In this article, PFS will spotlight the left tackles in the AFC West. Each left tackle from the AFC West teams will be evaluated on run and pass blocking assignment grades, dominance scores, and ranked according to averaged performances from the 1st four weeks of the season.

One thing to remember when evaluating a lineman across teams so early in the year…each player has met up with different defenders. Later in the season, the comparisons will be more equal as each team has similar teams on their schedule. Also, assignment grades are important, but when looking at linemen across teams, the dominance scores, or power score, is weighted as higher in value. Especially, when assignment grades are within a similar range.

Let’s take a look at those performance rankings…

Left Tackles Run Blocking Performance

Grade Bar Run Power Pull 2nd Avg. Score Blocks Level McNeill 80%  +0.2  +0.1  +0.5 Clady 83%  -0.1  +0.0  +1.1 Albert 83%  -0.7  +0.2  +1.0 Veldeer 81%  -0.5  +0.4  +0.4

Best Run Blocking Left Tackle In The AFC West (7 games): Marcus McNeill.

After 8 weeks of the NFL season Marcus McNeill is chosen as the PFS run blocking left tackle of the AFC West.  Marcus has an 80% run blocking assignment average, the only positive power score of all the left tackles (+0.2).  The power score tells us that McNeill is slightly getting the upper hand during games against his opponents.

Best 2nd Level Run Blocker In The AFC West (7 games): Ryan Clady

Ryan Clady works well at the second level. He is athletic, agile, and appears to have a desire to get the 2nd level block. Players need a motor and desire to excel on the 2nd level. And Ryan Clady has done well through the first 7 games.

Best Pull Blocker In The AFC West (7 games): Jared Veldeer 

Jered Veldeer has come on in the last few games and is showing the AFC West that he can pull out into space and engage defenders.  He has the highest pull blocking score for a left tackle at +.04.

Left Tackles Pass Blocking Performance

Grade Bar Pass Power Pressure Help Avg. Score Game Blocks Clady 91%  +4.5  2.4  4.5 Albert 86%  +0.0  2.5  6.7 McNeill 87%  +0.4  4.8  5.2 Veldeer 83%  -2.2  5.7  6.8

Best Pass Blocking Left Tackle In The AFC West (7 games): Ryan Clady.

Through the first seven games, Ryan Clady is the best pass blocking left tackle in the AFC West. Ryan not only has the highest assignment grade average…he has the best dominance score and the least amount of help blocks of any AFC West left tackle. Clady has surrendered 2.4 pressures per game through week #7 of the regular season.

Other Rankings:

(Click it)