Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 NFL Offensive lines and despite down season Raiders still among league best

A year ago, the Raiders were arguably the bets offensive line in football. It was basically between them and the Cowboys depending on what criteria you were using. All but one of the team’s offensive linemen were the same in 2017 as in 2016, but the results appeared to be vastly different.

Not according to Pro Football Focus.

While the Raiders line may not be fighting for the top spot in their rankings, they’re still among the best with PFF putting them as the 8th best in the league.

Mostly the issues the line had were with the run, which was a product of a sudden change in blocking scheme to feature more zone blocking.

It was in pass protection where the line still thrived. PFF has them with 133 total pressures and naming Rodney Hudson as the best of the bunch.

The Oakland offensive line had a slightly disappointing season following a stellar 2016 campaign, but they were still among the 10 best offensive lines in football. The unit was anchored by center Rodney Hudson, who allowed just three total pressures the entire season and was named PFF’s best pass-blocker. However, guards Gabe Jackson and Kelechi Osemele and left tackle Donald Penn had all had a weaker season by their standards. The Raiders also failed to find a reliable alternative for the right tackle position as Marshall Newhouse and Vadal Alexander both allowed a large number of pressures, especially considering that they did not play as many snaps as the other four members of the line. In addition, Oakland running backs averaged just 1.34 yards before contact, which was the seventh-lowest in the NFL last season.

Only three offensive lines in football surrendered fewer pressures than the Raiders — the Saints (110), Bills (124), and Titans (126).