Offensive Line

CJ Stroud's sack rate has dropped from 8.9% last year (32nd) to 5.2% (10th). However the Texans pass block win rate fell from 58% (22nd) to 56% (30th). The lack of negative plays has contributed to his 0.164 EPA/play (9th), the best of his career. Stroud has not been sacked in his last 3 games.

2024 PBWR
2025 PBWR
2025 Passing (Sack Rate)
2024 Passing (Sack Rate)
2025 EPA/Play Leaders, min 300 Attempts

 

“Sack rate”? So if your QB can’t avoid sacks, it hurts your ranking?

 

Wow so basically the O-Line is middle of the pack / avg. now !?

 

I don’t think these stats tell the story very well. At least the eye test says we have absolutely stunk when teams send more than 5 rushers after CJ. I wonder what the stats say? I still don’t understand why opposing defense aren’t sending the house on virtually every passing down. I can’t recall a single instance where we handled it. Maybe my eye test is way off on this.

 

My guess is it takes a lot of energy, and if the payoff is simply a throwaway/loss of down, it may not be worth it, especially considering the offense should theoretically handle it better the more it happens. This is why throwing the ball away to avoid a sack is effective - it might actually serve as a deterrent in addition to avoiding a negative play.

 

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2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Interior offensive linemen

By PFF.com
Posted Jan 27, 2026 4:00 am EST
NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players to beat them during the season and perhaps sign them in the offseason.

As the 2025–26 NFL season comes to a close, free agency is coming into focus, and teams are beginning to evaluate potential targets to address roster deficiencies. Here are the top interior offensive linemen slated to hit free agency in 2026.

For now, each player’s profile includes three-year snap counts and three-year PFF grades, offering a broader, more stable view of performance than a single-season spike or dip.

Click here for PFF's full list of the top 250 free agents.


1. Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Snaps: 3,277 | PFF grade: 86.9
Linderbaum ranked as the fifth-highest graded center in the NFL in 2025 and has improved his PFF grade in every season since entering the league, all while heading toward free agency at just 25 years old. While he remains imperfect in pass protection, he has earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 60.0 in three consecutive seasons. He is among the league's best run blockers, however, having posted a PFF run-blocking grade above 80.0 in three of his four NFL seasons.

2. Isaac Seumalo, Pittsburgh Steelers
Snaps: 2,803 | PFF grade: 75
Seumalo has been one of the most consistent offensive linemen over the past four seasons, posting PFF grades between 66.3 and 73.9 during that span. This past season, he ranked seventh among guards in PFF pass-blocking grade (76.4) and 27th in run-blocking grade (67.1).

3. David Edwards, Buffalo Bills
Snaps: 2,550 | PFF grade: 73.7
Edwards logged a career-high 75.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 and played 1,000-plus snaps for the second year in a row. The 28-year-old was a sturdy left guard for quarterback Josh Allen over the past two years.

4. Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets
Snaps: 1,166 | PFF grade: 79.2
A torn triceps closed the curtains on Vera-Tucker's 2025 campaign before it began — the third season-ending injury of his young career. He has still established himself as a promising guard, earning three straight season-long 70.0-plus PFF overall grades and allowing the fourth-lowest pressure rate (2.8%) among guards in 2024.

5. Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns
Snaps: 3,366 | PFF grade: 69.9
The Browns' offensive line struggled this season, but Bitonio was not the reason. The 12-year veteran remained solid in pass protection, allowing just two sacks across 686 pass-blocking snaps and earning a 75.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. While the 34-year-old's future is uncertain, he would still represent a meaningful upgrade to the interior protection of many offensive lines across the league.

6. Kevin Zeitler, Tennessee Titans
Snaps: 3,057 | PFF grade: 81.4
After playing like one of the NFL's top guards in 2024, Zeitler proved to be a shrewd signing for the Titans in 2025. The 35-year-old earned a 74.5 PFF grade, including a 75.4 PFF pass-blocking grade. Having posted an overall PFF grade of at least 71.5 in five consecutive seasons, Zeitler remains one of the league's more reliable right guards.

7. Greg Van Roten, New York Giants
Snaps: 3,297 | PFF grade: 70.8
Van Roten brings versatility to the market, having logged at least 1,750 snaps at both left and right guard along with 306 at center. With the Giants in 2025, the 35-year-old earned a 70.1 PFF pass-blocking grade and posted a pass-blocking efficiency score of 97.7. At this stage of his career, Van Roten profiles as a reliable interior offensive line depth option.

8. Dalton Risner, Cincinnati Bengals
Snaps: 2,123 | PFF grade: 67.3
A regular short-term pickup by teams since leaving the Denver Broncos back in 2022, Risner simply shows up and produces in pass protection. He has yet to have a season where his PFF pass-blocking grade has fallen below 65.0, and his 71.5 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 ranked 18th among all guards.

9. Connor McGovern, Buffalo Bills
Snaps: 3,608 | PFF grade: 66.6
McGovern's 69.1 PFF overall grade in 2025 ranked 13th among centers. He has been one of the better interior pass blockers across the NFL and brings some positional versatility, with strong performances at both center and guard in his career so far.

10. Dylan Parham, Las Vegas Raiders
Snaps: 2,767 | PFF grade: 67.8
A four-year starter with the Raiders, Parham might not be a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but he's a capable starter on the offensive line. He's still only 26 years old, so there is some upside. At worst, he's a solid floor player who would improve a weak link on multiple offensive lines around the league.

11. Ed Ingram, Houston Texans
Snaps: 2,610 | PFF grade: 65.9
Analysis coming soon…

12. Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
Snaps: 2,904 | PFF grade: 69.5
Analysis coming soon…

13. John Simpson, New York Jets
Snaps: 3,276 | PFF grade: 65.3
Analysis coming soon…

14. Andre James, Los Angeles Chargers
Snaps: 1,749 | PFF grade: 66.5
Analysis coming soon…

 

Is Blake Fisher capable of locking down the right tackle position or do we need to draft another OT? Regardless, I do hope that we re-sign Trent Brown and/or another OT so that we don't need to draft an OT.

 

I wouldn't trust Fisher to be more than a swing OT/Spot starter.

 

If that's true then it's another wasted 2nd round pick by Caserio, but I suspect that you are correct.

 

Difference is Caley, Popovich and Caserio are all on the same page when it comes to the type of ol they want to draft.

 

I believe that the good news is that Ersery is going to break their streak of bad OL picks.

 

The good news was that the OL went from horrendous to average/middle of the road. There are still improvements necessary to be made, but Texans aren’t in a position to reach if they don’t get the exact OL they want.

im still hoping they can add more talent to the OL via the draft. But OL get better by playing together and building synergy.

 

It certainly helps that the coaches and GM are on the same page when it comes to the type of OL that are needed to be successful in this offense. A massive change from the Warhop/Strausser yrs.

 

I guess, but they were awful against New England. They got no push in the interior. Eight of Woody's 14 runs went for zero or less yards.

 

Yes; too many people confused "better" for good. The Texans' offensive line was not good, especially against elite defensive fronts. Caley schemed around it with quicker throws & Stroud got very good (until the playoffs) of dirting balls when the OL got pushed around. But they still need to upgrade as many as four spots and certainly three.

 

With the addition of Ferentz to OL room, don't be surprised to see Texans sign 1 or more of the following (not saying they will stick):
- Yodny Cajuste
- Alex Karras
- Cole Strange (if he was not a FRP, might not have been called a bust)
- Jermaine Eluemunor (TAMU)
- Evan Neal :eyes emoji:
- Greg Van Roten
- Austin Schlottmann (from Brenham)
- Joshua Ezeudu
- Aaron Stinnie

 

Fun fact: guess who Cade Mays worked with when he was with the Giants in 2024 (for about a month)... guess! I dare you

 

I don't get the impression that Caserio believes in outstanding OL play, let alone drafting THREE OL in one draft.