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Friday, December 14, 2018

3 Rams among PFF's top 25 offensive linemen in NFL this season





By Cameron DaSilva
December 13, 2018

Aside from the struggles the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line has had in the past few weeks, the unit has been phenomenal this season. Guys like Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe and Rob Havenstein have provided outstanding protection for Jared Goff, while also opening up huge running lanes for Todd Gurley.

The offensive line is part of the reason the Rams’ offense has been so explosive this year, ranking third in points and yardage. Pro Football Focus has recognized the Rams’ line throughout the season, most recently ranking three players among the 25 best linemen in the NFL for 2018.

Havenstein was the top-ranked Ram on the list, checking in at No. 10 with an overall grade of 81.1.

Havenstein isn’t going to overpower a lot of people, but he’s as consistent and technically sound as any tackle in the league. The former second-rounder has only allowed three combined sacks and hits all season.

Just behind him at No. 11 is Whitworth, who has an overall grade of 81.1. He continues to be one of the best left tackles in the NFL, despite being 37 years old.

Closing in on his 37th birthday, Whitworth is doing things that offensive tackles aren’t supposed to do. As fellow 36-year old left tackle Jason Peters has seen his body break down and play slip in recent years, Whitworth continues to churn out dominance. He hasn’t had a single game with a below average pass-blocking grade all season.

A bit further down the list is Blythe, who’s in his first season as a starter for the Rams. He took over for Jamon Brown after he was suspended for the first two games of the season. Needless to say, Blythe has been a pleasant surprise and a true standout for the Rams this year.

He has an overall grade of 74.2, fifth-best among all guards in the NFL.

Anyone could have had one of the top-25 offensive linemen in the NFL after he was waived by the Colts a year and a half ago. The former seventh-round pick wasn’t even supposed to start for the Rams until Jamon Brown got suspended. Blythe never relinquished control of the job and has been reliable ever since.


John Sullivan has struggled a bit this season after a tremendous 2017 campaign with the Rams, but if he’s the weakest link on the offensive line, L.A. is in good shape. Rodger Saffold just missed out on PFF’s list, but even he’s the 10th-ranked guard by the site’s measures.

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