2025 OL Free Agency Rankings

The top 32 OL broken down by position and categorized into tiers with analysis on the top 26

Free agency officially kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12th, and the legal tampering period begins the Monday before at 12 p.m. ET on March 10th. That’s when information on deals will start leaking out. This isn't as deep of an offensive line free agency class as last year’s group, but there are a few good starters and a collection of solid options on the interior. Similar to last year, the goal with this tiered breakdown is to provide a comprehensive ranking system that people can use as an index to track value for teams signing offensive linemen.

Considering there are several viable, quality starters on the market at guard and center and the perpetual uptick in the salary cap, expect some formidable contracts to be dished out at these positions. The supply shortage at tackle is even more pronounced this year. There’s Ronnie Stanley, a sizable gap and then everyone else.

There are very few human beings with the necessary blend of size, athletic ability, play strength and an overall skill-set to play along the offensive line at the NFL level, especially at tackle. This makes it so the linemen with experience performing at even a mediocre level will be coveted, let alone the select few that hit the open market and are solid or above average starters. Even players that don’t have experience but have a couple of important traits to build on will have suitors. My goal is to provide a few lines on the top options in this year’s free agent class with some context on their backgrounds and what they offer teams.

You will also notice terminology like “Player X could be the third best starter on your unit,” or “If your OL unit is very good, Player X could be your fifth best starter.” This is a framework to help conceptualize player value along the offensive line that I think adds clarity.

Ideally, ‘solid’ starters in free agency are signed to be the fourth best starters on an OL unit. If the unit is top-tier, they can be your fifth best starter (ex. Isaac Seumalo/Andrew Wylie in 2022 for the Eagles/Chiefs, Graham Glasgow/John Simpson in 2023 for the Lions/Ravens or Nick Allegretti/Ben Bredeson in 2024 for the Commanders/Bucs).

Teams should tailor their approaches to their respective team, offensive scheme, coaching staff and individual players on the OL unit by adding the best possible fits. In this class, there are a few good, ‘third best’ starters that can become your second best starters on a middle of the pack unit or the fourth best starters on a very good or elite unit. The bulk of the class are solid-level starters that are best signed as a team’s ‘fourth best’ starter, but we will inevitably see many of them thrust up the hierarchy out of necessity.

Free agent linemen will rank higher if your OL is marginal, poor or a unit starting from scratch. You can also have an entire starting five of solid starters, which would collectively result in an above average unit. This is a classic example of how a unit can be ‘greater than the sum of their parts.’ While this is an idealistic way to view team-building on the OL, it is very difficult to achieve.

Some free agents can also be signed to compete in camp with the aim of adding depth at specific positions that have starters in place who are dealing with durability or longevity questions.

These rankings are based on my personal film study over the course of the players’ careers with an emphasis on their most recent season.

Tier 1 - Elite (Ex: Tristan Wirfs)

Tier 2 - Very good (Ex: Andrew Thomas)

Tier 3 - Good/Above average (Ex: Ronnie Stanley)

Tier 4 - Solid/Average (Ex: Orlando Brown)

Tier 5 - Adequate/below average (Ex: Rasheed Walker)

Offensive tackle rankings

Name - Age Week 1 of the 2025 season

Tier 3 - Good/above average starter

1. Ronnie Stanley - 31

Stanley has been slowly but surely trending in the right direction over the last three seasons - going from 11 starts in 2022 to 13 starts in 2023 and 17 starts in 2024 - after a devastating lower-leg injury suffered in 2020 that cast serious doubts on his ability to regain his dependability as a starter. Stanley put together a good 2024 season inside Baltimore’s run-first scheme. He displayed movement skills similar to what he offered prior to the injury. This mobility pairs with his excellent length to allow him to reach his landmarks and match up with edge-rushers on an island at a top 10-12 LT level while being very good in the run game.

Stanley’s ability to brace and anchor isn’t as firm as it was pre-injury, and he has an over reliance on the two-hand strike that can result in quick losses (ex. Stanley vs. Alex Highsmith & Trey Hendrickson in 2024) that QB Lamar Jackson bailed him out on.

In relatively thin tackle free agent and draft classes, Stanley should command significant money on the open market. This will make it a challenge for the Ravens to match his offers despite them clearly needing to get a deal done considering the cupboard is bare behind him on the Baltimore roster.

Tier 4 - Solid/average starter

2. Dan Moore - 26

Moore is set to enter his fifth career season after starting 66 out of 68 possible games over his first four seasons. The former fourth-round draft pick still struggles as a pass protector against top competition like Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson due to erratic strike timing and hand placement that create short corners. Moore also gets caught high against power, but he’s a solid all-around left tackle who can compete with most competition and slot in as the third or fourth best starter on most units.

3. Tyron Smith - 34

Smith is coming off a 10-start 2024 season that ended with him on injured reserve with a neck injury. His reliance on initiating contact with his outside hand in pass protection led to the bulk of his losses throughout the year. Despite a downward trajectory and being near the end of a Hall of Fame-caliber career, Smith’s floor and ceiling are still high enough to warrant consideration as a stopgap, hired gun option on the blindside, especially for a unit needing a bridge before a younger player takes over. Smith’s unique physical tools haven’t gone anywhere. Even if his movement skills are diminishing, they are good enough to go head-to-head with anyone in a single game (ex Smith vs. Houston in Week 9 last year).

4. Morgan Moses - 34

Moses is an older, short-term right tackle option but still brings excellent size, good play strength, durability and valuable experience to a room. He routinely plays through injuries, including last year when a banged up knee sapped his movement and recovery skills. If healthy, Moses is still a capable starter at right tackle who can serve as a leader in the room.

Tier 5 - Adequate/below average starter/quality backup

5. Cam Robinson - 29

Robinson is coming off of back-to-back 17-start seasons for the Jaguars and Vikings. His steady, stagnated skill-set is rooted in being a physically imposing, power-oriented player who delivers body blows to defenders with erratic technique that leads to clean, decisive losses several times or more a game depending on the matchup. Robinson is teetering on the line of tier four and five, but his blend of experience, durability and age separate him from the rest of the pack listed below.

6. Trent Brown - 32

Brown has been injury-prone throughout his career. At 32 years old, he’s strictly a one-year, stopgap option. Although, at 6’8”, 370-ish pounds with refined pass protection skills, he’s still worth a flier to gauge his health and movement skills during camp. If Brown is healthy, there simply aren’t 64 better tackles in the NFL. Whatever team signs him will need a promising young option or proven veteran backup behind him.

7. Jaylon Moore - 27

Moore is set to enter his fifth season in 2025 with just 12 career starts at left tackle, but he has been a solid backup throughout that time. He possesses coordinated, synced up footwork and hands that allow him to stay attached to blocks in pass protection. Moore doesn’t have any standout, high-end physical traits but is a competent blocker who can compete for a left tackle job and provide quality depth.

8. Jedrick Wills Jr. - 26

Over his first five seasons, Wills failed to develop into the caliber of player that a former top ten pick is expected to be. He’s coming off of back-to-back injury-plagued years (12 total starts) due to lingering knee injuries. Wills also made a “business decision” to sit out a game last year that resulted in him being benched and ultimately ending a disappointing career in Cleveland. However, Wills’ physical tools in terms of size, quickness and power are starter-level, and he’s just 26 years old. If a team can sign him to a prove it, incentive-laden type of deal, there is a shot that a motivated, healthy Wills can win a job and provide functional play inside a zone-based run scheme.

Interior line rankings

Name - Age Week 1 of the 2025 season

Tier 3 - Good/above average starter

1. Will Fries - 27

Fries is coming off of a devastating fractured right tibia injury suffered in Week 5 last season. Before the injury, he morphed into one of the most underrated starting right guards in the NFL over the last couple of seasons. Fries entered the league as a seventh round pick in 2021 and carved out a starting role. He relies on refined technique, good play strength and elite finishing skills that stand out even on a line featuring an all-time great finisher in Quenton Nelson. Assuming a clean bill of health, Fries is good enough to be the second or third best starter on a unit. His competitive toughness will set the tone for a room.

2. Drew Dalman - 26

Dalman enters free agency as the prize among centers thanks to him having the best blend of youth, experience and athletic ability. Dalman’s sawed off frame and average-level power create soft edges when isolated in pass protection and limit his ability to finish defenders into the ground, but he is an adept zone run blocker who can quarterback the line pre-snap and quickly process information post-snap. He provides the leadership qualities necessary for a long-term starter at the pivot inside a zone-based scheme.

Tier 4 - Solid/average starter

3. Mekhi Becton - 26

Becton is coming off of a 19-start (15 regular season/four postseason) season in his first year at right guard, where he was a relatively steady pass protector with a highlight reel of thunderous, lane-paving blocks in the run game. Becton showed a tendency to strike with two hands and be too heavy with his punch, which led to his feet getting stuck against counter moves. This never became a glaring issue, especially in the Eagles run-heavy system. It’s worth questioning Becton’s ability to replicate or improve upon his play away from Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland’s tutelage. Becton’s physical tools, age and trajectory make him a worthwhile bet for a unit with a couple of established starters in place.

4. Shaq Mason - 32 (UPDATE: Mason was released on March 7th)

Mason and the rest of the Houston offensive line took a step back last season but this is a player who was a top five caliber right guard for several years prior. Mason also dealt with a lingering knee injury that kept him out of three games. With excellent natural leverage, a strong anchor and refined run blocking skills I would expect him to have another couple of seasons of at least tier four if not tier three play left.

5. Brandon Scherff - 33

What Scherff lost in explosiveness since his prime he has gained in durability. The five-time Pro Bowler has missed zero games over the last three seasons and still provides good athletic ability on the move with his vintage aggressive, jump set-heavy approach in pass protection. Scherff has learned to pick his spots better to minimize quick losses as a pass protector and offers a couple years of quality, solid play for a team looking for a short-term fix at the right guard spot.

6. Ryan Kelly - 32

Kelly is entering free agency as the longest tenured Colt with 121 career starts, multiple Pro Bowl selections and a perennial team captain badge. He missed seven games last season due to neck/knee injuries, which was the most time he’s missed since 2017. He was solid when on the field and was even better in 2023 when he was healthier. Kelly is past his prime. He doesn’t have as sturdy of an anchor or as much power as he once had but still has a spring in his step to reach shades and intersect targets at the second-level. He brings renowned competitive toughness, leadership qualities and processing skills to the pivot. Despite being closer to the end than the beginning and carrying some durability questions, Kelly’s on-field play is still at a top 10-12 level at his position, which should fetch a short-term contract as a starter somewhere this off-season.

7. Patrick Mekari - 28

Mekari doesn’t have quite the name recognition or starting experience as other players in this tier but is relatively young and coming off his first full season as a starter, seeing starts at right tackle and left guard. Mekari has true five position, proven versatility and wins with a scrappy demeanor, advanced understanding of leverage and just enough physical tools to get by. Mekari would be a high floor addition and can compete for a job across the line while providing a team an invaluable fallback option in case of injury.

8. Josh Myers - 27