- The Bears made a giant splash: Chicago prioritized its offensive line this offseason, significantly transforming the inside with Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman.
- The Vikings bulked up for the NFC North arms race: Minnesota spent large to improve its trenches and used its first-round choose on an offensive lineman.
- Subscribe to PFF+: Get entry to participant grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy soccer rankings, the entire PFF fantasy draft analysis instruments and extra!
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
Three of the highest 5 free-agent signings in complete cash and three of the highest 9 picks within the 2025 NFL Draft had been offensive linemen. NFL groups made bettering the trenches a transparent emphasis this offseason, and we’re which groups improved their models probably the most heading into 2025.
Chicago Bears
The Bears wasted no time in bettering their offensive line this offseason, constructing the inspiration for a brand new period underneath head coach Ben Johnson. The headline transfer was buying and selling for two-time All-Pro Joe Thuney, who has been one of the constant offensive linemen within the NFL, with a 74.2 PFF general grade or increased in each season since 2017.
General supervisor Ryan Poles additionally traded a sixth-round choose to reunite Jonah Jackson together with his previous offensive coordinator. Jackson hasn’t graded above 70.0 in any season of his profession, however with Johnson figuring out the participant effectively from their time collectively in Detroit, the group will hope to get the very best out of him in Chicago.
The Bears’ most impactful transfer of the offseason would be the signing of Drew Dalman, who was PFF’s fifth-highest-graded heart final 12 months following a stellar 2023 season during which he completed because the fourth-highest-graded participant on the place.
Considering all of those strikes alongside the offensive line and the addition of some offensive weaponry with their first two picks within the 2025 NFL Draft, Chicago ought to anticipate to see a significant leap from second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Minnesota Vikings
General supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah broke the financial institution in free company to restore an offensive line that crumbled on the finish of final season. Minnesota gave guard Will Fries an enormous five-year, $87.7 million contract after his spectacular begin to the 2024 season was lower brief because of a fractured tibia. It’s a significant gamble from the Vikings’ entrance workplace, as Fries had put collectively two sub-par seasons earlier than his spectacular five-game stretch in 2024.
Fries shall be joined by his former teammate Ryan Kelly on the inside after the Vikings gave him a two-year, $18 million deal. The former Alabama heart has had a little bit of an up-and-down profession, however he loved the highest-graded season of his profession in 2023 and adopted it up with a stable 67.0 PFF general grade final 12 months.
The Vikings concluded their offensive line makeover by choosing deal with Donovan Jackson with the twenty fourth choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. Jackson performed guard and deal with throughout his profession at Ohio State, and he graded above the seventy fifth percentile in PFF run-blocking grade on each zone and hole schemes in faculty. Minnesota’s revamped offensive line, together with the return of Christian Darrisaw, will look to supply a clear pocket for J.J. McCarthy to distribute the soccer to a powerful set of weapons in 2025.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye was surrounded by one of many worst supporting casts within the NFL as a rookie, and New England was decided to enhance that scenario this offseason. The entrance workplace targeted on the offensive line firstly of free company by signing deal with Morgan Moses, heart Garrett Bradbury and guard Wes Schweitzer.
Moses was an above-average deal with from 2020 to 2023, with PFF general grades of 78.6 or higher throughout three of these 4 seasons. However, the 34-year-old lineman’s play fell off precipitously in 2024 on his method to a 63.3 PFF general grade for the Jets. New England will hope that Moses has just a few extra good years left of defending the sting through the starting of Maye’s profession.
Garrett Bradbury and third-round draft choose Jared Wilson will possible compete for the beginning heart job in 2025. Bradbury has had a little bit of a disappointing profession after the Vikings chosen him within the first spherical in 2019, whereas Wilson could also be one of many steals of this 12 months’s draft as the highest heart on PFF’s large board.
The Patriots additionally picked up PFF’s high offensive deal with within the draft, choosing Will Campbell with the fourth-overall choose. While many of the pre-draft dialog was concerning the former LSU Tiger’s arm size, he held up simply tremendous at deal with within the SEC, rating within the ninety fifth percentile of FBS tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade on true cross units since 2022.
Washington Commanders
After an unimaginable rookie season from Jayden Daniels, the Commanders are hoping they’ve locked down their offensive deal with spots for years to return following the commerce acquisition of Laremy Tunsil and the choice of Oregon deal with Josh Conerly Jr. within the 2025 NFL Draft’s first spherical.
Even although the Texans’ offensive line struggled final 12 months, Tunsil nonetheless managed to earn an 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, marking his fifth season with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 84.9 or higher. While Tunsil did battle with penalties in 2024, he ought to convey some much-needed stability to the Commanders’ offensive line for at the least the subsequent two seasons.
Washington is betting that Josh Conerly Jr. can maintain up at deal with within the NFL, however he could challenge higher as a guard. Either manner, the Commanders are getting a great athlete who earned a 78.1 PFF grade on true cross units final season. Washington additionally made a few low-cost signings alongside the offensive line so as to add some depth because the workforce appears to make one other deep postseason run.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars joined this group of massive spenders alongside the offensive line by giving important contracts to Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey this offseason. Mekari had a really stable six-year run with the Baltimore Ravens, however he’s coming off the worst 12 months of his profession (59.0 PFF general grade in 2024). Jacksonville is betting that the 27-year-old Mekari can return to kind and solidify the inside offensive line for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
After placing collectively an honest season in 2022, Hainsey actually struggled in Tampa Bay in 2023 and was relegated to the bench final 12 months for a Buccaneers workforce that had probably the greatest offensive traces within the league. After giving him a three-year, $21 million contract, the Jaguars are possible anticipating Hainsey to return to the beginning lineup this season.
Jacksonville capped off the offseason by spending a third-round choose on West Virginia deal with Wyatt Milum. The Twelfth-ranked deal with on PFF’s large board put collectively a stellar profession with the Mountaineers during which he ranked within the 97th percentile or higher in each PFF run-blocking and pass-blocking grades whereas not permitting a single sack over the previous three seasons.
New head coach Liam Coen will search for the injection of recent expertise alongside the offensive line to assist his offense attain its full potential in 2025.