• Joe Alt is already one of the NFL’s top young tackles: After slotting in at right tackle as a rookie, Alt led all first-year players at the position in PFF overall grade and looks poised to anchor the Chargers’ line for years to come.

• Christian Mahogany could end up as a draft steal: The 2024 sixth-rounder shined in limited snaps last season and now enters 2025 as a versatile, high-upside lineman with game-changing potential at either guard spot.

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Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

As is proven time and again, strong offensive line play is the foundation of offensive success. And poor line play can derail even the most prolific offenses.

These six young offensive linemen proved in 2024 and in prior years that they have what it takes to elevate their team’s unit in 2025 and beyond.

Last year’s fifth overall pick proved very quickly that he belongs on the NFL stage. His 75.9 PFF overall grade was a top-25 mark among qualified offensive tackles and led all rookie tackles by a wide margin. It’s even more impressive since Alt played right tackle, a position he didn’t take a single snap at in college.

By the end of the season, Alt was already the eighth-best right tackle in the NFL by PFF overall grade. If he ever needs to fill in for Rashawn Slater on the other side, he is perfectly capable. In fact, he played left tackle in Week 18 against Las Vegas and earned an 83.7 PFF pass-blocking grade, his highest in any game last season.

What’s most interesting about Alt is that his solid first-year performance is reminiscent of his freshman year at Notre Dame.

Joe Alt’s 2024 vs. 2021

Alt proved as a true freshman that he was on a path to stardom at Notre Dame. Over the next two seasons, he was the best offensive tackle in college football, sporting a 93.1 PFF overall grade across 1,600 snaps. Another year at his new position could vault Alt into the ranks of the NFL’s elite tackles.

Speaking of 2024 first-round picks who changed positions, Fuaga adjusted reasonably well to the NFL despite playing left tackle, where he didn’t log a single snap in three years at Oregon State.

Fuaga’s 65.7 PFF overall grade in 2024 was a top-50 mark among qualified tackles and a top-five mark among rookie tackles. Aside from playing a new position, Fuaga also had to adjust to the rotating cast of characters on New Orleans’ offensive line. Five players took snaps next to him at left guard, and four players lined up at center. Fuaga’s durability was one of the few constants for the Saints’ offense.

New Orleans drafted a new bookend for Fuaga this season in Kelvin Banks Jr. The rookie is expected to play his natural left tackle position, allowing Fuaga to move back to right tackle. While he was steadily improving on the left side, earning a 90.0-plus PFF pass-blocking grade in two of his final four games, Fuaga should have an easy time transitioning back to the right side.

During his two years as a starter at Oregon State, Fuaga was the highest-graded right tackle in the nation. His stellar run blocking was key, particularly in zone schemes. That production held in his rookie campaign, as his 75.1 zone PFF run-blocking grade ranked 26th among qualified tackles, one spot behind fellow rookie Joe Alt. Kellen Moore’s zone run scheme is slightly different from Klint Kubiak’s, but Fuaga should have no problem making the transition both to his natural position and to a new play caller.

Taliese Fuaga’s 2024 PFF Game Grades

The Falcons have done an outstanding job of developing offensive linemen in recent seasons. Chris Lindstrom is arguably the best guard in football. Kaleb McGary is excellent at executing their outside-zone run schemes. The same can be said for former center Drew Dalman, who recently departed for a large contract in Chicago in free agency.

Another player who appears to be on that same development curve is left guard Matthew Bergeron. Bergeron improved in every facet last season, leading to a 70.9 PFF overall grade that represented a big increase from his 59.1 figure the prior year.

At the core of the Falcons’ elite offensive line development is their ability to teach outside-zone run blocking. Bergeron leads all guards with 555 such reps over the past two seasons. Among the 66 guards with at least 100 outside-zone reps in that span, he ranks 12th with a 78.2 PFF run-blocking grade.

Bergeron has proven that he can excel within Atlanta’s core concepts. That ability made him a top-20 guard in the league last season. If he can make another jump in pass protection and commit a few fewer penalties, he could break into the top 10 this season.

Mahogany has gone from a 2024 sixth-round pick to a potentially crucial part of Detroit’s championship hopes in the blink of an eye. Granted, it’s debatable whether he should’ve gone that late, given that he was ranked 106th on the final 2024 PFF Big Board, so Mahogany may just prove that he is one of the biggest steals of last year’s class.

He certainly impressed in short work last season. Mahogany appeared in five games, including two starts, and earned an elite 91.5 PFF overall grade. He made one start at each guard spot. The first came against Chicago at left guard, and he posted an excellent 82.5 PFF pass-blocking grade. He started at right guard during the Lions’ playoff game against Washington and recorded an elite 92.2 PFF overall grade.

Detroit is still figuring out the alignment of its interior unit with Graham Glasgow and Tate Ratledge both being candidates to play center. Mahogany’s familiarity at both guard spots is a major asset. The production of those three players could decide the fate of the Lions’ season, but the team should have faith in what Mahogany has put on tape.

If there is a source of optimism for the New York Jets moving forward, it’s their talented young offensive line. While the spotlight lately has been on their first-round picks at offensive tackle, Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, it’s their center who deserves more attention.

Tippmann’s rookie season started with him playing guard, where he logged just 11 snaps during his college career at Wisconsin. Injuries to the Jets’ offensive line forced him back to his natural position at center, and he has started every game there since Week 9 of 2023.

Since then, Tippmann’s 70.6 PFF overall grade ranks 14th among centers who have played at least 500 snaps. Given a full offseason as the established starting center, he ranked ninth in PFF overall grade and eighth in PFF run-blocking grade among qualifiers at the position in 2024. There were some lapses in pass protection, but his job wasn’t particularly easy due to the volume at which the Jets threw the ball last season.

The most fascinating part of Tippmann’s development this season will be his fit in Tanner Engstrand’s offensive system. Over the past two seasons, the Detroit Lions — Engstrand’s former team — ran outside zone at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. That should benefit the athletic Tippmann, whose 92.9 PFF run-blocking grade on those plays is the second best among centers since he moved there in mid-2023. Of course, he fittingly sits behind the recently retired Frank Ragnow in those rankings.

The Jets’ offensive line has the potential to carry them into the future, and Tippmann is a huge part of that.

2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson saw time at guard and center last season with starting center Andre James still in the fold. James has departed for Los Angeles, which gives Powers-Johnson a clear path to be the team’s starting center role in 2025 and beyond.

Powers-Johnson played well across 400 snaps at guard during his college career at Oregon, but he won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center in 2023. His 84.5 PFF overall grade led all qualified centers that season, and he allowed just one pressure over the entire campaign.

There is already evidence that he will continue to succeed as a center in the NFL.

Jackson Powers-Johnson’s 2024 Positional Splits

Powers-Johnson’s grading profile was better last season when he played center. His pass blocking, generally considered his ace in the hole, was significantly better when he played center. His 5.2% pressure rate allowed at guard is a relatively average mark. His 2.4% pressure rate allowed at center was the sixth-best rate among centers with at least 200 reps last season.

Powers-Johnson moving to center full time this season should bring out the best in his ability, giving a solid offensive line a chance to improve even further this season.