Tyler Smith, Quenton Nelson Lead Top 10 NFL IOL Rankings by Coaches, Execs in New Poll

Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith lived up to the $96 million extension he signed ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

Among interior linemen, the three-time Pro Bowler led the way in the annual positional rankings from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The Indianapolis Colts' Quenton Nelson came in second, while Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, who was No. 1 in 2025, slipped to third.

Here's the full top 10:

1. Tyler Smith, G, Dallas Cowboys
2. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
3. Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Quinn Meinerz, G, Denver Broncos
5. Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears
6. Chris Lindstrom, G, Atlanta Falcons
7. Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs
8. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Las Vegas Raiders
9. Peter Skoronski, G, Tennessee Titans
10. Aaron Brewer, C, Miami Dolphins

One AFC executive told Fowler that Smith possesses a "rare combination of size, athleticism, strength and finish."

"He's like prime Jason Peters playing guard," they said.

Fresh off giving him $27 million annually, the Las Vegas Raiders probably aren't thrilled to see Tyler Linderbaum crack the list at No. 8. According to Fowler, multiple coaches described him as a "liability" times in pass-blocking and pointed to a tendency for him to "float and help" rather than attack a one-on-one assignment.

In general, opinions were all over the board.

At least one respondent in Fowler's poll didn't include Smith their top 10. Nelson and Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, meanwhile, were the only two players in the top 10 who didn't receive a vote for No. 1.

Evaluating offensive linemen can be difficult because they don't have traditional counting stats, and using what's available isn't always a good barometer of their performance.

A quarterback might get sacked because he held onto the ball for too long rather than any problems with his pass protection. Similarly, an offensive line can open wide rushing lanes, but it's on the running back to make the most of those.

Given that, it's little surprise people within the league struggle to find a consensus over the hierarchy of top interior blockers.