by **The Best of the Best: An All-Time Offensive Line**
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The foundation of any successful offense is the offensive line. While skill position players like quarterbacks and running backs receive most of the glory, elite offensive line play is what truly separates championship caliber teams from the rest of the pack. Blocking at the line of scrimmage is one of the most thankless yet crucial jobs in all of football. With that in mind, this article aims to construct an all-time hypothetical starting offensive line comprised of the best players at each position over the last few decades of NFL play.
Let’s start with the center position, where future Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae gets the nod. Mawae played 16 seasons in the NFL from 1994-2009, spending time with the Seahawks, Jets, and Titans. During his career, Mawae was selected to 8 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro 6 times. He served as the unquestioned leader of some of the NFL’s top offensive lines and blocking units for much of his career. Mawae was a master technician with incredible football IQ who routinely made the line calls and adjustments that kept his quarterbacks clean in the pocket. His combination of strength, technique, and football savvy make him the easy choice as the all-time center.
At left guard, we have another future Hall of Famer in Alan Faneca. Faneca played 13 seasons in the NFL from 1998-2010 with the Steelers, Jets, and Cardinals. He was selected to an incredible 9 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro on 6 occasions. Faneca was a road grader in the run game who also excelled in pass protection. His combination of power, quickness, and consistency allowed him to dominate at an elite level for over a decade in the NFL. No guard in league history was better or more decorated than Faneca during his playing career.
On the right side, Steve Hutchinson gets the starting nod at right guard. Hutchinson played 12 seasons in the NFL from 2001-2012 with the Seahawks, Vikings, and Titans. During that span, he was selected to 7 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro 5 times. Like Faneca, Hutchinson was a mauler in the run game who also had the feet and technique to handle any pass rusher. He was the anchor and driving force behind some of the best rushing attacks in football during his prime years in Seattle and Minnesota. Hutchinson’s combination of power, smarts, and consistency make him one of the best guards to ever play the game.
Protecting Mawae’s blind side at left tackle is future Hall of Famer Walter Jones. Jones played 12 seasons in the NFL from 1997-2008 entirely with the Seahawks. During that time, he established himself as not only the best left tackle of his era, but perhaps the best to ever play the position. Jones was selected to a mind-boggling 9 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro on 8 occasions. He completely dominated all comers as the anchor of some of the best offensive lines in football for over a decade. Jones had the combination of size, strength, feet, and technique that allowed him to shut down even the most elite pass rushers in the league game after game. No player in history was better at protecting the quarterback’s blind side than Walter Jones.
On the right side, Jonathan Ogden gets the starting nod at right tackle. Ogden played 12 seasons in the NFL from 1996-2007 entirely with the Ravens. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro an incredible 9 times during his career. Ogden was a mountain of a man at 6’9, 345 pounds who moved with the grace and agility of someone 100 pounds lighter. He was a road grading run blocker who also had the feet and technique to handle even the shiftiest edge rushers in pass protection. Ogden was the anchor and driving force behind some of the league’s top rushing attacks as well as a key piece in keeping Hall of Fame quarterback Ray Lewis clean in the pocket for over a decade. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism make him the easy choice as the best right tackle in NFL history.
So in summary, our starting offensive line from left to right consists of:
LT – Walter Jones
LG – Alan Faneca
C – Kevin Mawae
RG – Steve Hutchinson
RT – Jonathan Ogden
This line has a combined 24 Pro Bowl selections and 22 first-team All-Pro honors between the five of them, highlighting their sustained excellence and dominance at the NFL level for well over a decade. But no lineup is complete without quality depth behind the starters. So for backups, we’ll turn to a couple modern era standouts who were elite in their own right.
At tackle, Jason Peters gets the nod as the top backup. Peters has played 18 seasons in the NFL from 2004-present with the Bills, Eagles, and Bears. During that time, he’s been selected to 9 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro on 7 occasions while starting at both left and right tackle. Peters has proven himself as one of the best and most durable blindside protectors of the last two decades, playing at an exceptionally high level into his late 30s. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism make him an ideal swing tackle who could step into either starting role if needed.
Rounding out the line is Trent Williams as the backup guard. Williams has played 13 seasons in the NFL from 2010-present entirely with Washington. In that span, he’s been selected to 9 Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-Pro 7 times, primarily at left tackle. While Williams has spent most of his career on the outside, he has the size, power, and technique to slide inside to guard if needed in this hypothetical lineup. His combination of dominance, consistency, and versatility make him the perfect backup guard to provide additional depth at either interior spot.
So in summary, the complete all-time offensive line depth chart is:
LT – Walter Jones
LG – Alan Faneca
C – Kevin Mawae
RG – Steve Hutchinson
RT – Jonathan Ogden
Backup T – Jason Peters
Backup G – Trent Williams
This lineup brings together the best of the best from the last few decades of NFL play at each position along the offensive line. Their collective dominance, longevity, accolades, and championship experience would provide the ultimate foundation for any offense to lean on. While offensive line play may not receive the glory, this group highlights just how impactful elite blocking can be in paving the way for team success.
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