In this article, PFS will spotlight the right tackles in the AFC West. Each right 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…

Right Tackles Run Blocking Performance

Grade Bar Run Power Pull 2nd   Avg. Score Blocks Level Clary 81% -0.1 -0.1 +0.5 Richardson 78% -0.4 +0.4 +1.4 Barnes 81% +0.4 +0.8 +0.2 Franklin 81% +0.5 -0.1 +0.2

Best Run Blocking Right Tackle In The AFC West (7 games): Khalif Barnes & Orlando Franklin

Essentially, Both Khalif Barnes and Orlando Franklin have the same scores in the run blocking department.  Both have an 81% assignments grade and one has a +0.5 power score (Franklin) and the other a +0.4 power score (Barnes).  Both players have been getting better in the run blocking department as the year has gone along.  It will be interesting to see which player pulls away or stumbles before the end of the year.

Best 2nd Level Run Blocker In The AFC West (7 games): Barry Richardson

The best right tackle at the 2nd level through 7 weeks of the season, is Barry Richardson. Richardson has stumbled a little the past couple of games, but still has the best 2nd level scores, by far.

Best Pull Blocker In The AFC West (7 games): Khalif Barns

Right Tackles Pass Blocking Performance

Grade Bar Pass Power Pressure Help Avg. Score Game Blocks Barnes 88% +2.0 2.1 6.0 Clary 85%  -0.8  6.7  7.4 Richardson 81%  -2.8  4.2  6.5 Franklin 81%  -3.1  6.2  6.2

Best Pass Blocking Right Tackle In The AFC West (7 games): Khalif Barnes.

The best pass blocking right tackle through 7 games of the season is Khalif Barnes of the Oakland Raiders. He has averaged an 88% in assignments and has dictated the action during the pass rush an average of +2.0 times over the number of times his defender has dominated him. His 6.0 average in the number of times his team has provided a help block for him, (lowest in AFC West) shows a confidence Oakland has with him in pass protection. And his division low, 2.1 pressures per game, leads all right tackles in the AFC West.

Other Rankings:

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