We continue our NFC North and NFC South position rankings with the glamorous guard and center position.
Guard
1. Ali Marpet: Tampa Bay guard has graded well all five of his seasons. He is a good pass blocker and solid run blocker for the Buccaneeers.
2. Elgton Jenkins: The Green Bay rookie 2nd round pick had a really nice first season replacing the injured Lane Taylor. He was good in pass blocking and solid in run blocking and rated 21st out of 83 guards.
3. Chris Lindstrom: The Falcons rookie 1st round pick was ranked 24th with solid pass pro and run blocking. He only played 309 snaps but expect bigger things in 2020.
4. Cesar Ruiz. Rookie guard 1st round pick for the Saints replaces Larry Warford who played well.
5a. Joe Dahl. Wow surprised the Lions left guard is this high. He ranked 29th with good pass pro but below average run blocking. He could still start for Detroit in 2020 despite two rookie guards drafted in Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg.
5b. Cody Whitehair. The Bears guard moved from center and was good in pass pro and below average in run blocking just like Dahl.
5c. Jonah Jackson. Good pass protector from Ohio State the Lions drafted in Round 3.
6a. Michael Schofield. Above average with good pass pro but poor run blocking in 1,000 snaps last season. Also the name of the guy from Prison Break.
6b. Billy Turner was a big free agent signing for the Packers in 2019. He graded poorly in pass pro and average in run blocking. The Packers expect more out of him given the money they gave him.
7a. Pat Efflein. Did a little better moving from center to guard. He was terrible in pass pro but good in run blocking.
7b. Logan Stenberg. Nasty run blocker the Lions drafted in Round 4 this year out of Kentucky
7c. Germain Ifedi. Former 1st round pick that struggled at RT. He could be a solid guard though and the Bears are hoping he can replace Kyle Long/Rashaad Coward.
8. Kenny Wiggins. Backup Detroit guard now but is average in pass block and below average in run blocking for Detroit. Nice experienced depth to have.
9a. Lane Taylor. Good pass pro and awful run blocking. Great depth for the Packers now behind Turner and Jenkins. Took a pay cut and is coming off an injured season.
9b. John Miller. Guard added in FA to the Panthers. Below average in both run and pass pro.
9c. Andrus Peat. Awful year but got a big pay. Terrible in pass pro and run blocking in 2019. He was even worse in 2018 after good seasons in 2015-2017. This guy regressed big time last two seasons. come out me Sants fans.
9d. Alex Cappa. Starting RG for the Bucs who had poorly graded rookie season. He was a 3rd round pick so potential is there.
10. James Carpenter. Graded poorly for the Falcons but is a former 1st round pick. Jamon Brown is the backup for the Falcons who is also awful. Matt Hennessey was drafted in Round 3 to be center of the future for the Falcons but could be a guard as well.
11. Dru Samia or Dakota Dozier or Aviante Collins. Vikings new right guard. Straight trash but Samia has some upside as a 4th round pick in 2019.
Other “notable” backups
Justin McCray (Falcons), Oday Aboushi (Lions), Dennis Daley (Carolina), Joe Haeg(Tampa), Jamon Brown (Atl), Rashaad Coward (Bears)
Two good guards left the North/South with Graham Glasgow getting 11 per with Denver from Detroit and Larry Warford being cut for Ruiz. Warford is still a free agent.