All articles tagged with #offensive line
The New York Giants traded offensive guard Joshua Ezeudu to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2028 seventh-round pick. Ezeudu, 26, had been listed as a multi-positional lineman and missed all of 2025 with a calf injury, but has appeared in 33 games with 10 starts; the Chiefs add depth along the interior behind Trey Smith.
A former Titans scout analyzes Cam Ward, the offensive line, and Kevin Winston Jr., arguing that the first two preseason games expose enough roster holes to worry about the season, despite front-office improvements and a rough showing by the first-team offense in the win over the Seahawks.
Juice Scruggs’ strong preseason film against the Commanders gave him a real shot to start at center (and possibly guard) for the Detroit Lions as Cade Mays heals. The Penn State product flashed versatility—stacking second-level blocks, handling multiple run schemes, and showing solid pass protection—matching Brad Holmes’ praise of his intangibles and readiness to contribute across the interior line. If he can maintain this level, Scruggs could be the headset answer for the Lions’ interior line depth.
After a 24-21 preseason win over the Eagles, coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged New England isn’t a particularly deep team and signaled the club will pursue depth ahead of Aug. 30 cuts, via street free agents, waivers, or trades. Three key need areas are thin offensive-line backups (injuries to Bryant, Brown, Rupcich; Greg Van Roten added), an unsettled off-ball linebacker group behind Spillane and Elliss, and defensive-tackle depth to improve run defense, with Leonard Taylor III showing promise while other reserves need development. The Patriots have one more tune-up against the Browns before final roster decisions.
Day 17 of Jaguars camp pointed toward a Week 1 starting offensive line: Anton Harrison at left tackle, Emmanuel Pregnon at left guard, Robert Hainsey at center, Ezra Cleveland at right guard, and Walker Little at right tackle, with Cole Van Lanen’s health the key variable for Week 1. Travis Hunter remained largely at cornerback, signaling the team’s priority on defense early; Nate Boerkircher turned in his best practice at tight end with solid red-zone work alongside Trevor Lawrence. Jakobi Meyers was sidelined, prompting Josh Cameron and CJ Williams to get first-team reps, while Matt Dickerson delivered the play of the day with a read, interception, and return for a TD on a screen. The Jaguars wore no pads, emphasized passing and red-zone drills, and a few players (Mekari, Kiser, LeQuint Allen, Meyers, Regis) were not seen on Sunday.
Giants’ offensive-line depth looked solid vs. Miami’s backups, with strong pass protection from Marcus Mbow and Joshua Davis and reliable center play from John Michael Schmitz and Lucas Patrick; interior guard spots showed some uncertainty, and Ezeudu’s health adds a layer of concern. The defensive line delivered some flashes but overall mixed results, leaving the roster picture still unsettled ahead of cuts.
In Week 2 of the preseason, the Kansas City Chiefs showed significant tackle-depth concerns with Josh Simmons out due to a back injury, as Jaylon Moore, Khalil Benson and Esa Pole struggled in pass protection and raised questions about right tackle depth. If Simmons misses time, the offense would rely on extra chips and limit downfield throws. On defense, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Mason Thomas flashed as disruptive edge players, though rookie Peter Woods has been underwhelming with limited power and hand usage. Special teams delivered a jaw-dropping moment as Harrison Butker nailed a 69-yard field goal before halftime, underscoring the kicking game’s strength this season.
Fans turn their attention to the Lions’ offensive line for the Lions–Commanders preseason, with lingering questions at left guard and center as Christian Mahogany and Juice Scruggs approach starting roles while Cade Mays recovers. Scruggs is expected to run the temporary center while Mays heals, and the team plans to field the starting line to build cohesion. The focus comes from a SB Nation Reacts survey sponsored by FanDuel, which shows OL as the top watched unit amid other questions across groups.
Ahead of the penultimate preseason game against the Washington Commanders, Detroit must settle five pressing questions: who will anchor the interior offensive line after Cade Mays’ wrist injury and a rotating group; who earns the nickel/slot cornerback job with Izien, Abney II, McCreary and Rakestraw in the mix; how the team inventories WR5/6 with special-teams value and role versatility; whether Jimmy Rolder’s return timing reshuffles linebacker roster spots; and which quarterback—Josh Dobbs or Luke Altmyer—will earn the staff’s trust, including possible roster moves to keep both in the organization.
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams showed promise in a joint practice with the Bengals in Cincinnati, but the Bears’ offensive line had trouble keeping Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence II at bay, delivering a mix of optimism and concerns about the offense ahead of training camp.
In a light Lions practice, Jack Campbell stood out on nine first‑team snaps—sacking Jahmyr Gibbs, disrupting a deep pass to Jameson Williams, and chasing Gibbs for a tackle—showing his versatility on defense, while the starting o-line (Sewell, Mahogany, Scruggs, Ratledge, Miller) again showed miscommunications and a false start. D.J. Reed logged a corner-blitz sack, Dobbs had one team rep in the preseason setup, Sione Vaki produced a 20-yard swing, and Jake Bates hit 41 and 42-yard field goals as depth and special teams contributed ahead of Week 1.
Texans’ joint practice laid bare several Raiders weaknesses—especially along the offensive line, run game, and receiver separation—while Brock Bowers supplied a rare bright spot. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak indicated Tuesday’s film will influence whether starters play in Thursday’s preseason game as the team tries to fix issues before the regular season, with interior line play and depth on defense under scrutiny and potential roster moves via trades or waivers to shore up the roster.
Former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko criticized the team for under-investing in interior offensive-line depth after center Tyler Biadasz suffered an ACL injury, with rookie Jake Slaughter stepping in at center and ongoing questions about Rashawn Slater’s knee and overall protection for Justin Herbert, despite significant cap space.
Jacksonville is trading for guard Daniel Faalele from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2027 late-round pick, adding a veteran body at right guard as Patrick Mekari recovers from back surgery. Faalele, a 6-foot-8, 370-pound blocker who started every Ravens game in 2024-25, joins a Jaguars guard group that includes Wyatt Milum and Emmanuel Pregnon. The Giants, who drafted Francis Mauigoa at No. 10 and plan Runyan Jr. at left guard, clear cap space with the move.
Day 16 of Chiefs camp in St. Joseph featured injuries driving offensive-line shuffles (Benson and Moore changing spots) amid broader lineup changes, Mahomes throwing goal-line TD passes to Rashee Rice and Kenneth Walker, and Harrison Butker going 9-for-10 on field goals including two from 50-plus yards. The team plans another padded session before traveling to Tampa for preseason game No. 2, while an expanding injury list limited several veterans and kept others in limited 11-on-11 work.