FRISCO, Texas – Followers of the Dallas Cowboys should know plenty about offensive line play.
From the time they drafted Tyron Smith in 2011, the Cowboys have amassed an incredible amount of offensive line talent over the years. Opponents know when they play Dallas, they'll be facing the likes of Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin.
Other teams have gotten the memo about dominant line play. Look no further than this year's schedule, as some of the best linemen in the league will go against DeMarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys' pass rush.
Here's a look at the 10 best offensive tackles on this year's schedule.
Look no further than this year's schedule, as some of the best linemen in the league will go against DeMarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys' pass rush.
10. Dion Dawkins: Lines up at left tackle. Massive man. Big time power in his body. Hard guy to move due to his strength. Is on the ground more than most tackles I've studied. Scheme requires him to cut block in space. Stays with his man. Is able to adjust. Light on his feet. Pass stunts/games well. Adjusts on the move. Can push the rusher pass the quarterback. Plays with power in the running game. Gets push with his mass. Has some mauler traits to his game.
9. Laremy Tunsil: Lines up at left tackle. Is quick out of his stance. Plays on his feet. Don't see him on the ground. Stays in front of his man. Is a catch blocker. Doesn't punch. One of the best holders in the league. Amazing he doesn't get caught. Shows patience as a blocker. Will let rusher make all his moves and then react. Athletic to get in space on the 2nd level and screens. Tremendous movement skills. Pass set is text book.
8. Taylor Decker: Lines up at left tackle. Athletic player. Is rare that he plays the majority of his snaps with his hand on the ground. Quick footed. Is a shield/wall off blocker. Is not going to over power or out physical an opponent. Will generally run the rusher past the quarterback. Can adjust. Plays well on the move. Gets the 2nd level easily. Can be a hard guy to run around due to his foot work. Best when he can use his arm length to extend on rushers. Has the ability to keep guys off his body with length.
7. Rob Havenstein: Lines up at right tackle. Quick out of his stance. Nice base. Keeps his head out of the block. Doesn't play overextended. Can adjust to the inside move. Ability to stay in front of his man. Good awareness to help his teammates when necessary. Outstanding blocker when working on the double team. Gets movement in the running game by working his feet. Wouldn't say he has great upper body power. Can get in trouble when he plays tall. Makes the defender try and run through him. Finisher. Has a mean side to him.
6. Lane Johnson: Lines up at right tackle. Gets away from the line well. Quick out of his stance to get into the block. Ability to maintain position throughout the block. Athletic ability allows him to keep the pocket wide. Feet and hands work well together. Can adjust on the move. Extends on the defender. Does a nice job of keeping defender off his body. Will see him give ground in his set but doesn't allow his man to the quarterback. Plays on his feet. Rarely do you see him on the ground. Will say that the longer he has to maintain his block the more trouble he has keeping his balance.
5. Ryan Ramczyk: Lines up at right tackle. Stays active with his feet. Push shove/blocker. More hand placement than punch. Will give some ground as a pass protector then recover to sit down on his man. Better overall pass protector than run blocker. Keeps feet moving but not great push. More athletic ability than power. Have seen defenders get him off balance. Times where he'll struggle with size/power. Has no problem playing at the 2nd level. Will see him leading the way on the screen.
4. Trent Williams: Lines up at left tackle. Has been in the league a long time and has played at a high level the majority of his career. Is a combination of power/nastiness. Will physically attempt to hurt the defender with his finish. Hard guy to move when he sits down. Impressive the way that he's able to maintain position throughout the block. Text book with his technique. Can get serious movement in the running game. Has the ability to move the line of scrimmage.
3. Andrew Whitworth: Lines up at left tackle. One of the more athletic tackles in the league. Hard guy to work around. Rushers have trouble getting the corner on him. Is a catch/steer blocker. Will extend his hands into his man then work for control. Has the upper body strength to make this work. So hard to get away from. Never appears hurried or pressed. Size helps him in the running game. Will wall off or shield defender from the ball. Aware to what is going on around him. Can't fool him with games/stunts.
2. David Bakhtiari: Lines up at left tackle. Plays with an ease of movement. Outstanding when it comes to getting his hands and feet to work together. Can really set the edge in pass protection. Keeps the pocket wide for Aaron Rodgers. Rarely do you see him on the ground. So good that opponents move rushers away from his side. Easily gets to the 2nd level. Finds his man and takes care of them in space. Doesn't become disengaged. Stays with his man. Finishes well.
1. Terron Armstead: Lines up at left tackle. Initial quickness out of his stance. Light footed. Can work his man wide or adjust back to the inside to stay in front. Outstanding movement skills. Doesn't put himself in poor blocking positions. Doesn't panic as a blocker. Plays in control. Is a master at the "back door" block in the running game. Will let man go inside then circle around to get in front. If he has a weakness there are snaps in which he plays without power and it affects the way he blocks.
