One of the NFL’s top offensive lines is what the Detroit Lions have invested in and developed.
They may be said to be the greatest even with the only change made this offseason—moving Graham Glasgow to left guard in favor of Kevin Zeitler, who was brought in to replace Jonah Jackson.
Through his work at Trench Warfare and Establish The Run, Brandon Thorn has established himself as one of the leading authorities on offensive lines in the field. Here’s how he arrived with his tiered 2024 rankings of NFL offensive lines.
“Trench play evaluation is my area of expertise. The main criteria I use to determine these rankings are my assessments of each offensive lineman based on game footage, the team’s 2023 performance, coaching, age, experience, and continuity.”
Detroit Lions offensive line in a tier by itself
“Elite Offensive Lines” is the name given to Thorn’s highest tier. For him, the Lions are the only team in that tier. “The Lions’ offensive line had a fantastic season, and right tackle Penei Sewell was named to the All-Pro team.”Frank Ragnow, another All-Pro, at center, and Taylor Decker, a reliable starter at left tackle, support Sewell.
Jonah Jackson, the left guard from last season, signed a free agent contract and joined the Rams this offseason. However, Detroit was able to bring in Graham Glasgow, the dynamic swing player and main starter at right guard from last season, to take Jackson’s place.
Although Glasgow lacks Jackson’s physicality and explosiveness, he is still a reliable “B” level starter who can produce useful play. Glasgow made a lateral move that resulted in the signing of shrewd veteran Kevin Zeitler in 2024.
Though he is nearing the twilight of his career, Zeitler can be trusted on to at least provide what Glasgow did the previous season. Thorn believes that Zeitler replacing Glasgow at right guard should be a lateral move for the Lions, a belief supported by Pro Football Focus evaluations from the previous season.
For the first time since his second season in the league (2017), Glasgow will find it difficult to switch to left guard on a regular basis, but his main strength is his adaptability as a lineman.
With an average age of little over 29, the offensive line of the Lions is becoming older. To perhaps maintain their front-five among the best for years to come, they have added developmental players like Giovanni Manu and Colby Sorsdal with an eye toward the future.
