Forget about quarterbacks or star receivers getting all the hype, because trying to figure out who the best offensive linemen are? That's a whole different beast. For years, fans have been struggling to truly gauge the silent warriors in the trenches, but thanks to SISdatahub.com, we've got ten seasons of raw data from 2016-2025. And let me tell you, what it reveals about centers compared to guards and tackles is wild. We're talking about starters with at least 250 pass blocking snaps, and the numbers don't lie: centers give up significantly fewer sacks. When you look at the top 10 for blown block percentage, there are only two non-centers. For sack percentage allowed in the top 10? It's *all* centers.
The Old Guard Versus The Current Grind
Let's dive into some of that elite pass blocking. Terron Armstead in his prime was absolutely next-level, a true model of what Sean Payton wants in a tackle: light, quick, strong, and smart. And TJ Lang was a surprise name that popped up, a guy who was good, even a 2x Pro Bowler, but never quite "great" by those standards. But here's where it gets really interesting: the best pass blocking performance by a Bronco was Matt Paradis back in 2018. He had just one blown block on 297 pass blocks for an insane 0.34%, which landed him at 15th best overall. Luke Wattenberg's 2024 season was the next best for the Broncos, coming in at 0.62% and 64th overall. Here's the kicker though: for guards and tackles other than Armstead and Lang, the last time we saw one of these elite seasons was way back in 2021. What gives? It's either getting ridiculously harder to pass block in the NFL, or the current generation of starters just isn't stacking up like the veterans, many of whom have already hung up their cleats. Only Kevin Dotson and Joe Thuney are still playing from that older, high-performing group, with Thuney still playing at an elite level. Dotson? He had his best season in 2021 with the Steelers, his second NFL season, and honestly, he's never gotten the credit, or a single Pro Bowl nod, since.Centers Are In A League Of Their Own
And if you want to talk about sacks, centers are operating on a completely different planet. We're talking 76 instances of centers going a full season without allowing a single sack! Many of them even did it multiple times. Now compare that to a combined 73 total instances for the *other four* offensive line spots. Seriously? It's about four times easier for a center to dodge a sack for a whole season compared to the other OL positions. The most recent perfect center season was Corey Linsley for the Chargers in 2022. And guess who also shows up here as the best Bronco center season with zero sacks allowed? You guessed it, Matt Paradis in 2018. So what does all this mean? We're seeing a clear divide in the trenches. Centers are absolutely holding their own, but outside of those guys, it feels like the golden age of pass blocking for guards and tackles might just be behind us. The numbers don't lie. It's a tough world out there for the O-line, and the big question for every single squad in the league is how they're going to protect their QB when it seems like the challenge just keeps getting bigger.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.