- Joe Thuney remains No. 1: The Chicago Bears guard tops the rankings after leading all guards in pass-blocking grade in 2025.
- Elite run blockers stand out: Quinn Meinerz and Chris Lindstrom headline the NFL's best interior run blockers entering 2026.
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1. Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears
Thuney was the ideal recipient of the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award, considering he has been the best pass-blocking guard of his generation. He led all guards with an 87.7 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025, allowing just 22 pressures across 19 games. Thuney did not surrender a sack on 788 pass-blocking snaps last season, and his 68.6 PFF run-blocking grade ranked among the top 25 qualified guards.
2. Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
Now a two-time first-team All-Pro, Meinerz has become a dominant force on Denver's offensive line. He finished the 2025 season as the NFL's highest-graded guard, driven in large part by an elite 91.0 PFF run-blocking grade. Meinerz is also a respectable pass protector on the league's best pass-blocking unit, allowing just three sacks on 797 pass-blocking snaps last season. Only one of those sacks came after Week 7.
3. Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
Nelson was touted as a potential Hall of Fame talent when he was drafted sixth overall in 2018, and he’s done nothing to dissuade that opinion. He played over 1,000 snaps for the seventh time in his eight seasons while finishing 2025 as the fourth-highest graded in the NFL. He allowed just 15 pressures all season while dominating on the ground, earning an 84.5 run-blocking grade.
4. Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Lindstrom is one of the best run blockers in PFF history and lived up to that reputation again in 2025. He led all interior offensive linemen with an elite 91.7 PFF run-blocking grade, which, remarkably, is only the third-best mark of his career. Lindstrom has also played more than 1,000 snaps in six straight seasons while allowing just one sack in each of the past two years.
5. Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams
Dotson has embraced Sean McVay's downhill run scheme since arriving in Los Angeles and has become one of the NFL's best run blockers. Since the start of the 2023 season, his 90.9 PFF run-blocking grade ranks third among all guards, trailing only Chris Lindstrom and Quinn Meinerz. Dotson also earned a solid 66.8 PFF pass-blocking grade last season, allowing 22 pressures and three sacks on 17 games.
6. Peter Skoronski, Tennessee Titans
Skoronski is a budding star and already the anchor of Tennessee‘s offensive line heading into his fourth NFL season. He finished 2025 ranked sixth among qualified guards with an 84.5 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing just 23 pressures and two sacks all season. He also set a career high with a solid 73.2 PFF run-blocking grade. There are plenty of question marks along the Titans‘ offensive line, but Skoronski is the one constant they can count on.
7. Damien Lewis, Carolina Panthers
Lewis has quietly played the best football of his career since joining Carolina in 2024. Since the start of the 2024 season, his 79.7 PFF grade ranks seventh among all guards with at least 600 snaps played. He is one of just three guards in that group, alongside Quenton Nelson and Quinn Meinerz, to earn a 75.0-plus PFF grade both as a run blocker and in pass protection. His presence on Carolina's interior has become incredibly important to the team's success.
8. Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Smith has established himself as one of the most consistent guards in the NFL. He has earned a PFF grade between 73.3 and 75.0 in each of his four NFL seasons. Smith set a career high with an 81.1 PFF run-blocking grade in 2025 while allowing just three sacks all season, one of which came while he was filling in at left tackle. He and Tyler Booker have the potential to form one of the NFL's best guard duos this season.
9. Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots
Onwenu was the lone returning starter from New England's 2024 offensive line to keep his job in 2025. Playing a single position for the first time since 2022, he once again proved his value to the Patriots. Including the postseason, Onwenu led all offensive linemen with 1,344 snaps played in 2025, and his 77.1 PFF grade ranked ninth among qualified guards. He was also one of just six qualified guards to earn a 72.0-plus PFF grade both as a run blocker and in pass protection.
10. Sam Cosmi, Washington Commanders
Cosmi returned from a knee injury midway through last season and brought his trademark stability back to Washington‘s offensive line. Though he appeared in only nine games, his 76.3 PFF grade ranked 10th among qualified guards. Cosmi allowed just 11 pressures and two sacks over those nine games, and his 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade was another strong mark. It's reasonable to expect an even stronger season in 2026, assuming he stays healthy.
11. Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles
After a career-best season in 2024, Dickerson's 67.8 PFF grade in 2025 was more in line with his previous campaigns. His 68.2 PFF run-blocking grade ranked among the top 25 qualified guards. His 62.0 PFF pass-blocking grade was the second-lowest mark of his career, but that was largely the result of a slow start. After allowing 13 pressures and three sacks over his first four games, Dickerson surrendered just 20 pressures and two sacks over the final 12 games he played.
12. Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Smith battled injuries and earned a career-low 68.5 PFF grade in 2025, but he remains one of the anchors of Kansas City's offensive line. He actually turned in the best pass protection of his career, earning a career-high 75.1 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing just one sack in 12 games. The Chiefs are looking to revive their moribund running game this season, and a bounce-back from Smith would go a long way toward helping those efforts.
13. Steve Avila, Los Angeles Rams
Avila broke out in 2025 with a 75.0 PFF grade that ranked 11th among qualified guards. He and Kevin Dotson were one of only two guard tandems — alongside Tennessee's Peter Skoronski and Kevin Zeitler — to both finish among the NFL's top 12 highest-graded guards. Avila allowed just two sacks all season, including the playoffs, and set a career high with a 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade.
14. Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
Puni took a slight step back from his outstanding rookie season, but his 69.2 PFF grade still ranked among the top 30 qualified guards in 2025. He tied for the team lead with 1,235 snaps played while allowing just two sacks all season, one of which came in the postseason. Puni is still a very talented player entering just his third NFL season, and he plays in an offensive system with a strong track record of developing offensive linemen.
15. Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys
Booker battled through an injury early last season but performed very well when he was on the field, particularly as a run blocker. His 76.8 PFF run-blocking grade ranked eighth among qualified guards. Booker also endured a tough start in pass protection, but from Week 7 onward, he earned a solid 67.8 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing just two sacks. He has a chance to become one of the league's best guards in the near future.
16. Matthew Bergeron, Atlanta Falcons
While his running mate Chris Lindstrom garners most of the attention, Bergeron has quietly become a consistently solid player for Atlanta. He has earned at least a 70.8 PFF grade in each of the past two seasons. Bergeron allowed just one sack in 2025 while cutting his penalties from 12 in 2024 to just three last season. Entering his fourth NFL season, he and Lindstrom should continue to give Atlanta one of the league's best guard duos.
17. David Edwards, New Orleans Saints
Edwards was rewarded with a lucrative four-year, $61 million contract by New Orleans this offseason, and rightfully so. His 75.0 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 12th among qualified guards last season, and he allowed just four sacks while committing only three penalties. Edwards also logged more than 1,100 snaps for the second consecutive season, a valuable trait for a Saints team whose interior offensive line has been ravaged by injuries over the past few years.
18. Jonah Jackson, Chicago Bears
Jackson reunited with former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in Chicago and turned in the best season of his career in 2025. He played a career-high 1,292 snaps, and his 72.3 PFF grade ranked 20th among qualified guards — also a career best. Aside from two difficult games against Minnesota and Detroit that dragged down his pass-blocking grade, Jackson was very consistent in pass protection, allowing just three sacks all season. He should continue to provide a steady presence up front for Chicago.
19. Isaac Seumalo, Arizona Cardinals
Seumalo has been one of the NFL's most consistent guards for a decade, and that didn't change in 2025. He earned at least a 72.7 PFF grade for the fourth time in the past five seasons and parlayed that performance into a new three-year, $31.5 million contract with Arizona this offseason. Seumalo and Paris Johnson Jr. should provide plenty of stability on the left side of the Cardinals' offensive line this season.
20. Alijah Vera-Tucker, New England Patriots
Vera-Tucker has shown he can play at a top-15 level — if not higher — when healthy. The problem is that he has suffered season-ending injuries in three of the past four seasons, including the torn triceps that sidelined him for all of 2025. Two seasons ago, his 77.7 PFF grade ranked 10th among qualified guards. If Vera-Tucker can stay healthy and return to that level as New England's left guard this season, he could transform the Patriots' offensive line. If not, they could see significant regression on the left side.
21. Tyler Steen, Philadelphia Eagles
Steen finally got the opportunity to prove himself as a starter after Mekhi Becton departed in free agency last offseason. He responded by playing more than 1,000 snaps, and his 73.4 PFF grade ranked 16th among qualified guards. He was one of just four guards in that group to earn a top-15 PFF grade both as a run blocker and in pass protection. Another season like that from Steen in the final year of his rookie contract could put him in line for a lucrative payday next offseason.
22. Mason McCormick, Pittsburgh Steelers
McCormick has established himself as a solid starter on Pittsburgh's young interior offensive line. After making 14 starts as a rookie, he started all 18 games in 2025, and his 72.8 PFF grade ranked 18th among qualified guards. His consistency in pass protection played a major role in that success, particularly late in the season. From Week 9 onward, his 82.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked fourth among all guards.
23. Joe Tippmann, New York Jets
After spending most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons at center, Tippmann moved to right guard full time in 2025 and turned in a solid first season at the position. His 69.0 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked among the top 25 qualified guards. He closed the season on a high note, earning a career-high 90.2 PFF grade against Buffalo in Week 18. He should continue to improve in his second full season at right guard.
24. Tate Ratledge, Detroit Lions
Ratledge started all 18 games at right guard for Detroit and played well enough to establish himself as the team's long-term starter. His 73.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranked 11th among qualified guards during his rookie season. While he struggled early in pass protection, Ratledge improved as the season progressed. Over his final seven games, he earned a solid 75.0 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing just six pressures and no sacks.
25. Grey Zabel, Seattle Seahawks
Zabel took some time to adjust to a new position and NFL play strength last year, but he looks like a prime breakout candidate for 2026. His full-season numbers don't stand out, but he came through for Seattle when it mattered most. From Week 14 through the Super Bowl, Zabel's 80.6 PFF grade ranked eighth among qualified guards. That stretch was fueled by his outstanding 82.8 PFF run-blocking grade, which ranked fourth behind Chris Lindstrom, Kevin Dotson and Quinn Meinerz.
26. Dalton Risner, Cincinnati Bengals
Risner gave the Bengals what he has provided multiple teams throughout his career in 2025: stable pass protection. Across 503 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed just 17 pressures and two sacks while earning a 71.5 PFF pass-blocking grade that ranked 18th among qualified guards. Risner also set a career high with a 69.0 PFF run-blocking grade. A similar level of play in his second season in Cincinnati would be a welcome sight for oft-injured quarterback Joe Burrow.
27. Ezra Cleveland, Jacksonville Jaguars
Cleveland played more than 1,100 snaps for the third time in his career in 2025 and provided much-needed stability to Jacksonville's interior. His 71.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 19th among qualified guards. Including the postseason, Cleveland allowed just four sacks on 684 pass-blocking snaps. He should continue to provide a reliable presence as Jacksonville's starting left guard this season.
28. Robert Hunt, Carolina Panthers
The 2025 season was largely a lost season for Hunt, as he appeared in just three games before suffering a torn biceps tendon. Before last season, he had established himself as one of the NFL's more reliable run blockers. From 2022 to 2024, his 76.9 PFF run-blocking grade ranked ninth among guards with at least 700 snaps played. Carolina used six different players at right guard last season. The Panthers are hoping Hunt's return to full health brings stability back to the position in 2026.
29. Ed Ingram, Houston Texans
Ingram thrived in Nick Caley's downhill running scheme in Houston, as evidenced by his 79.9 PFF run-blocking grade, which ranked sixth among qualified guards in 2025. While he still had his struggles in pass protection, Ingram did enough to earn a three-year, $37.5 million extension that solidified his status as the Texans' starting right guard for the foreseeable future.
30. Matt Goncalves, Indianapolis Colts
Buried on a star-studded offensive line in Indianapolis, Goncalves has yet to receive the attention he deserves. After playing just 44 snaps at guard in college and only one snap there in 2024, he became the Colts' starting right guard last season and performed admirably. He earned the same 65.9 PFF grade as he did in 2024 while allowing just two sacks all season. That consistency will be needed again this year as Indianapolis breaks in a new starting right tackle alongside him.
31. Will Fries, Minnesota Vikings
Fries didn't quite live up to the five-year, $87 million contract he signed last offseason in his first year with Minnesota. His 61.8 PFF grade was much more in line with the level of play he showed in 2022 and 2023. Perhaps he can recapture the excellent form he displayed in 2024, but that performance came across fewer than 300 snaps. It's possible, but Fries will need to show meaningful improvement this season to justify his hefty contract.
32. Cody Mauch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mauch looked like a budding stalwart at right guard for Tampa Bay in 2024. His 74.6 PFF grade ranked 16th among qualified guards that season, and he allowed just two sacks and one quarterback hit. Unfortunately, he was unable to carry that momentum into 2025, suffering a torn meniscus in Week 2 that sidelined him for the rest of the season. If Mauch can stay healthy, he has a realistic chance to climb into the top 20 of these rankings in 2026.
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