- Drew Dalman earns the nod at center: Dalman consistently made his impact felt as a run blocker. His 77.3 PFF run-blocking grade ranked seventh among centers, while his 10.7% negative run-blocking grade rate ranked second at the position, trailing only Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey.
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Mock Draft Simulator 2026 NFL Draft Big Board Big Board Builder NCAA Premium Stats SubscribeThe value of true difference makers only increases in the postseason. And while that label is most often reserved for quarterbacks and skill-position players, offensive linemen can tilt games just as decisively.
Using PFF grading, we identify the top performer at each offensive line position from the teams still competing in the playoffs to construct the best possible five-man unit.
Left tackle: Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Bolles has been one of the NFL’s more consistent left tackles throughout his career, but it remained unclear whether he could return to the peak form he displayed in 2020 when he ranked third among offensive tackles in PFF overall grade (90.6).
He answered that question in 2025, ranking fifth at the position in PFF overall grade (89.3) and leading all offensive tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade (90.8). He also allowed pressure on just 3.1% of pass plays, the best rate at the position, and was the only left tackle to log at least 230 pass-blocking snaps without surrendering a sack despite playing 721 pass-blocking snaps and missing only 15 offensive snaps all season.
Honorable mention: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Left guard: Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears
Having already performed at an elite level with three different NFL teams, Thuney took another step toward the Hall of Fame in 2025. The North Carolina product ranked among the 10 highest-graded guards for the eighth consecutive season and has firmly established himself as the premier pass protector at the position in recent years.
Despite missing just five snaps all season, Thuney led all guards in PFF pass-blocking grade (87.6) and pressure rate allowed (2.2%) among 72 qualifying players. He also allowed a quarterback knockdown — a sack or quarterback hit — on just 0.1% of pass plays, the best rate at the position, and was the only one of 65 guards with at least 280 pass-blocking snaps to not surrender a sack despite logging the fourth-most pass-blocking snaps (686).
Honorable mention: Steve Avila, Los Angeles Rams
Center: Drew Dalman, Chicago Bears
Dalman was everything the Bears hoped for when they signed him in free agency last offseason. Like much of Chicago’s offensive line, he started the year slowly and had some early struggles in pass protection, allowing 12 total pressures — including one sack — over his first five games. That performance improved markedly as the season progressed, as Dalman did not allow a single pressure over his next three games and surrendered just 14 total pressures — including one sack — across his final 12 contests.
Even when pass protection was not at its best, Dalman consistently made his impact felt as a run blocker. His 77.3 PFF run-blocking grade ranked seventh among centers, while his 10.7% negative run-blocking grade rate ranked second at the position, trailing only Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey.
Honorable mention: Connor McGovern, Buffalo Bills
Right guard: Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
Meinerz has established himself as arguably the NFL’s top run-blocking guard outside of Penei Sewell. Denver’s interior lineman has ranked among the top six guards in PFF overall grade in each of the past four seasons, and he claimed the top spot for the first time in his career in 2025 with a 90.9 PFF overall grade. He ranked second among guards in positive run-blocking grade rate (22.5%) while earning a negative PFF grade on just 11.3% of run plays, the fifth-lowest rate at the position.
No guard created dominant blocks more frequently than Meinerz. He recorded a dominant run-blocking grade on 3.6% of run plays, the best rate among guards, and the gap between him and the second-ranked player (1.5 percentage points) was equivalent to the gap between second and 34th at the position.
Honorable mention: Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams
Right tackle: Colton McKivitz, San Francisco 49ers
The six-year veteran became a starter in 2023 following Mike McGlinchey’s departure, and while some initially viewed him as a liability, his play steadily improved into one of the more consistent right tackle performances in the league by 2025. During the regular season, his PFF overall grade ranked tied for second among all right tackles — trailing only Penei Sewell — and his 1,116 offensive snaps were the second most at the position. Including the postseason, he leads all right tackles in total snaps this season, with 1,174.
While his pass protection continued to trend upward, McKivitz made his biggest impact as a run blocker. His 90.3 PFF run-blocking grade ranked second among right tackles in the regular season, and he ranked third among 34 qualifying players in positive run-blocking grade rate, earning a positive PFF grade on 16.2% of run plays.
Honorable mention: Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears