- Chris Lindstrom tops the charts for the second consecutive year: The three-time All-Pro has led all guards in PFF grading in each of the last three seasons, culminating in a league-leading 95.5 PFF overall grade and 1.63 PFF WAR over that span.
- Quinn Meinerz has proven dominant: The 26-year-old guard has notched an 83.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of his past two seasons, and he finished 2024 as the only guard to earn an 80.0-plus PFF grade as both a run blocker and pass protector.
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Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
While often overlooked, quality interior offensive line play can be a vital piece of an offense, setting the table for playmakers to do their best work. Many guards on this list stand atop the NFL in a variety of metrics, regardless of position.
These are the top 32 guards heading into the 2025 season. Be sure to check out all of PFF’s 2025 NFL pre-season rankings (QB, WR, RB, TE, OT, DI, EDGE, LB, CB, S).
1. Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Lindstrom is as dominant a force on the interior as they come. The three-time All-Pro has led all guards in PFF grading each of the past three seasons, culminating in a league-leading 95.5 mark and 1.63 PFF WAR over that span. He has earned a positive grade on a dominant 24.6% of his run-blocking snaps over the past three seasons.
2. Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears
Although Thuney’s move to tackle late in the 2024 season hampered his production and grading, when lined up at guard, he is the most polished pass protector in the NFL. His 90.4 PFF pass-blocking grade at guard last season led the NFL — his fourth straight season atop the charts — and he allowed no sacks and just a 1.9% pressure rate.
3. Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
Meinerz has quickly become one of the most destructive interior blockers in the game, capturing the first All-Pro nod of his career in 2024. The 26-year-old guard has notched an 83.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of his past two seasons, and he finished 2024 as the only guard to earn an 80.0-plus PFF grade as both a run blocker and pass protector.
4. Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
While Nelson’s grading profile had dipped slightly prior to this past season, 2024 was an impressive return to form for the veteran. His 81.3 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among qualifiers, his highest mark since 2020. Even still, Nelson has produced above the rest of the league, posting the second-most PFF WAR (1.31) among guards over the past three seasons.
5. Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles
Dickerson has been one of the most well-rounded and consistent interior linemen since the day he stepped foot on an NFL field. 2024 was his best season yet, as he earned a career-best 78.6 PFF overall grade, which ranked eighth among guards. His pass protection stands out, with Dickerson placing in the 80th percentile in PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in his career.
6. Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys
At just 24 years old, Smith profiles as the next generation of dominant all-around blockers in the NFL, and his best is yet to come. Since being drafted in 2022, Smith has never posted a PFF overall grade below 73.0, showing improvements each year.
Smith really stands out as a gap-scheme run blocker, placing in the 94th percentile in grading on gap concepts over his career.
7. Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Smith will play on the franchise tag in 2025, making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL next season ($23.4 million). At 26 years old, he profiles as one of the most consistent run blockers in the NFL. He has posted a 17.2% positively graded play rate on runs since 2021, good for the 96th percentile, and his 77.9 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked 10th among guards.
8. Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams
Since landing in Los Angeles in 2023, Dotson has had a career renaissance as a run blocker. Over that span, he has finished in the top five in PFF run-blocking grade each season, posting an 83.0-plus grade on both zone and gap concepts. His cumulative 88.3 PFF run-blocking grade over the past two seasons ranks third among qualifying guards.
9. Kevin Zeitler, Tennessee Titans
Although Zeitler enters 2025 at age 35, he continues to prove he isn’t slowing down. In his lone season in Detroit, Zeitler earned his highest PFF overall grade (86.5) in a decade, finishing as the NFL’s third-highest-graded guard. While his pass protection dipped a bit in 2024, his 87.2 PFF run-blocking grade stands as the best of his career.
10. Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
The third-round pick in 2024 hit the ground running in his rookie campaign, setting up what should be a highly productive career.
Puni posted the fifth-highest PFF overall grade (80.5) among qualifying guards. He stands out as a road-grading interior run blocker, with his 18.5% positively graded play rate on runs ranking fifth out of 77 guards.
11. Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets
Even at just 25 years old, Vera-Tucker has ample NFL experience. He has shown growth each season, culminating in a career year in 2024. His 77.7 PFF overall grade ranked inside the top 10 at the guard position, and he finished as one of just six guards to post a 74.0-plus PFF grade as both a run blocker and pass protector.
12. Isaac Seumalo, Pittsburgh Steelers
Missing four games to begin 2024 hampered Seumalo’s grades a bit, but the veteran still managed to post a solid 66.3 PFF overall grade. The projection into 2025 stems more from his excellent showing over the past three seasons, during which he boasts a 75.7 PFF overall grade and ranks eighth among guards in PFF WAR (0.92).
Isaac Seumalo’s Career PFF Grades
13. Sam Cosmi, Washington Commanders
A torn ACL in the playoffs will likely result in Cosmi missing the start of the 2025 season. Even still, the 26-year-old guard profiles as an incredible interior presence when healthy. He is a well-rounded blocker, having posted 70.0-plus PFF grades as both a run blocker and pass protector over the past two seasons, and should pick up right where he left off.
14. Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns
Although Bitonio enters his age-34 season and is coming off the lowest-graded season of his career, he still profiles as one of the most consistent interior pass protectors in the NFL. He ranks in the 93rd percentile on true pass sets at the position since 2022. That sustained performance as a pass protector has earned him the fourth-most PFF WAR (1.23) over the past three seasons.
15. Damien Lewis, Carolina Panthers
Lewis, along with Robert Hunt, joined Carolina this past season as part of the Panthers’ offensive line rebuild, and he flourished. He posted 70.0-plus PFF grades in run and pass blocking on his way to a career-high 75.5 PFF overall grade, which ranked 12th among guards.
16. Robert Hunt, Carolina Panthers
Although Hunt’s pass-blocking metrics dipped substantially following his move to Carolina, he maintains one of the most consistent run-blocking profiles on the interior in the NFL.
Over his five seasons as a pro, Hunt has generated a PFF run-blocking grade above 70.0 four times, including in each of his past three seasons.
17. Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots
While Onwenu has split time at guard and tackle over his career, he projects to find a home on the interior in 2025. When lined up at guard over the past three seasons, he has generated a 77.9 PFF pass-blocking grade, the fifth-highest mark among qualifying guards over that span.
18. Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
Although 2024 was a tougher season than usual for Teller, he isn’t far removed from his quality output over the four seasons prior. The veteran enters his age-31 season hoping to recapture his reputation as a stout run blocker, having earned above a 70.0 PFF grade in each season since his breakout year in 2020.
19. Brandon Scherff, Free Agent
Scherff remains unsigned, but he likely won’t linger on the free-agent market much longer. At 33 years old, Scherff still profiles as one of the most consistent pass protectors in the NFL. Over the past three seasons, he ranks in the 88th percentile or better in each of PFF’s stable pass-blocking metrics, including PFF grade on true pass sets.
20. Peter Skoronski, Tennessee Titans
From a season-long viewpoint, Skoronski doesn’t move the needle much, but there’s an argument to be made that he closed out the year as the best pass protector at the position. From Week 12 onward, Skoronski produced the highest PFF pass-blocking grade (88.2) among guards. At just 24 years old, that strong finish should set up a breakout 2025.
21. John Simpson, New York Jets
Simpson’s first season in New York was his best yet, setting up what should be another milestone in his career progression. His 77.3 PFF overall grade and 0.29 PFF WAR in 2024 both ranked 11th among qualifying guards, powered by excellent marks as both a run blocker and pass protector.
22. Cody Mauch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mauch made a monumental leap in his performance this past season. During his rookie campaign in 2023, Mauch ranked 77th out of 83 qualifying guards in PFF grade (43.8). In his second year, his grading profile jumped more than 30 points on the grading scale up to a 74.6, placing him just outside the top-15 highest-graded guards in the NFL.
Cody Mauch’s Career PFF Grades
23. Matthew Bergeron, Atlanta Falcons
The former second-round pick in 2023 made big strides in 2024, showing improvements in all facets of his game. Bergeron enters 2025 at just 25 years old, looking to build on his 70.9 PFF overall grade this past season — a top-20 mark at the position.
24. James Daniels, Miami Dolphins
Before suffering a torn Achilles just four games into his 2024 campaign, Daniels was on pace to produce his best season as a pro. He showcased his ability as a dominant run blocker, posting a 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade — second only to Chris Lindstrom.
If Daniels can recover well from his injury and produce similarly with the Dolphins, he should place well within the top 32 players at the position.
25. Will Fries, Minnesota Vikings
Fries is another player who was on pace for a career year before going down with a season-ending injury. Across just 268 snaps, he managed to earn an 86.9 PFF overall grade — the third-highest mark at the position through Week 5.
Fortunately, Fries parlayed his small-sample success into a new deal in Minnesota, where the Vikings will hope to harness what he showed early in 2024.
26. Dylan Parham, Las Vegas Raiders
While a mid-season injury hindered Parham’s performance through the back half of the 2024 season, his output early was encouraging. Through the first six weeks, Parham posted the eighth-highest PFF overall grade (78.8) among qualifying guards and earned 70.0-plus marks in both pass protection and run blocking.
27. Mekhi Becton, Los Angeles Chargers
Becton’s shift to the interior during his lone season in Philadelphia breathed new life into his career. During the regular season, he posted a 75.3 PFF overall grade, sitting just outside the 20 highest-graded guards on the season. Now, the hope is that he can continue that progression with another new team, the Chargers, in 2025.
28. Patrick Mekari, Jacksonville Jaguars
Although injuries have held Mekari back throughout his career, he managed to string together his first full season in 2024, logging more than 1,100 snaps in his final season in Baltimore. While Mekari projects to play guard in Jacksonville, his value is in his versatility. He has played center, guard and tackle in his career while routinely earning solid marks as a pass protector.
29. David Edwards, Buffalo Bills
2024 marked Edwards’ first season in a starting role since 2021. He earned solid PFF overall grades, but really stood out as a zone blocker, recording a 78.1 PFF run-blocking grade on zone concepts — good for the 93rd percentile and the fifth-highest mark among qualifying guards.
30. Cesar Ruiz, New Orleans Saints
A knee injury knocked Ruiz out for a good chunk of the front half of the 2024 season, but he still managed to finish with the highest PFF overall grade of his career. His 72.4 PFF pass-blocking grade from Week 8 through the end of the regular season finished inside the top 20 at the position after he allowed just one sack and a 2.2% pressure rate.
Given his ample experience (4,706 snaps) at 26 years old, the hope is that Ruiz can continue that progression in 2025.
31. Jonah Jackson, Chicago Bears
After signing a lucrative deal with the Rams last offseason, Jackson was restricted by injury for almost all of 2024, eventually resulting in the Rams benching and trading him to the Bears. Now, Jackson reunites with his former offensive coordinator in Detroit, Ben Johnson. During his two seasons under Johnson, Jackson ranked in the 93rd percentile in positively graded run-blocking rate (16.2%).
Jonah Jackson’s Career PFF Grades
32. Aaron Banks, Green Bay Packers
Despite being hindered by an injury during his final season in San Francisco, Banks posted a career-best 65.4 PFF overall grade, powered by his ability as a run blocker. The Packers signed Banks to a four-year, $77 million deal this offseason, with hopes of tapping into that ability on the interior that earned Banks a 68.9 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024.
This news was originally published on this post .
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