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2025 NFL Protector of the Year candidates: Top 10 offensive linemen who could win league's new award

When fans take their seats in stadiums, bars or their homes to watch professional football, most of the attention is paid to those throwing, catching and carrying the football. Meanwhile, the five (or more) linemen tasked with protecting those skill players from the opposition go overlooked.

No longer.

Thanks to the efforts of Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins and retired OT Andrew Whitworth, the NFL has introduced a new award to honor the league's top blocker: Protector of the Year.

College football has long awarded annual accolades for blockers. Now that the NFL has joined in on the fun, the collegiate game might offer us some insight into how this award will be given.

As is the case with most end-of-season awards, team success undoubtedly will increase a player's chances of receiving the hardware. However, that's not the be-all and end-all of candidacy. A select group of linemen have performed so well over the course of their respective careers that they don't need team success to be recognized. They're the elite blockers who are all but guaranteed to receive a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With these factors in mind, I've spotlighted some of the linemen listed below with the expectation they'll play a key part in an upper-tier offense for a contending team. But I'm not restricting consideration to that criterion alone.

Here are my top 10 choices for who's most likely to earn the league's newest end-of-season honor.

NOTE: The odds below, provided by Caesars Sportsbook, are current as of 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 29 unless otherwise noted.

Rank
1
Penei Sewell
Detroit Lions · RT · +450

No matter who you ask, most everyone will agree Sewell is the favorite to take home the first Protector of the Year award. Billed as a generational talent coming out of Oregon, Sewell has lived up to expectations so far, completing the switch to right tackle and making such a difference for Detroit's high-powered offense last season that he garnered some fringe consideration for Offensive Player of the Year. With an award now in place to properly recognize linemen, Sewell will bring a sterling reputation to the race and should own a place near the front of the pack in 2025. The only way he doesn't land among the top finalists is if Detroit's offense regresses under new offensive coordinator John Morton.

Rank
2
Trent Williams
San Francisco 49ers · LT · +1100

Considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in the NFL, Williams took a minor reputational hit in 2024 due to injury, which cost him seven games in a season in which his team regressed dramatically due to personnel losses. That should be nothing but a footnote in the end, though, provided Williams can stay healthy in 2025 and San Francisco can get back on track. As stated above, this award will likely rely on team success, but Williams is among the rare group of players who can attract an accolade even if the team is struggling. He still ranked in the top seven among all tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and he's also the main blocker in Kyle Shanahan's exotic, ambitious running schemes that put him in motion and on tracks toward obliterating defenders, producing viral content we all enjoy. If there's a household name on this list, it's Williams.

Rank
3
Lane Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles · RT · +750

Johnson's second Super Bowl triumph came amid a season in which he and the rest of the Eagles' stellar offensive line cleared alleys for Saquon Barkley to run for over 2,000 yards, a memorable journey that won't be forgotten in Philadelphia any time soon. Since Jason Kelce retired after the 2023 season, Johnson has replaced him as the elder statesman and leader of the elite group, which has remained highly effective even as faces have changed. If the Eagles author another successful campaign and Barkley rushes for 1,300-plus yards, expect Johnson to be among the finalists. Like Williams, he's already headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rank
4
Jordan Mailata
Philadelphia Eagles · LT · +1000

The other standout tackle on Philadelphia's line, Mailata has already achieved enough in his football career to consider it a great success, having transitioned from rugby to become one of the NFL's top tackles. The former seventh-round pick reached a new peak in 2024, earning the top OL grade in the NFL, per PFF, and at 28 years old, he's squarely in his prime. Like Williams, Mailata has earned his own internet fame for cackling after pancaking opponents and clearing room for Barkley, and his Australian accent -- plus his awesome singing voice -- have made him one of the most likeable players in the league. He's a mobile mountain who revels in destroying opponents and is one of the very best at doing so, making him an easy choice for consideration.

Rank
5
Creed Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs · C · +2500

Humphrey is all but a unanimous choice for the best center in the NFL today and Kansas City's true offensive line cornerstone. After a year in which the starting five collectively struggled and eventually crumbled in the Super Bowl, plenty of attention will be on the Chiefs O-line in 2025. If the blocking unit bounces back, Humphrey is going to receive plenty of praise for it, even if he's been the same dependable pivot all along.

Rank
6
Dominick Puni
San Francisco 49ers · RG · +10000

Lost in San Francisco's disappointing 2024 season was the emergence of Puni, a third-round pick who debuted as a top-flight guard in his rookie season. The clues existed early, and while attention diverted from San Francisco before December, Puni continued to build momentum and impress the front office. Just ask general manager John Lynch:


"I think it shows that our process worked there," Lynch told reporters in early January, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "But I would say he really exceeded our expectations. We thought we got a good player, and I think he showed us a little more than that. We were just talking about it upstairs -- everyone saw the real strong play, the consistent play. I think there's more in the tank of where he can grow." 


As some of the 49ers' main contributors move into the later stages of their respective careers, players like Puni and quarterback Brock Purdy represent the franchise's future. Fortunately, Puni is tasked with protecting Purdy, and if Purdy lights it up -- and/or Christian McCaffrey produces an impressive bounce-back season -- Puni will get some looks. He's already earned plenty of love from true ball-knowers.

Rank
7
Quenton Nelson
Indianapolis Colts · LG · +2000

Nelson established his reputation as an elite guard as a rookie and continues to play at a high level, earning a Pro Bowl trip in every season of his seven-year professional career. He's fallen out of the spotlight in recent seasons, though, because the Colts' reputation has declined. Jonathan Taylor has missed plenty of time, limiting a home-run-hitting running back and inherently decreasing chances for Nelson to receive attention. Changes in the offensive group have led to a unit regression, too, an issue GM Chris Ballard is still trying to address. 2025 will be pivotal for a number of Colts, but they don't need to worry about Nelson. If everything comes together for Indianapolis, folks might remember a premier guard plays there, too.

Rank
8
Joe Thuney
Chicago Bears · LG · +2800

2024 typified Thuney's excellence, especially amid chaos. The Chiefs realized their gambles on the left tackle position had failed them, and in a desperate move to settle a leaky offensive line, they moved Thuney out wide. It largely worked, helping the Chiefs return to the Super Bowl, but then they were overwhelmed by the Eagles' defense. Ultimately, this influenced GM Brett Veach to remodel the line. That effort included trading the 32-year-old Thuney to Chicago, where he arrived as a much-desired upgrade at guard.


It all looks good on paper, but Thuney will only receive consideration for this award if new Bears coach Ben Johnson can transform this offense into an explosive unit in short order, and if Caleb Williams can take steps (plural) forward in his second season. If Chicago ends up being a frequent topic of discussion due to on-field success, Thuney will be lauded as one of the pickups key to the team's improvement -- and that will lead directly into consideration for Protector of the Year.

Rank
9
Tyler Linderbaum
Baltimore Ravens · C · +4000

Baltimore's aggressive investment in Linderbaum -- the team traded back into Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft and ultimately selected the Iowa product at No. 25 overall -- has paid off in spades. The Ravens needed to solidify the center spot after a few years of instability and received exactly what they wanted in Linderbaum, who was just a top-three player at the position, according to PFF, in only his third professional season. Linderbaum was the pivot of the NFL's most explosive offense in 2024 and returns to a group that is expected to produce a sequel that is just as good, if not better. Baltimore will be in the spotlight, and Linderbaum should receive recognition for it.

Rank
10
Chris Lindstrom
Atlanta Falcons · RG · +4000

Those who watched Kirk Cousins' downfall in Atlanta might be surprised to learn he was playing behind the NFL's top-rated guard (per PFF) last season. While it's an illustration of how difficult football can be -- and how important having all 11 players in sync is to a team's chances of success -- Lindstrom deserves recognition, regardless of how the quarterback performs. Why, you ask? Well, take a look at Bijan Robinson's 2024 campaign: 1,456 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 431 receiving yards and one receiving score. He racked up those numbers in part because of how well Lindstrom performed in the run game. Second-year pro Michael Penix Jr. is taking over full time under center, and if Atlanta can rebound from a disappointing finish to 2024 -- and if Robinson follows up last year's showing with an equally good or better performance in 2025 -- it will be very difficult to ignore Lindstrom for much longer.

ALSO CONSIDERED: Zach Tom, RT, Green Bay Packers; Dion Dawkins, LT, Buffalo Bills; Rashawn Slater, LT, Los Angeles Chargers; Quinn Meinerz, RG, Denver Broncos; Zach Frazier, C, Pittsburgh Steelers; Tyler Smith, LG, Dallas Cowboys.

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