has been a solid player at that position and shown improvement each season. Last year was his best in the league, as he allowed just two sacks in 2019 after allowing five in 2017 and eight a season ago.
You have also seen his technique improve now with three years under his belt on the outside. On this play against Cameron Jordan you see his upper body power, as he fights with his hands and gains the leverage advantage over the defensive end:
That upper body power shows up on this play against Shaq Lawson of the Buffalo Bills:
I love this play against the Chicago Bears. Here Collins faces Khalil Mack, who is using a “wide-9 alignment” against him on this 3rd and long play. Mack has all the momentum in the world, but Collins mirrors him and drops the anchor perfectly, stoning the feared pass rusher cold:
Collins seems to be growing into a top-flight tackle in the NFL. More seasons like the one he put on film in 2019 and he’ll be atop a list like this in no time.
7. Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Next up on our list, is Collins’ teammate down in Dallas. While Collins is relatively new to the tackle position, Tyron Smith has been a bulwark there for the Cowboys for years. Drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith began his career on the right side before moving to left tackle in 2012, and he has been the Cowboys’ starter there ever since.
Over eight years at left tackle, Smith has allowed just 19 credited sacks. That includes one in 2018 and one again in 2019. That is extremely impressive for a left tackle. He did allow 23 quarterback hurries in 2019, his most allowed since 2013, as well as 30 quarterback pressures (again his most since 2013), which sees him slide a bit in these rankings. But not too far.
It does not take too much film study to find examples of Smith executing at a high level. On this play against Khalil Mack – and the dreaded “wide-9 technique” – watch as Smith mirrors the athleticism from the pass rusher with great footwork and a tremendous kick slide:
Check out the awareness and recognition here against the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith fans out off the snap in the direction of the defensive end, but when Vinny Curry drops into coverage, Smith immediately snaps inside to pick up the interior rusher, and stops Tim Jernigan cold:
It’s hard to run off-tackle if you don’t have a good tackle. Watch what Smith does on this outside zone running play:
Smith checks so many boxes at the offensive tackle position, that if you wanted to make a case for him atop your tackle rankings, you are absolutely free to do so.
6. David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
Among the great innovations in football coverage over the last season was ESPN’s creating of “Pass Block Win Rate.” This statistic measures how often a pass blocker holds his block for 2.5 seconds.
By this new metric, there was no better offensive tackle in the NFL last season than Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari, who accomplished that task a whopping 96% of the time.
Bakhtiari has been a starter at left tackle for the Packers his entire career, since being selected in the fourth round out of Colorado in the 2013 NFL Draft. Last season was another great campaign for him, as he allowed just two sacks on 762 pass blocking snaps. Some of his numbers did slide a bit, as Bakhtiari allowed eight quarterback hits, the most he has allowed in a season, and he surrendered 37 quarterback pressures, the most since his rookie campaign.
Studying him on film you see many elements of high level execution and reps that belong on teaching tape. He is a master at hand placement and leverage, and is extremely smooth coming out of his stance and getting into position to take on blockers. He also has some veteran savvy, and will jump set on one play and kick slide the next. Bakhtiari will also change his technique from snap to snap, keeping defenders off key.
If you want a good example of a jump set, here is Bakhtiari doing just that:
Technically sound with a good pass block win rate. That usually gets you somewhere in today’s game.
5. Terron Armstead, New Orleans Saints
It took a while, but Terron Armstead put together a tremendous season for the New Orleans Saints in 2019. Last year logged over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career, and gave up just a single sack, which came in the Wild Card round in New Orleans’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Armstead has put in some time the past few offseasons at “OL Masterminds,” the offensive line clinic put together by Duke Manyweather and Philadelphia Eagles’ right tackle Lane Johnson. You can see some of the technical knowledge on film this past season from Armstead’s game. This video breakdown of Armstead’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is a good place to start:
Then there is this play, with an actual fake block from an offensive tackle. A thing of beauty:
Finally, if seeing a big man in space is your thing, then well, here you go:
I’ll be honest, that “fake jump set with a head fake” is reason enough to make Armstead a top five offensive tackle.
4. Mitchell Schwartz, Kansas City Chiefs
If you logged onto Twitter over the past week, you were probably treated to outrage over another rankings list. ESPN has been putting together rankings lists based on conversations and interviews with NFL decision-makers. When it came time to put together their offensive tackle list, one name was missing:
Kansas City Chiefs’ right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
Since being drafted in the second round out of the University of California, Mitchell Schwartz has been a starter at right tackle in the National Football League. After four years in Cleveland, Schwartz has been a rock solid contributor for the Chiefs the past four seasons. Last year was a masterpiece from Schwartz, who went the entire season without allowing a single sack. He also gave up just 21 quarterback pressures, the lowest mark of his entire NFL career.
Schwartz threw basically the offensive tackle version of a perfect game in his final two starts of the season: The AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LIV is a perfect case study, given the talented San Francisco 49ers’ defensive front. On this play he stones former Kansas City Chief Dee Ford with great hand placement and footwork, after taking the fight to the defensive end:
On this snap, Schwartz slow-plays Arik Armstead, but never gives an inch once the contact is made:
But Schwartz’s work in the AFC Championship Game should not be ignored. Take this example on a fourth down conversion, as he locks down the right edge:
So perhaps the NFL decision-makers might not appreciate Schwartz for what he does, but here at the Touchdown Wire, we are huge fans.
3. Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles’ right tackle Lane Johnson struggled with injuries during the 2019 season, but it should not diminish his overall level of play. Last year Johnson was another stud in pass protection, as he allowed just one sack (Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys) and a total of only four quarterback hits and 23 quarterback pressures.
Another idea bandied about on #OLTwitter is the notion that “finishing is non-negotiable.” If you want an example of that on film, watch what Johnson does against Ryan Kerrigan from their first meeting last season:
On this play against the Green Bay Packers, Johnson takes the fight to Za’Darius Smith, one of the NFL’s top pass rushers:
Finally, here’s some appreciation for the processing and awareness here against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins use a “radar” defensive front, trying to disguise where the pressure is coming from:
In addition to reading the front perfectly, Johnson flashes some impressive lateral movement skills to handle the inside rush attempt and protect Carson Wentz.
The Eagles’ offensive line might look a bit different in 2020, with changes such as Jason Peters kicking inside, but Johnson should remain a rock solid tackle for the Eagles as they try and repeat in the division in 2020.
2. Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
Ryan Ramczyk began his NFL career on the left side of the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line, before sliding across the formation to lock down the left tackle spot. Since moving there for good in Week 6 of the 2017 NFL season, he has been holding that spot down for Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints’ offensive huddle.
Last year was unquestionably his best season to date. He gave up just two sacks, both of which came against the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round, and allowed just one quarterback hit over the entire regular season. He was also dominant as a run blocker, as you can see on this example from the Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17:
This is textbook work getting to the second level. His aiming point is perfect on the linebacker and then he prevents any attempt at getting back to the ball-carrier, who cuts behind Ramczyk for a big gain. If you want to see how he was coached, you can check out this clinic from Dan Roushar on how he coaches the Saints’ and their wide zone scheme:
Then on this touchdown run from Alvin Kamara, also on a zone design, watch as the right tackle works a combination of blocks. First a down block on the defensive tackle – working “through the crotch” of the defender as coached by Roushar – and the at the end he recognizes the linebacker trying to scrape, so he peels off the DT and into the backer:
Then there is this pass-blocking rep, that includes a quick set, a trip down the line of scrimmage, and some finishing which is yes, non-negotiable:
The young right tackle put together a tremendous campaign, despite the two sacks surrendered in the playoff game. With the Saints loading up for another run, and with a great running mate in Terron Armstead, Ramczyk is in good shape for another great season.
1. Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
It was hard, like it is for almost every position, to pick a top name. We’re going with Baltimore Ravens’ left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who was almost perfect last season. Stanley allowed just one sack in 2019 (which came in the Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans) and one quarterback hit, which came back in Week 4. Yes, he has the benefit of Lamar Jackson playing behind him, who can escape from a variety of situation, but the Ravens also run a diverse offensive system which asks a lot of the offensive line.
And Stanley handles it all well.
In Week 2 he faced a tough test in Chandler Jones from the Arizona Cardinals, but as is broken down here by OL guru Brandon Thorn, Stanley was up to the test:
In that running game, Stanley does a great job in a variety of different concepts. Watch the execution on this outside zone play as he reaches the defensive end and then twists them away from the play:
Need a tackle who can climb to the second level in a flash? Consider that box checked:
A fun study is Baltimore’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on a mucky day inside M&T Bank Stadium. On this Lamar Jackson run, Stanley gets to the second level and takes linebacker Fred Warner out of the picture:
In the end though, to be an elite tackle you need to pass block. Remember, it’s all about protecting that spot seven yards behind the center. On this play from that same game, Stanley is matched up against Nick Bosa. He uses a quick set and wins the initial challenge, but when the talented pass rusher tries to counter, Stanley stays right on him:
As they say, a five-tool player. And an elite tackle in today’s game.
