As the offseason in the NFL rolls right along with Organized Team Activities, so, too, does my offseason series of Ranking the Rooms: AFC North here at Steelers Depot.
To date, we’ve taken a look at the quarterbacks in the division, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and offensive tackles. Today, we slide inside in the trenches to the interior offensive linemen, a position group at which the division has undergone significant change in recent seasons, reaching what appears to be pretty solid ground at this point.
Last season, there was a clear pecking order on the interior of the offensive line within the division. This season, it’s a tighter race featuring some moving and shaking.
Let’s dive in.
1. CLEVELAND BROWNS
The elite-level guard tandem of left guard Joel Bitonio and right guard Wyatt Teller — two of the top 10 players in the NFL at the guard position — gives the Cleveland Browns the top slot for the fourth straight season in the AFC North iOL rankings.
Bitonio, entering his 11th season, remains a dominant left guard in the run game and in pass protection. He’s as underrated as they come. Bitonio has played over 1,000 snaps every season since 2017 for the Browns and has graded at a 74.2 or higher in those seasons from Pro Football Focus.
Teller has really taken off since making the move to Cleveland in 2019, fitting in perfectly in the Browns’ power rushing attack. He’s a real physical presence and is one of the best athletes at the position as well, consistently getting out in space to create lanes for Nick Chubb.
Between Bitonio and Teller, Ethan Pocic had an impressive season in 2022 for the Browns. Overlooked after an up and down five-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, Pocic joined the Browns and thrived, turning in a career year with a 78.9 overall grade from PFF. He was a dominant run blocker for the Browns and really slotted in nicely between the two stud guards, making his life just a bit easier.
Depth is very, very good for Cleveland on the interior, too. The Browns drafted Ohio State center Luke Wypler in the fourth round, a guy who profiles as the next stalwart center on the shores of Lake Erie as a sound fit for Cleveland’s style of play. It would not shock me to see Wypler push Pocic and take the job at some point in 2023.
Outside of Wypler, Cleveland has some intriguing options at guard.
Colby Gossett and Wes Martin are the top backups and have a combined 10 seasons of NFL experience at their disposal, while Drew Forbes and Michael Dunn have another eight seasons combined in the NFL with some starting experience. In a run-heavy attack built on wearing teams down, having that type of depth and experience is huge for Cleveland moving forward.
That doesn’t even mention second-year guard/center Dawson Deaton, and backup center Nick Harris. Both are good athletes and profile as long-term developmental projects who provide impressive athleticism overall on the interior.
Stacked group.
2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
For the second year in a row, the team that was at the bottom of the rankings ahead of the 2022 season jumps all the way up to No. 2, this time with it being the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Entering last season, the interior of the offensive line remained a massive question for the Steelers, but right guard James Daniels and center Mason Cole performed rather well in their first seasons with the Steelers, providing consistency while solidifying the depth chart overall.
Daniels was a rock for the Steelers, really settling in nicely after a rocky training camp. Once the season starter, Daniels was really good week after week, looking exactly like the foundational piece in the trenches the Steelers envisioned when they signed him. Same for Cole, who took the center job and ran with it, becoming a leader up front for the Steelers.
Left guard remained the biggest concern after the 2022 season, but the Steelers shored that up with the signing of Isaac Seumalo away from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, giving Pittsburgh a strong starting trio on the interior. Seumalo was one of the better guards in football last season and should hit the ground running in Pittsburgh.
Behind the starting trio, depth looks a little better in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers signed veteran Nate Herbig in free agency away from the New York Jets, giving the Black and Gold a guard/center-capable player with 17 career starts. He fits exactly what Pittsburgh wants to be, which is a nasty, physical rushing attack. Along with Herbig, fourth-year guard Kevin Dotson remains on the roster — for now — after losing his job to Seumalo. Dotson has all the talent in the world but consistency has escaped him in recent seasons.
If he sticks as a backup, that’s great depth for Pittsburgh to have.
Kendrick Green is back at center entering his third season and is aiming to win the No. 2 job there behind Cole. Green was an unmitigated disaster as a rookie at the position in 2021, but working under Pat Meyer for the second straight year could help him finally settle into a position after playing left guard last season.
Rookie Spencer Anderson brings great versatility to the interior of the offensive line, able to play both guard spots and center, not to mention both tackle positions. We’ll see if he makes the roster, but a lot of athleticism and versatility to like there. William Dunkle and Ryan McCollum will battle for depth spots as well.
Overall, the interior for Pittsburgh looks much, much better than it did two seasons ago. Great progress.
3. CINCINNATI BENGALS
I had the Bengals at No. 2 last season due to the work they did in free agency and the NFL Draft to shore up the interior, much like the Steelers did this season. However, play on the field in 2022 drops the Bengals down a spot in the rankings.
Make no mistake: a starting trio of left guard Cordell Volson, center Ted Karras and right guard Alex Cappa remains a strong one, but the two guards had their struggles last season.
Volson, a personal favorite of mine in the 2022 NFL Draft, played 1,107 snaps last season after being selected in the fourth round and winning the starting job. He had his ups and downs, especially within division play. He got better as the season went on though and played some of his best football in the playoffs for the Bengals. We’ll see if he can take that step forward in Year 2.
Cappa had his struggles as well after signing a big deal in free agency with Cincinnati. He played more than 1,000 snaps last season and recorded a grade of 67.6, but it was a step back from the previous two seasons in Tampa Bay where he was a starter as well. A new city, new offense and new teammates can be a tough transition, but entering Year 2 with Cincinnati, Cappa needs to get back to the level of play he was at in Tampa Bay.
Karras was his usual steady self in front of quarterback Joe Burrow, playing 1,100 snaps for the Bengals while recording a rather strong pass blocking grade of 76.2 from PFF. He struggled as a run blocker though, which is something to monitor this season, especially as the starting trio on the inside should be fully gelled.
Depth is intriguing for the Bengals, without a doubt.
Jackson Carman stepped in at left tackle in the postseason last year for the Bengals and performed admirably, but he’s a guard and profiles as that swing interior guy to build the backup depth chart around. Big, physical and athletic, he fits what Cincinnati likes overall. Veteran Max Scharping provides great depth as well for the Bengals. Scharping struggles in extended action, as evidence by his issues in the playoffs last Eason, allowing two sacks in the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. But having a fifth-year player with his experience (2,111 career snaps) is a good get.
Undrafted rookie Jaxson Kirkland is a name to watch. He could be another Volson who works his way onto the 53-man roster and even potentially has a role moving forward. Trey Hill and Ben Brown return as depth at center, with Hill being the most intriguing of the two due to his size (6’4″, 335).
4. BALTIMORE RAVENS
At this point, it feels like the Baltimore Ravens are a feeder system to other NFL teams on the interior of the offensive line.
Baltimore lost standout guard Ben Powers in free agency to the Denver Broncos this offseason and did very little to replace him. That is a massive concern for Baltimore.
The good news for the Ravens is that they return second-year center Tyler Linderbaum, who had a strong rookie season, as well as right guard Kevin Zeitler, who is the steady, dependable veteran every NFL team needs in the trenches. Linderbaum recorded a 74.7 overall grade from PFF in his first season, including an elite 84.2 run blocking grade. He’s a perfect fit for the Ravens. We’ll see what season 2 has in store for him.
Zeitler had another good year for Baltimore, recording a 74.0 overall grade in 955 snaps, including an elite 81.6 overall grade as a pass blocker.
Center and right guard are solidified in Baltimore, but left guard and replacing Powers is a major concern.
The Ravens didn’t sign anyone or draft anyone to replace Powers and instead seem set to give third-year center Ben Cleveland a shot. Cleveland is a mammoth human at 6’6″, 370 pounds. Cleveland played 92 total snaps last season, with 78 coming in the Week 18 finale against the Bengals. He was decent overall, but it’s a big bet the Ravens are making.
Depth at guard remains a concern behind Cleveland and Zeitler. John Simpson brings some experience and can play both sides, while Patrick Mekari can play center and guard. Mekari was in a reserve role last season and had some good moments, but there’s a reason he went from starter to swing linemen in just two years.
The Ravens have a number of undrafted free agents getting a shot too in Southern Mississippi’s Tykeem Doss, Connecticut’s Jake Guidone, Kentucky’s Tashawn Manning and SMU’s Jaylon Thomas. Guard depth is a major concern.
Center is solidified though after the Ravens brought in Sam Mustipher as a free agent. Mustipher started 46 games with the Bears in recent seasons after going undrafted out of Notre Dame. Having that type of experience behind Linderbaum is a great strength for the Ravens.
2022 AFC North iOL rankings:
No. 1 – Cleveland Browns
No. 2 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 3 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
