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Ranking the NFL's best offensive linemen by pressure rate

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) drops back to pass block against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Feeding off our offensive line rankings and updated NFL power rankings, we now rank the top centers, guards and tackles based on pressure rate — the number of pressures allowed by pass-blocking snap. Each position includes players with at least 150 snaps.

CENTERS

1. Rodney Hudson, Arizona Cardinals

Pressure Percentage: 0.88%

Hudson was the only offensive lineman in the NFL with at least 150 pass-blocking snaps to allow a pressure rate below 1.0% in 2021. Across 456 snaps, he surrendered only four pressures, including just a single sack.

Over the past decade, his 1.4% pressure rate leads NFL centers with at least 1,000 pass-blocking snaps. He recorded 5,189 snaps and gave up only 71 total pressures and 11 sacks.

Top-5 Pressure Rates From 2012-2021
RANK PLAYER SEASON TEAM PRESSURE RATE PASS-BLOCKING SNAPS PRESSURES
1 Rodney Hudson 2017 LV 0.50% 592 3
2 Rodney Hudson 2019 LV 0.60% 509 3
3 Rodney Hudson 2018 LV 0.80% 616 5
4 Rodney Hudson 2020 ARZ 0.90% 456 4
5 Austin Reiter 2019 KC 1.00% 624 6

2. Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Pressure Percentage: 1.33%

Across 752 pass-blocking snaps, the 2021 rookie earned an 80.4 pass-blocking grade, which ranked third of the 40 qualifying centers. He allowed 10 pressures — eight of which were hurries.

3. Corey Linsley, Los Angeles Chargers

Pressure Percentage: 1.48%

Linsley earned the top-ranked pass-blocking grade (84.9) at the position in 2021. Like Humphrey, the Charger gave up only 10 total pressures.

4. Erik McCoy, New Orleans Saints

Pressure Percentage: 1.72%

McCoy’s seven pressures allowed were the third-fewest of the 40 centers, and he didn’t let up a single sack on his 408 snaps. His 69.2 pass-blocking grade was a little low, comparatively, and ranked 11th of 40.

5. J.C. Tretter, Cleveland Browns

Pressure Percentage: 1.79%

Tretter earned an impressive 83.7 pass-blocking grade and gave up only 10 pressures on 558 snaps. Of those slip-ups, eight were hurries, one was a quarterback hit and one was a sack.

6. EVAN BROWN, DETROIT LIONS | Pressure Percentage: 1.87%
7. ALEX MACK, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Pressure Percentage: 2.13%
8. ANDRE JAMES, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Pressure Percentage: 2.47%
9. RYAN JENSEN, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Pressure Percentage: 2.78%
10. JUSTIN BRITT, HOUSTON TEXANS | Pressure Percentage: 2.86%

GUARDS

1. Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Pressure Percentage: 2.13%

Thuney is the owner of the best pressure rate of the 88 qualifying guards, and he posted the best pass-blocking grade of the group (88.8). Through his 752 snaps, he allowed 16 pressures, which included 13 hurries.

2. Kevin Zeitler, Baltimore Ravens

Pressure Percentage: 2.33%

While Zeitler’s 17 pressures aren’t a great look, he allowed them over the course of 731 pass-blocking snaps. Sixteen were hurries, and only one was a sack, so it wasn’t all bad news. He was beaten by a defender just 11 times, which means the play would have counted as a pressure had the quarterback not gotten rid of the ball in time.

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