Games are won and lost in the trenches, and the NFL is starting to realize that quickly once again, as things are shifting back towards the big men up front being the most important from a team-building concept — outside of quarterback, obviously. The AFC North is certainly seeing things that way in recent years.
While there’s a ton of star power with names like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf, and more at the skill positions, the division continues to invest heavily in the trenches.
And it should, too, considering the type of talent from a pass rush perspective that resides in the division, with the likes of former Defensive Player of the Year winners Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, not to mention reigning sacks leader Trey Hendrickson, and other steady veterans in Alex Highsmith, Kyle Van Noy, and Odafe Oweh, and emerging young pieces in Nick Herbig and Isaiah McGuire.
The offensive tackle position might not be all that flashy, but it is incredibly important within the AFC North when dealing with the type of talent rushing the passer across the board.
So, how does the important position group like OT shake out in the division? Let’s find out.
1. BALTIMORE RAVENS
After ranking last entering the 2024 season due to injury concerns with Ronnie Stanley and a major unknown at right tackle, the Baltimore Ravens are now the cream of the crop in the AFC North entering 2025.
Stanley re-signed on a three-year, $60 million deal after a great season with the Ravens. He played 1,089 snaps last season in the regular season and another 132 in the postseason as the Ravens reached the AFC Divisional Round after winning the AFC North. Throughout last season, Stanley was a steady presence, grading out at a 71.0 overall from Pro Football Focus.
The former first-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2016 NFL Draft at No. 6 overall, Stanley allowed just 35 pressures and two sacks last season, earning a pass blocking grade of 79.6. As a run blocker, Stanley graded out at a 63.4 on the year.
Stanley shook the injury bug and returned to being a Pro Bowl tackle, which has the Ravens set at left tackle moving forward.
At right tackle, Roger Rosengarten was quite good as a rookie, locking down the position. He played 933 snaps last season and allowed just 29 pressures and four sacks, grading out at a 66.9 overall, including a 70.0 in pass protection. He helped keep T.J. Watt quiet in the Ravens’ Wild Card win over the Steelers.
Behind Stanley and Rosengarten, the Ravens built up depth thanks to the selection of LSU’s Emory Jones Jr. and Alabama A&M’s Carson Vinson in the draft, and the addition of veteran Joseph Noteboom in free agency. Noteboom has struggled with injuries in recent years, but when he’s healthy, he can play either side of the line and hold down a starting job at a serviceable level.
Depth is outstanding here for Baltimore.
2. CINCINNATI BENGALS
On paper, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger OT duo than Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims in Cincinnati. They are huge specimens at the position, and they are quite good, utilizing their athleticism to handle some of the top pass rushers in the league within the division.
Brown came over from the Kansas City Chiefs a few years ago and has been steady since — when on the field. Last season, Brown played just 639 snaps, missing a chunk of time due to injury. In those 639 snaps, Brown graded out at a 58.2 overall from PFF, allowing 20 pressures and three sacks. He had a 69.5 pass blocking grade.
Opposite Brown, Mims stepped into the mix in Week 3 and never looked back, playing 835 snaps, grading out at a 57.8 overall from PFF. He allowed 33 pressures and four sacks, but was good against the Steelers, allowing just two pressures in 51 pass blocking reps before leaving the Week 18 game with an injury.
Together, Brown and Mims provide a bright future for the Bengals at tackle.
Depth is solid, too, with Devin Cochran and Andrew Coker as the top two backups. Cochran played 152 snaps last season, splitting time evenly at both positions. Andrew Stueber is an option, too, one that can play inside as well as outside.
The Bengals did well to invest in the position in the draft, though, landing Miami (FL) tackle Jalen Rivers in the fifth round. Rivers comes to the NFL with 30 career starts in college and projects as a swing tackle at the next level.
3. CLEVELAND BROWNS
On paper, a tackle combination of Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin looks pretty good overall for the Browns. Jones slides over to left tackle after the Browns let Jedrick Wills walk this offseason. Jones played some left tackle last season after spending most of his time at right tackle the last two years. He has just 176 career snaps at left tackle compared to more than 1,000 at right tackle, but left tackle seems like a better spot for him moving forward.
When Jones is healthy, he’s pretty good. He’s struggled with knee injuries the last two years, though. He allowed 22 pressures and four sacks last season, so he needs a bounce-back year. He’ll be counted on at left tackle.
Conklin is much like Jones. When healthy, he’s very good. But health has eluded him throughout his career. He missed the first five weeks of the season with an injury, but then played 818 snaps from Week 6 to the end of the season, grading out at 66.2 overall from PFF. However, he allowed 38 pressures and seven sacks.
Jones and Conklin are a solid combination, but they need to be better in 2025 to give the new Browns’ quarterbacks a shot.
Depth is intriguing here with 11-year pro Cornelius Lucas as the backup swing tackle. Cornelius played nearly 500 snaps last season for the Washington Commanders and now comes to Cleveland for another year in the NFL.
Other pieces like Julian Pearl, Lorenzo Thompson, and rookie Jason Ivey will battle for the fourth OT role.
4. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
With Broderick Jones flipping over to left tackle and Troy Fautanu returning from injury, the Steelers’ bookend tackles could look a whole lot better this season. They could more than outplay the ranking here in the AFC North Ranking The Rooms series.
However, based on what we currently know, it remains a huge unknown and a lot of projection. Jones has just 129 career snaps at left tackle and hasn’t had significant snaps at the position since he recorded 66 snaps in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He’s likely going to be much better off at left tackle and says he dropped weight this offseason to tap into his athleticism better, so that’s a plus.
As for Fautanu, he played just 55 snaps last season before being lost for the year. He showed some promise in his lone start, but it’s not enough to bank on in Year 2. There’s a lot of hope with Fautanu, but he has to stay healthy and prove it week after week in the NFL. If he does, things look so, so much better for the Steelers.
Depth is a genuine concern here, though. Calvin Anderson projects as the swing tackle for the Steelers after signing a two-year deal in free agency with Pittsburgh. He played just 11 snaps last season, so there’s a lot of projection with him in a top backup role, but he has nearly 1,000 snaps in his career in the NFL to lean on.
Dylan Cook and Gareth Warren are the other tackles vying for a role with the Steelers. Cook was an intriguing piece in 2023, going from a waiver claim to a backup on the 53-man roster all season. But he dealt with injuries last season and was waived. He’s back now, though, after being re-signed to the practice squad late last season.
He has a lot of athleticism and knows the city and the pieces offensively, so he could be a training camp sleeper. Warren is a great story, but it’s a tall task going from UDFA from Lindenwood to holding down a key backup spot on the 53-man roster right away.
2024 AFC North OT rankings:
No. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 2 – Cleveland Browns
No. 3 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 4 – Baltimore Ravens
