Ranking Every NFL Team's Offensive Building Blocks Ahead of 2024 Offseason
Every NFL roster is about to change. In many cases, quite a lot.
But it's always good to get a gauge on where these units stand before the wildness of free agency and the draft.
Looking only at developing players at or below the age of 25, and focusing primarily on 2023 production combined with trajectory, let's compare every NFL offensive core in terms of building blocks in place entering the 2024 offseason.
Borderline Block-Less
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32. New England Patriots: Anyone fired up about Demario Douglas (23) or Sidy Sow (barely still 25)? I'm betting a lot of you don't even know who they are. That's pretty much all we're working with beyond thus-far-disappointing first-round pick Cole Strange (25) in New England. What a mess.
31. Las Vegas Raiders: It's a sign of the times for the Raiders that the top option here is 22-year-old tight end Michael Mayer, who had 304 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Maybe 24-year-old offensive linemen Dylan Parham and Thayer Munford are worth consideration, but neither looks like a significant building block.
30. Cleveland Browns: This is pretty ugly. A lot of questions surround offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (24), leaving 23-year-old receiver Elijah Moore as potentially the top building block within this unit.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum (23) is already a Pro Bowl-level center, but it's fair not to totally trust young receivers Zay Flowers (23) and Rashod Bateman (24). Lamar Jackson could definitely use more young talent around him.
28. Tennessee Titans: The focus here has to be on 24-year-old quarterback Will Levis, but there's almost nobody else worth mentioning as they wait to see what 2023 first-round offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (22) has to offer.
27. Denver Broncos: 25-year-old Quinn Meinerz is a very strong guard, while Jerry Jeudy (24) at least has a long resume at wide receiver. You kind of run out of options beyond that, though, especially if 21-year-old Marvin Mims Jr. doesn't eventually deliver.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I'm not sure 25-year-old back Rachaad White has done enough to be considered a building block, which leaves 80 percent of the offensive line. Tristan Wirfs (25) is obviously well established but now quite expensive for a building block. Luke Goedeke (25) is a solid presence on the other end, but we have to see a lot more from the other 25-year-olds, Robert Hainsey and Cody Mauch. Add it all up and you don't get a whole lot.
25. Washington Commanders: Pretty tough to give them much credit for quarterback Sam Howell (23) at this stage, so you're kinda left with strong offensive lineman Sam Cosmi (25) and a bunch of guys who have failed to live up to expectations like Jahan Dotson (23), Brian Robinson Jr. (24) and Saahdiq Charles (24).
The Jury's Very Much Out
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24. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase is more of a built block than a building block, but we can't dock the Bengals for the fact that the dude is incredibly accomplished at age 23. Still, with 25-year-old Tee Higgins' contract expiring, there isn't a lot here for the next generation in Cincy.
23. San Francisco 49ers: This is all about quarterback Brock Purdy (24), who certainly carries a lot of weight but isn't surrounded by a lot of youth. This is a veteran team, with Brandon Aiyuk on the verge of his 26th birthday as well.
22. New York Giants: The Giants are loaded with young offensive players who have failed to show significant signs of becoming major contributors. The list? It starts with practically the entire offensive line beyond 25-year-old Andrew Thomas (namely John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal, who are 24 and 24, respectively), and spans into the pass-catching corps with Wan'Dale Robinson (23), Jalin Hyatt (22) and Daniel Bellinger (23). Meh.
21. Seattle Seahawks: Nobody really jumps out at you, and half the four notables play the same semi-irrelevant position (Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, both of whom are 23-year-old running backs. At least there's still room for 2022 first-round offensive tackle Charles Cross (23) to become a Pro Bowl-level player, and 2023 first-round receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (barely 22) had his moments as a rookie.
20. New Orleans Saints: They're saved by the young receiving duo of Chris Olave (23) and Rashid Shaheed (25), because 24-year-old offensive linemen Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning have simply not gotten it done.
19. Indianapolis Colts: We're obviously all waiting on 21-year-old quarterback Anthony Richardson, and by extension, young weapons Josh Downs (22) and Alec Pierce (23). Little else jumps out at you, for now.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: It's hard to really count soon-to-be 26-year-old unproven quarterback Kenny Pickett, but the Steelers do deserve credit for loading up on young offensive options. The highlights are George Pickens (22), Najee Harris (25) and Broderick Jones (22), all of whom have elite potential and have flashed to various degrees.
17. Carolina Panthers: Rookies Bryce Young (22) and Jonathan Mingo (23) didn't really cut it in 2023, but it's too early to give up on Young in particular. Elsewhere, the jury remains out on 2022 first-rounder Ikem Ekwonu (23) and running back Chuba Hubbard (24).
16. Jacksonville Jaguars: This is a tricky one. Obviously Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are extremely talented young players, which is enough to be considered a strong building block. But Ezra Cleveland barely qualifies by age (he turns 26 this spring) and is set to hit free agency following a midseason trade from Minnesota, and fellow qualifying offensive linemen Anton Harrison (22), Walker Little (24) and Luke Fortner (25) have given us little reason to believe.
15. Los Angeles Chargers: Quarterback Justin Herbert is already well built and on the verge of his 26th birthday, so the Chargers need more than just that to score significant points here. They do have three sub-25-year-old offensive line starters in Rashawn Slater (24), Zion Johnson (24) and Jamaree Salyer (23), but only Slater looks like a potential star and receivers Josh Palmer (24) and Quentin Johnston (22) have yet to emerge. They're somewhere in the middle.
A Block or Two Away from an Elite Young Core
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14. Buffalo Bills: 24-year-old recent second-round picks James Cook and O'Cyrus Torrence have become critical offensive pieces for the Bills, as has tight end Dalton Kincaid (also 24). The reliable Gabriel Davis is 24 as well but has an expiring contract. Another 24-year-old, Khalil Shakir, could go either way. Next year will probably represent a make-or-break season for him, as well as much of this young core in support of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.
13. Arizona Cardinals: There's little reason to believe wide receiver Michael Wilson (24 on Friday) tight end Trey McBride (24), and highly drafted offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. won't have strong NFL careers. But none are locks to become great in support of Kyler Murray or whoever is the future at quarterback.
12. New York Jets: Gang Green gets a passing grade just based on Breece Hall (22) and Garrett Wilson (23), as both have flashed star potential as offensive weapons at Aaron Rodgers' disposal in 2023. If only 24-year-old Mekhi Becton could come through for the offensive line, but he very well could be done with the team.
11. Houston Texans: Nico Collins (24) and Tank Dell (24) caught a combined 14 touchdown passes from 22-year-old rookie sensation C.J. Stroud in 2023. They'll have to keep it up, but it's a hell of a start.
10. Chicago Bears: Do we count 24-year-old quarterback Justin Fields? He hasn't really delivered yet and could be traded. And we aren't allowed to count Caleb Williams yet, so the Bears are in an odd spot here. The good news is the line has three strong 25-or-unders in place with Teven Jenkins (25), Braxton Jones (24) and Darnell Wright (22), plus 24-year-old tight end Cole Kmet fresh off his best season.
9. Los Angeles Rams: Few would have expected them to rank this high before this past season because they still have a veteran team, but then both Puka Nacua (22) and Kyren Williams (23) went out and ranked top-15 in the league in yards from scrimmage. Still, there's not much beyond that. Not a lot of points earned for up-in-the-air young offensive linemen Steve Avila (24) and Alaric Jackson (25).
8. Kansas City Chiefs: Despite plenty of key veteran losses in recent years, the Chiefs deserve credit for what they've done to add young talent for Patrick Mahomes' sake. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith (both 24) have become reliable offensive line fixtures, while Isiah Pacheco (24) and Rashee Rice (23) are key young weapons for Mahomes.
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Little Reason for Concern
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7. Dallas Cowboys: Wideout CeeDee Lamb carries the Cowboys as a three-time Pro Bowler at 24, while the 25-year-old Jake Ferguson is coming off a breakout campaign at tight end, and the same can be said for 22-year-old Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith. Lamb is arguably already built, while Ferguson and Smith are strong blocks. Still, all count for something. This is quality over quantity.
6. Green Bay Packers: You certainly have to start with the progress shown by 25-year-old quarterback Jordan Love in 2023, but it doesn't stop there. A lot of that progress came as a result of efforts from receivers Jayden Reed (23), Romeo Doubs (23), Christian Watson (24) and Dontayvion Wicks (22), as well as offensive linemen Zach Tom (24) and Josh Myers (25). This is quantity, possibly even quality.
5. Atlanta Falcons: Quarterback Desmond Ridder (24) is hardly guaranteed a long-term shot, so it's hard to consider him much of a building block. Still, despite somewhat of a lack of delivery, the talent is absolutely there with Bijan Robinson (22), Kyle Pitts (23) and Drake London (22) at the skill positions. Throw in the potential with guard Matthew Bergeron (23), and this is a strong young foundation.
4. Minnesota Vikings: It doesn't get much more promising than Justin Jefferson (24) and Jordan Addison (22) at wide receiver, but then there's also 24-year-old left tackle Christian Darrisaw. That's a hell of a threesome in support of whoever quarterbacks the Vikes in 2024.
3. Philadelphia Eagles: Quarterback Jalen Hurts is still 25 and obviously more than a block. What else do they have in support of him? A standout receiver in DeVonta Smith, a standout running back in D'Andre Swift and a standout guard in Landon Dickerson (all 25). They're in fantastic shape.
2. Miami Dolphins: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is 26 in a few days and is built up, so the key is for Miami to have blocks around him. Star-ceilinged weapons Jaylen Waddle (25) and De'Von Achane (22) accomplish that, and solid 24-year-old offensive tackle Austin Jackson is icing on the cake.
1. Detroit Lions: Holy moly. Among a group that includes Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams, St. Brown—who turned 24 in the fall—is the oldest! The future is damn bright in the Motor City.
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