NFL Free Agency 2016: Ranking Top Available Offensive Linemen

The 2016 NFL free-agency period is nearly upon us. At 4 p.m. ET on March 9, the market will officially open for business, and unrestricted free agents will immediately begin finding new homes.

It's going to be an exciting time for fans. It should be an even more exciting time for NFL teams, though, because this year's free-agent class is loaded with talent. Franchises that are looking for help should find it at multiple positions—and positions along the offensive line are definitely not exceptions.

While some positions this year are strong because of depth, there are legitimate stars to be found along the offensive line. Alex Mack, Evan Mathis and Russell Okung have Pro Bowl appearances on their resumes, while Richie Incognito and Mitchell Schwartz were among the best players at their respective positions this past season.

There is some really good depth along the offensive line in this year's market, too. However, we're going to focus on the top end of the position group. We're going to select this year's best free-agent offensive linemen and rank them based on factors such as past production, physical potential, age and injury risk.

Do you agree with our list? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.

Honorable Mention: Andre Smith, Tackle

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Offensive tackle Andre Smith is a big, physical starting-caliber player who should generate strong interest on the free-agent market. He only recently turned 29 years old, so relative youth is an asset for him, as well.

This problem with Smith is that he is coming off a down season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in 14 regular-season games and finished the year rated just 130th among offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus.

Nevertheless, Smith is still valuable because he is a proven commodity at the tackle position. He has appeared in 82 games with the Bengals and has made 73 starts in his seven pro seasons. At 6'4" and 325 pounds, he is ideally built to be a road-grading NFL right tackle. We can't justify placing Smith on our list of top players because of this past season, but he will have value in free agency.

Whichever team decides to sign Smith will get a guy who can step in and start and continue starting for the foreseeable future. Smith isn't an offensive line superstar, but he is physical, reliable and effective.

More than a few teams out there can use such a player in 2016.

10. Evan Mathis, Guard

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We're kicking off our official list with Evan Mathis, a veteran guard and freshly crowned world champion.

The only reason Mathis is coming in at the bottom of our rankings is the fact he will turn 35 years old during the 2016 season and has 11 years of NFL wear on his 6'5", 301-pound frame.

Make no mistake, though: Mathis is still a successful player. He stepped in with the Denver Broncos this past season, started 15 games at left guard and helped deliver a Lombardi Trophy to the fans in Denver.

Pro Football Focus rated him seventh overall among guards for the 2015 season.

Age is really the only factor likely to limit the number of teams that chase Mathis in free agency. Teams that are staring down the prospect of a lengthy rebuild aren't likely to view him as a piece of the long-term puzzle.

For contending teams in search of a short-term solution, however, Mathis is the perfect candidate. He came into Denver on a one-year, $3.25 million deal and walked away with a Super Bowl ring. He should have little trouble finding a team that is willing to give him a similar opportunity in 2016. In fact, coming back to Denver should be an option that Mathis weighs if he believes enough pieces are in place for a repeat run.

9. Russell Okung, Tackle

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We have to reach back a bit to find a standout season for offensive tackle Russell Okung. The six-year starter of the Seattle Seahawks made his only Pro Bowl appearance after the 2012 season.

Injuries have also been an issue for the former sixth overall pick. Okung missed 13 games over the past three seasons and has never played a full 16-game NFL season.

Still, Okung is an above-average player—he was rated 28th overall among tackles by Pro Football Focus in 2015—and he plays the ever-important left tackle position. This, along with the fact he is still just 28 years old, is why he owns a spot on our list.

The demand for starting-caliber left tackles is much greater than the supply. There's no getting around the fact and no denying that Okung will be a player in demand on the open market. It would make sense for the Seahawks to bring their left tackle back because there is no clear succession plan in place. However, demand from other teams could make it difficult.

If it was safe for potential employers to count on Okung for multiple 16-game seasons, he'd be much higher on this list. However, he is still one of the better linemen who are heading toward free agency.

8. Richie Incognito, Guard

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Offensive guard Richie Incognito is coming off a tremendous season with the Buffalo Bills. His season was so good that he makes our list despite being 32 years old and having off-field concerns.

Incognito spent more than a year away from football after his part in the now-infamous Miami Dolphins bullying scandal. However, the Bills were willing to give him an opportunity this past season, and he responded as well as could possibly be expected.

He started all 16 games for the Bills at left guard and finished the 2015 season rated second overall among guards by Pro Football Focus. He capped his comeback season with an appearance in the 2016 Pro Bowl as an alternate.

Teams are likely to have some reservations about Incognito because of the Miami incident, but they aren't likely to find a better interior run-blocker on the open market. The 6'3", 319-pounder is like a human bulldozer on the playing field.

If Incognito were a little younger and his past a bit less checkered, he'd easily rank higher on our list. Still, he should provide potential employers with a strong two- or three-year stint.

Expect Incognito to draw a lot of attention from contending teams that are looking to fit the veteran into their playoff windows.

7. Alex Boone, Guard

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Alex Boone isn't exactly an elite player, but he is solid and was one of the league's better guards this past season. Pro Football Focus rated him 37th overall among guards for the 2015 season, and he was named a Pro Bowl alternate for the second time in his career.

At 6'8" and 300 pounds, Boone is about as big and as physical as they come on the interior of the offensive line. He has shown during his time with the San Francisco 49ers that he can power his way upfield in the running game and has the wingspan to also hold interior pass-rushers at bay.

Pro Football Focus rated Boone 16th overall among guards in pass protection this past season.

Boone is still on the short side of 30—he'll turn 29 in May—so teams should be able to target the behemoth with long-term plans in mind. The only thing preventing Boone from being higher on our list is the fact he suffered a torn MCL near the end of the 2015 campaign.

According to Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole, Boone only suffered a slight tear of the MCL and surgery wasn't required. Still, teams will probably be wary, and the former Ohio State standout will have to be cleared medically.

If Boone does return to his pre-injury form, he would provide potential employers with an upper-level and long-term building block.

6. Donald Penn, Tackle

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Donald Penn is an older player—he'll turn 33 this April—and he has largely flown under the radar with the Oakland Raiders the past couple of seasons. However, he is talented and in the short term should easily be one of the top players available in free agency this year.

Penn was outstanding in 2015, finishing the season rated 10th overall by Pro Football Focus. He was also excellent the year before, finishing 2014 rated seventh overall.

In fact, Penn has been very good—and very durable—for quite some time, as Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com recently explained.

"Penn has been a solid addition the past two seasons in protecting QB Derek Carr's blind side and starting all 32 games," Gutierrez wrote. "In fact, Penn—a Pro Bowler for the Buccaneers in 2010—has started 140 straight games in his career, the third-longest streak among tackles in the NFL"

For teams that are looking at a two- or three-year window, Penn is probably the best left tackle headed toward free agency. The fact that most teams prefer to anchor their offensive line with a young franchise-caliber player is the only thing keeping the 10-year veteran from ranking further up this list.

For a contending team like, say, the Seattle Seahawks—who are scheduled to lose their left tackle to free agency—Penn should be an immediate target.

5. Brandon Brooks, Guard

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Offensive guard Brandon Brooks has to rank high on our list because he is young, powerful and effective in the interior of the line.

The 6'5", 335-pound Miami University product is coming off a strong season with the Houston Texans. He helped Houston's ground attack continue churning even after the loss of starting running back Arian Foster, and he finished the year rated 34th among guards by Pro Football Focus.

Brooks is also one of the younger players entering free agency this year. He will turn 27 years old jut before the start of the 2016 season, and he can be a building block on any team's offensive line for many years to come.

This is exactly how Texans general manager Rick Smith views Brooks.

"I think you can look through the balance of our roster and see that our good, young football players are guys that we try to extend," Smith said, via the Texans' official website. "Certainly, Brandon is one of those guys and is a key cog in our offensive line, and we would love to have him back.”

If Houston cannot find a way to bring Brooks back, there should be no shortage of teams looking to bring in the young run-blocker.

4. Alex Mack, Center

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Alex Mack is a unique addition to our list because he is entering his second foray into free agency in two years. The Cleveland Browns franchise-tagged him after the 2013 season, and then he signed an offer sheet by the Jacksonville Jaguars. That offer sheet included an option for Mack to void his contract after two years.

The Browns matched the offer, so Mack remained in Cleveland. On Wednesday, however, he exercised his option and voided the deal, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.

This means Mack will be a free agent next week, and there should be no shortage of teams looking to land him.

Mack is coming off the third Pro Bowl season of his career, a year after suffering a torn ACL. His return from the injury didn't go as smoothly as he might have hoped—Pro Football Focus rated him just 16th overall among centers—but he was playing well enough by season's end to earn a trip to Hawaii.

The knee injury that Mack suffered in 2014 may cause some teams to have some reservations about signing him, but he should be better the further he distances himself from the injury. The hulking 6'4", 311-pound interior lineman has never missed a game otherwise.

Mack only recently turned 30 years old and should have several strong years ahead of him. Pro Bowl offensive linemen in the prime of their careers don't hit the market often, so expect multiple teams to show interest when free agency opens on March 9.

3. Kelvin Beachum, Tackle

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Kelvin Beachum would probably be the top player on our list if not for the fact he is coming off an ACL tear. A four-year member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is young, talented and plays the all-important left tackle position.

It's difficult to predict how quickly and how efficiently a player can return from a serious knee injury, but the reality is that Beachum was one of the league's better offensive linemen before his. Pro Football Focus rated him fifth overall among offensive tackles in 2014 and 38th overall for his injury-shortened 2015 campaign.

Assuming Beachum can return at or close to 100 percent, he should be able to anchor an offensive line and do it for the foreseeable future. The 6'3", 303-pound tackle is probably looking at a hefty payday.

"Left tackles usually get paid," Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com recently wrote. "And you could argue Beachum was a top-10 tackle before tearing his ACL in Week 7."

Beachum's ACL tear does make him a bit of a gamble, of course. However, plenty of teams should be willing to roll the dice because if a team cashes in, it's going to cash in big.

2. Mitchell Schwartz, Tackle

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Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz comes in at the No. 2 position on our list, but we could easily name him No. 1-B and feel good about it.

Schwartz hasn't always been a dominant force along the offensive line for the Cleveland Browns, but he has steadily improved and was exceptional this past season. Pro Football Focus rated him sixth overall among offensive tackles for the 2015 season. He was Pro Football Focus' top-rated right tackle for the year.

The 6'5", 320-pound Cal product is productive in both the ground game and in pass protection. At just 26 years old, he is also about to enter the prime of his career. The former second-round pick hasn't been named to a Pro Bowl yet, but that day should be on the horizon.

It would make a ton of sense for the Browns to retain Schwartz, as he and perennial Pro Bowler Joe Thomas easily form one of the better bookend duos in the league. However, Cleveland may find it difficult to field the right offer, because Schwartz should be one of the hotter names on the market this offseason.

Whichever team lands Schwartz will get a talented, young and durable player—he hasn't missed a game since being drafted in 2012. He's a true top-tier player and should remain one for many more years.

1. Kelechi Osemele, Guard

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Offensive Guard Kelechi Osemele is going to be one of the hotter names on the free-agent market this year for a couple of reasons.

For starters, he is easily one of the best run-blocking guards in the game today. He finished this past season with the Baltimore Ravens rated fifth overall in run blocking by Pro Football Focus. His massive 6'5", 330-pound frame is like a battering ram in the interior of the line, and he should be able to boost virtually any rushing attack for the 2016 season.

Osemele brings some versatility to the table as well, though. According to Pro Football Focus, he appeared in four games at left tackle and played 292 snaps at the position in 2015. His ability to play multiple positions will make him a valuable commodity.

Osemele also has youth on his side. He is only 26 years old and has just four NFL seasons under his belt. The only red flag here is that he hasn't played a full 16-game season since his rookie year in 2012.

Still, it's easy to see how Osemele's combination of youth, talent and upside will make him one of the more heavily coveted players on the market. This is also why he tops our list. It shouldn't surprise anyone if he comes out of free agency as one of the league's highest-paid linemen as well.

The Ravens have already made Osemele an offer in an attempt to keep him off the market. However, it appears the mammoth guard will see what other offers are out there. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, sources have indicated that Osemele won't stay in Baltimore unless the team makes him the league's highest-paid guard.

If Baltimore isn't willing to shell out the proverbial fat cash for Osemele, another team out there will.