AFC North Positional Rankings: The Big Uglies

Story by Yinzer Crazy Steelers Contributor Noah Nichols. Follow him on Twitter @_NoahNichols

A little off-season series dedicated to ranking all AFC North position groups against each other. The groups, in no particular order, will go like this; Offensive weapons, front-7’s, secondary units, offensive lines, and finally, quarterback-coach combos.

Part Four: Offensive Lines

So far this is the hardest positional ranking that I have done. Steelers fans who spent most of last season complaining about a lackluster offensive line should come away with something positive in this list. This group is clearly a strength of this division, and may even be the class of the NFL. 

#1 - Browns

The Browns have had arguably the best offensive line in the league for a few years, and it's no different here. The Browns easily take the cake for the best offensive line group, and it's easy to see why. They have been consistently ranked in the top-5 of any relevant statistic relating to the offensive line over the past two-three years, and not much has changed over that time either.

Looking at their starting lineup we see the Browns line up with Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller at the guard positions, and Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin at left and right tackle, respectively. Wills and Teller are two of the best players in the league at their position, and Bitonio and Conklin are no pushovers. You may have noticed that I left off a center on this list so far, and that’s because we don’t know who the Browns starting center is going to be after they released JC Tretter a couple of months ago. 

Heck, I don’t know if the Browns know who their starting center is going to be. Regardless, they still field an impressive group, certainly one with more cohesion plus talent than any of the other AFC North groups, which is why they take the number one spot on this list. 

#2 - Ravens 

Known for posting a strong offensive line group year in and year out, this year is no different. The Ravens acquired Tyler Linderbaum in the first round, a player many Steelers fans were hoping would don the black and gold. The Ravens also will be getting Ronnie Stanley back, and whether he remains true to form or not is up in the air, but for now, we will give Stanley the benefit of the doubt.

They also added Morgan Moses in free agency, to pair with Stanley. At the guard positions, they boast Kevin Zeitler and Ben Cleveland. I will admit that their starting guards may change, but the front five will largely remain the same. 

Overall, this group is built to do one thing, and one thing very well; run the damn ball. This offensive line is not going to be great in pass protection, and that’s ok with the Ravens. Their focus is on running the ball down an opposing team's throat, and they might end up doing that better than anyone else in the league when this season is all said and done. The Ravens talent and surety in running blocking effectively land them at the #2 spot on this list.

#3 - Bengals

Steelers fans may not like me putting the Bengals here, but the Bengals added quality offensive lineman in free agency, and it will boost them (slightly) past the Steelers. This is arguably the closest ranking in this entire series, and I know some Steelers fans will not be pleased, but I have to respect experience versus talent, and the Bengals currently have it, whereas the Steelers are close.

With Ted Karras at center, Jonah Williams and La’el Collins at tackle, and, Jackson Carman and Alex Cappa at guard, the Bengals have a solid front five. I’d honestly rank the Bengals offensive line as middle-of-the-road compared to the rest of the NFL. They don’t have the firepower of the Ravens and Browns or the potential that I think the Steelers line has, but they have enough talent and experience to land them at #3. Don’t expect this line to be anything more than average, which is a huge improvement for the Browns. 

#4 - Steelers 

Yes, your beloved Steelers come in at fourth on this list. You may not like it, but it's my list and my bias won’t stand in the way of my reasoning. I like what the Steelers did in free agency for their offensive line. With Mason Cole brought in to play center, James Daniels and Kevin Dotson at guard, and Chuks Okorafor and Dan Moore at tackle, this group has a lot of potential.

But they have to prove it, so I cannot rank them any higher. I will say that I think Daniels and Dotson might prove to be one of the best guard pairings in the league at the end of this year. Also, something I’ve failed to point out with other teams, I really like the Steelers depth. They have players like Kendrick Green and John Leglue who can play multiple positions and successfully get you through a few games if needed.

The Steelers should be at least #3rd in this group in the AFC North come next year, and they may even surpass the Bengals during this season. Unfortunately, until it happens, at #4 they will remain. 

Final Word

Offensive lines are hard to rank. Continuity, depth, experience, talent, durability, all these things mix into an offensive line and how strong it is, and aside from talent and experience, the rest can’t really be measured by someone who doesn’t spend too much time perusing rival team podcasts and articles. I think all four of these offensive line groups rank in the top half of the NFL, and may even be the best offensive line division in football. I could argue that the Steelers and/or Bengals even manage to overtake the Ravens or Browns for one reason or another.

I won’t however, not until I see evidence to support that statement. Even still, we should be happy with where the Steelers sit on this list because if it was last year's group, they would be far and away last. On second thought, the Bengals gave up 70+ sacks, so they’d be 3rd, but that would be a pretty awful 3rd if we're being honest.