Where did PFF rank the Raiders’ offensive line group?

How does the unit compare?

It is important to have a successful offensive line for your own team’s benefit, but seeing how you stack up against the rest of the conference and division may tell you even more about your potential success. As it stands now, the Raiders have the 10th-best line in the AFC and the fourth-best line in the AFC West, which means they are ranked last. 

Being 10th in the conference means that they are barely outside of the bottom third of AFC teams, which is not promising. Only seven teams make the playoffs, and as we know, a ton rides on the success of an offensive line. However, teams like the Cincinnati Bengals (21st), Houston Texans (22nd), Jacksonville Jaguars (23rd), and Baltimore Ravens (25th) rank behind the Raiders but are still projected to have good seasons.

A lot of this has to do with their elite or very good quarterback play, and while the Raiders likely do not have that, all hope is not lost. The 49ers made the Super Bowl last year without an elite quarterback or an elite offensive line. It is easy to point to Trent Williams and say that Brock Purdy is well-protected, but PFF has the 49ers overall unit ranked 24th in the league. 

As far as the AFC West, being ranked last is a tough pill to swallow. However, a team like the Broncos (15th) basically only has a good offensive line with nothing else to show for it. I would rather have a decent quarterback with great weapons instead of a better offensive line and still no real threats of moving or scoring the ball.

I also do not understand the hype around the Chargers' (12th) offensive line because while Rashawn Slater is a good player, the loss of Corey Linsley hurts their chances of success quite a bit. The team is banking on rookie tackle Joe Alt to be among the best in the league and form a formidable duo with Slater, but the interior line leaves much to be desired. I feel as though the Raiders have fewer question marks on their line than the Chargers do.

When it comes to the Chiefs, they have the seventh-ranked offensive line in the league, but it does not really matter. Sure, players like Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey may make Mahomes’ job easier, but in reality, it is the evasive ability of Patrick Mahomes that makes the line look way better than it likely is. His ability to both get rid of the ball quickly and scramble out of the pocket to extend plays is unmatched in the league and regardless of who you put in front of him to block, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense will have success. 

It also may not matter much how good the rest of the conference or division’s offensive lines are, because the Raiders could very well have the best defensive line in football. There is a situation where a top offensive line like the Chiefs still struggles against the forces of Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Malcolm Koonce, to name a few. I am excited to watch these battles between our defensive line and the offensive lines who are ranked ahead of ours. As it pertains to our five men up front and how they will protect either O’Connell or Minshew, I will quote head coach Antonio Pierce:

“Don’t worry about our quarterback, worry about yours!”