Offensive Line Rankings: Middle Class

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

Offensive Line Rankings
32-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

20. Carolina Panthers

Depth: Taylor Moton, Greg Van Roten, Tyler Larsen, Dorian Johnson

• Star left guard Andrew Norwell's departure in free agency is a move that doesn't receive the attention it deserves. Losing him could seriously diminish this line's effectiveness, especially in the interior running game.
• When healthy, Ryan Kalil is the anchor of the Panthers' front five. Unfortunately, in the last two seasons, he's only taken the field in 14 of a possible 32 outings. It's hard to keep the faith that he'll be available all year long.
• Christian McCaffrey can gain yards in a variety of ways, making him slightly more immune to disruptions on the offensive line. That may serve him well if this line degrades in 2018.

19. Chicago Bears

Depth: Bradley Sowell, Hroniss Grasu, Jordan Morgan, Earl Watford

• Similar to the Panthers, the Bears are dealing with the loss of an All-Pro guard in Josh Sitton. Daniels, a second-rounder in April, will be tasked with replacing him, which is unlikely to be a smooth transition.
• The Bears are also hoping to get a full season out of a quality veteran in Kyle Long, who hasn't played more than 10 games either of the last two campaigns. If Long is sidelined for any amount of time now that Sitton is gone, this line would fall to the mid-20s on this list, if not lower.
• People are projecting the Bears' offense will take a major step forward under new head coach Matt Nagy. A sophomore leap from Mitch Trubisky, a legitimate receiving corps, and a dynamic backfield duo make that seem like a strong possibility. However, the line presents a hurdle to realizing their upside.

18. Baltimore Ravens

Depth: Orlando Brown, Nico Siragusa, Jermaine Eluemunor, Andrew Donnal

• The Ravens were ravaged by injuries in 2017 and still managed to hold it together, helping Alex Collins to a breakout year.
• The loss of center Ryan Jensen, who left in free agency, will be mitigated by the return of all-world guard Yanda and steady right tackle Lewis. Oddly enough, Collins exploded after Yanda and Lewis were lost for the season. There's no doubt Collins will appreciate having that pair in front of him as he eclipses 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
• Joe Flacco hasn't taken advantage of his solid pass protection, and if he fails to keep the Ravens in the hunt for the postseason, we might see rookie Lamar Jackson get his shot to jump-start the passing attack.

17. Kansas City Chiefs

Depth: Cameron Erving, Bryan Witzmann, Kahlil McKenzie, Jordan Devey

• Patrick Mahomes' ascension is not a foregone conclusion. The Chiefs are setting him up with an excellent supporting cast and their line is more than capable of keeping him upright. However, outside of their starting five, there isn't much depth.
• In 2017, Duvernay-Tardif missed four games, Morse missed nine, and Ehinger missed nearly the entire season. If that happens again, the Chiefs could take a giant step back in a year where many believe they'll reach new heights.
• Fisher also needs to rebound from a disappointing campaign. The former first overall pick hasn't been able to establish consistency in his game, something the Chiefs certainly thought they were paying for when they handed him a $48-million extension two years ago.

16. San Francisco 49ers

Depth: Jonathan Cooper, Mike Person, Garry Gilliam, Darrell Williams

• Everyone is anxious to see what Kyle Shanahan can do with a full season of Jimmy Garoppolo, yet few people are considering how the major overhaul of the offensive line will impact Jimmy G's second year in San Fran.
• Staley is the elder statesman of a group featuring several new faces. McGlinchey was selected ninth overall, while Richburg and Cooper came over in free agency. The entire trio could find their way into the starting lineup.
• Shanahan has always been able to generate a strong rushing offense and that will be the case again - unless this line implodes, which would be a stunning result. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida are set to be productive fantasy assets.

15. Cleveland Browns

Depth: Austin Corbett, Donald Stephenson, Spencer Drango, Austin Reiter

• The Browns spent heavily to stock their offensive line a year ago, and added to that this offseason with a notable contract that snagged Hubbard from the division-rival Steelers.
• The only problem area is left tackle, following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. Coleman will get the first crack at replacing the Browns legend, but the team has also said it wants to try Corbett there, even though many analysts envision him as a guard at the pro level.
• The Browns have an impressive collection of talent on offense, and their line is no exception. If they can get improved play from their quarterbacks - Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield - they have a chance to make a statement in 2018.

14. Green Bay Packers

Depth: Jason Spriggs, Byron Bell, Kyle Murphy, Cole Madison, Dillon Day

• Bakhtiari continues to be dominant, finishing the year as Pro Football Focus' top-ranked tackle. However, outside of their mainstay on the left edge, there's reason to doubt the Packers' blocking unit.
• Bulaga suffered a torn ACL in November, leaving no guarantees he'll be ready for Week 1, and the team didn't re-sign its next-best lineman, Jahri Evans. The interior in Green Bay is propped up by the bookend tackles, so if Bulaga isn't available early in the year, it's an issue.
• Aaron Rodgers can make miracles happen on the football field and that won't change, but owners hoping Aaron Jones or Jamaal Williams will emerge as a weekly fantasy starter need to monitor Bulaga's health.

13. Detroit Lions

Depth: Kenny Wiggins, Joe Dahl, Corey Robinson, Tyrell Crosby, Wesley Johnson

• After being selected in the opening round of the 2016 draft and playing all 16 regular season games in his rookie year, a shoulder injury cost Decker the first half of his sophomore campaign in 2017. With Decker in the lineup, the Lions' line made noticeable strides in pass protection and run blocking. Getting Decker for a full season would be huge for the rushing attack with Kerryon Johnson and LeGarrette Blount ready to pound the rock.
• Ragnow, a first-round center, appears to be starting his NFL career as a guard, manning the left side during OTAs. In that configuration, Glasgow takes over at center, with Lang and Wagner holding down the right side.
• It's a promising set of starters that could enter the top 10 a year from now.

12. New England Patriots

Depth: Joe Thuney, LaAdrian Waddle, Matt Tobin, Luke Bowanko

• The departure of Nate Solder can't be glossed over. It leaves a void at the most important position on a line that will be asked to protect one of the league's most valuable players - who will be 41 years old when the season kicks off.
• The Pats selected Wynn in the first round, but he's already working at left guard, where it's expected he'll compete against Thuney for a starting spot.
• They also acquired Brown from the 49ers during the draft, and based on current personnel, he's is the favorite to secure the left tackle role. Brown is a monster of a man at 6-foot-8 and more than 355 pounds. If he can lock down the left side, New England will have a great chance to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl once again.

11. Los Angeles Chargers

Depth: Sam Tevi, Cole Toner, Scott Quessenberry, Donavon Clark

• Much like the Washington Capitals did by finally winning the Stanley Cup, the time has come for the Chargers to exorcise their demons and truly contend for a Super Bowl again. They boast a talent-rich roster and have gone to great lengths to beef up their line.
• Lamp missed his rookie season with a torn ACL. Feeney didn't start until midway through the year, but performed well when he did. Both young guards will be surrounded by veterans who excel as pass blockers, which bodes well for Philip Rivers at this stage of his career.
• That's not to suggest the line will be an issue for Melvin Gordon's fantasy stock. As a unit, this is an encouraging group that will improve the more it plays together. The line will only help power the Chargers' offense and all its fantasy-relevant stars (with the sad exception of Hunter Henry).

Offensive Line Rankings
32-21 | 20-11 | 10-1