Poor offensive line play in the NFL can keep a good team from being great. Shoddy blocking also can turn an average team into a bad one.
As a collective, tackles, guards and centers are almost as important as quarterbacks. Unfortunately, in a league that features many great lines, seven teams stick out with major weaknesses along their front five.
The following are the NFL's seven worst offensive lines for 2018, ranked from No. 26 to No. 32, based on injuries or general weakness.
26. Carolina Panthers
Projected starters: LT Matt Kalil, LG Greg Van Roten, C Ryan Kaiil, RG Trai Turner, RT Taylor Moton
Matt Kalil (knee) was not good last season after joining his brother on the Panthers' line, but now Carolina badly needs its left tackle to get healthy with Moton already needing to fill in for right tackle Daryl Williams (knee), who's headed for injured reserve. Jeremiah Sirles (hamstring) got hurt in the third preseason game while playing for Kalil. Van Roten, an undrafted journeyman, has been playing for Amini Silatolu (knee), who already was a downgrade from free-agent loss Andrew Norwell.
The sky in Carolina looks like it’s falling, but the Panthers at least have a tough, mobile QB in Cam Newton and a running back who can create in Christian McCaffrey. The concern is the lack of offensive-line continuity and cohesiveness hurting the consistency in tough matchups.
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27. Arizona Cardinals
Projected starters: LT D.J. Humphries, LG Mike Iupati, C Mason Cole, RG Justin Pugh, RT Andre Smith
Age and durability are the concerns for Iupati (31), Pugh (28) and Smith (31). Cole is being shoved into a key role as a rookie after the team lost A.Q. Shipley to a torn ACL. Humphries is coming off a solid season and living up to his first-round pedigree, but all the new starters jelling in a new offense will be tricky.
28. Minnesota Vikings
Projected starters: LT Riley Reiff, LG Tom Compton, C Brett Jones, RG Mike Remmers, RT Rashod Hill
The Vikings got below-average returns from Reiff and Remmers after they tried to plug holes in free agency last offseason. Compton is meant to be a backup, but he is being elevated with Nick Easton (neck) injured for the season. The team had to trade for Jones given the uncertain timetable for Pat Elflein (ankle/shoulder).
This group curbs some of the excitement around QB Kirk Cousins and RB Dalvin Cook.
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29. New York Jets
Projected starters: LT Kelvin Beachum, LG James Carpenter, C Spencer Long, RG Brian Winters, RT Brandon Shell
Beachum, 29, is the Jets' best lineman by far, but nobody will confuse with him with D’Brickashaw Ferguson in his prime. He’s also battling a foot injury, which has proved the team would be in real trouble in blindside pass protection if Brent Qvale needs to keep starting.
Long at least shores up center after the position has been rather terrible post-Nick Mangold. But he can only do so much to lift two of the league’s shakiest guards.
30. Seattle Seahawks
Projected starters: LT Duane Brown, LG Ethan Pocic, C Justin Britt, RG D.J. Fluker, RT Germain Ifedi
The Seahawks would like to shake themselves off this list, but that would require some better, more committed early drafting to the position instead of trying to plug holes with castoffs and hoping that young strugglers will suddenly see the light.
Russell Wilson will run around well to make them look adequate. The ability to power run like the old Beast Mode days are limited, whether Chris Carson or rookie first-rounder Rashaad Penny ends up with the most work. Brown and Britt are OK players for the two key spots, but the other three bring Seattle down hard.
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31. Buffalo Bills
Projected starters: LT Dion Dawkins, LG Vladimir Ducasse, C Russell Bodine, RG John Miller, RT Jordan Mills
Dawkins’ promise as a rookie prompted Buffalo to part ways with oft-injured Cordy Glenn, but the Bills are asking a lot of the second-year player as the anchor of their line. Ducasse was a decent backup but is a downgrade from Richie Incognito in the lineup. Bodine was tabbed to replace Eric Wood, but the former Bengal has had to fight undrafted reserve Ryan Groy for the duties. Miller’s woes will not be covered up as well without Incognito and Wood helping inside. Mills also is well below average.
Rookie QB Josh Allen has already had plenty of trouble in the face of NFL pressure, and the line won’t do him any favors in the regular season. With LeSean McCoy at age 30 and not able to create the way he once could, the RB will have a tough time behind this line, too.
32. Houston Texans
Projected starters: LT Julie’n Davenport, LG Senio Kelemete, C Nick Martin, RG Zach Fulton, RT Seantrel Henderson
Davenport should not be starting at either tackle spot for any team. Martin was supposed to be an anchor like his brother Zack in Dallas, but injuries have derailed that development. Fulton and Kelemete were needed free-agent signings, but both stopgap guards are more at the level of swing backups than starters. Henderson remains raw in his fifth season after previously limited playing time because of injury and suspension.
QB Deshaun Watson is known for running out of trouble, something of which he'll need to do more behind this line. RB Lamar Miller failed to record a 100-yard rushing game last season, and he will be bottled up often again this year.
