The ten best rookie O-linemen from preseason

After reviewing preseason film, there were ten rookie offensive linemen that stood above the rest, including day one, two and three picks who will either start immediately or serve as key backups. We will go through each player in order, covering what aspects of their games were the most impressive, their projected roles and their immediate outlooks entering the 2024 season.

It's also worth reinforcing that the evaluation of preseason football requires additional context compared to the regular season because the caliber of opponents varies wildly. The games are also played in their most vanilla form from a schematic standpoint. This places a priority on identifying one-on-one matchups against quality competition and focusing the assessment on those reps, which is what I typically do during the regular season but emphasize even more during the preseason. This approach helps to minimize the importance of scheme and elevate the skill-set and traits of the player. All preseason takeaways should be taken with a grain of salt, but there are some performances so eye-catching that they wind up translating to regular season play.

The ten most impressive rookie OL that I watched

1. Zach Frazier

My pick for the best rookie blocker from the preseason goes to Frazier, who made a smooth transition from his time at West Virginia to his first few games as a pro. He made an immediate impact against the Texans in Week 1. His renowned play strength and finishing skills as a run blocker were on full display. Frazier is sturdy at the point of attack, rarely ceding ground and regularly uprooting his target before latching, steering and finishing in full control.

He followed Week 1 up with his 43 snaps in Week 2 against the Bills (including reps against some starters), showcasing the same imposing, commanding ability. He wrapped up the preseason playing 19 snaps against the Lions and made the key block against fellow rookie DT Mekhi Wingo to spring a 31-yard touchdown.

Frazier was battling Nate Herbig for the starting center spot before Herbig went down with a season-ending shoulder injury during the last training camp practice, but it is safe to say that Frazier would’ve eventually wrestled the job from him. Frazier was one of ‘my guys’ from this draft. So far, he looks like a quality starter out of the gate for the Steelers.

2. Dominick Puni

Puni is another one of ‘my guys’ from the class who hasn’t looked stressed or been out of position much throughout the preseason. He was afforded the inside track on the right guard job in San Francisco due to incumbent starter Jon Feliciano missing time with a knee injury, but it is safe to say that likely wouldn’t have mattered much anyway considering how well Puni played in training camp and the preseason. Puni’s appeal as a prospect was his thick, powerful build and ‘big-man’ balance and agility that help him recover and stay connected on blocks. Those traits have been all over his preseason film, and there is a case to be made that he is the second best blocker on the team after Trent Williams. Puni certainly has the upside to assert that claim this season.

3. Graham Barton

After Joe Alt (who we will get to shortly), Barton was the most obvious Week 1 starter of this group. It was evident from just 38 snaps. Based on how fluid and comfortable he looked handling the move inside to center after playing the last three years at left tackle in college, it was a no-brainer to include him on a list like this. Barton brings top-tier athletic ability to the pivot and an element of power and balance to finish blocks that separates him from many of his peers at the position. Barton’s blend of body control, smarts and ability to deliver body blows on defenders signals he has the potential to become a high-end starter early in his pro career.

4. Christian Haynes

Haynes came to the Seahawks as one of the most experienced linemen in the draft (49 consecutive starts at Connecticut). His experience and standout performance at the Senior Bowl translated into immediate results on the field during his 92 snaps. Haynes is in a close competition for the right guard job with Anthony Bradford. As of this writing, a winner has yet to be announced, but my money is on Haynes. I dubbed Haynes as arguably the best finisher in the draft, and that ability immediately translated to the field both at right and left guard, the latter being a position he never played before this year.

5. Layden Robinson

Robinson has probably been the most physically imposing blocker on this list from a finishing standpoint. He posted close to a dozen pancakes in his 103 preseason snaps and showcased a rock solid anchor in pass protection. Robinson has done this at both guard spots and, as of this writing, has a chance to take the left guard job from Sidy Sow.