National Football League

Adding offensive line help can equal instant impact

Published Apr. 27, 2011 11:10 a.m. ET

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NORTHBROOK, Ill. (STATS) - With the emphasis on having a franchise quarterback more drastic than ever, more teams in recent years have used the top overall pick in the NFL draft to select a signal-caller.

It's tough, however, for any stud passer to make an impact without some help.

Selecting offensive linemen early in recent drafts has typically given teams a big boost the following season in the New York Life Protection Index - and often in the win column as well.

The NYLPI is a proprietary formula created by STATS LLC that measures pass protection by using metrics such as length of passes, penalties by offensive lineman, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns.

Quarterbacks were selected No. 1 overall 10 times in the past 13 drafts, but few of them even approached the success of the one who started that trend - four-time MVP Peyton Manning, the top selection in 1998. Tim Couch, David Carr, Alex Smith and JaMarcus Russell were all considered major busts.

One factor in those four failing to meet expectations was a lack of protection. In fact, each of their teams finished 30th or worse in the NYLPI in their rookie seasons.

Quarterbacks haven't stopped going No. 1 - witness Matthew Stafford and Sam Bradford the past two years - but there's also been an increased emphasis on building an offensive line early in the draft. After just 30 offensive linemen were picked in the first round from 2000-2007, 20 have gone in the first over the past three drafts.

As many as seven are expected to go among the first 32 picks April 28 at Radio City Music Hall.

Take, for example, the St. Louis Rams, who posted a dreadful 46.5 NYLPI rating during their 1-15 season in 2009. After nabbing Bradford at the top of the 2010 draft, they used the first pick of the second round on Indiana's Rodger Saffold.

Bradford started from day one with Saffold as his left tackle, and St. Louis made a jump of 14.7 in the NYLPI, winning the NFC West a year after finishing with the league's worst record.

Another reason for the improvement was Jason Smith, the No. 2 overall pick from 2009 who struggled to stay healthy as a rookie, starting 15 games as Saffold's bookend.

"They've kept me protected," Bradford said prior to Week 10. "I've had plenty of time to go through my reads and make my throws, so I've been extremely impressed with the way those guys have worked and the way they've gotten better as the year's gone on."

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers both finished in the bottom third of the NYLPI in 2009, and Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers were each sacked 50 times - the most in the NFL.

Those issues prompted each team to use a first-round pick on an offensive lineman, with the Steelers tabbing Florida center Maurkice Pouncey at No. 18 and Green Bay grabbing Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga five spots later.

Bulaga got his first start in Week 5 and stayed at right tackle for the rest of the regular season and four playoff games, becoming the youngest player to start in a Super Bowl. The Packers' NYLPI increased by 13.9 from 2009 to 2010.

The Steelers' NYLPI slightly decreased, but it certainly wasn't because of Pouncey. The 2009 Rimington Trophy winner instantly became Pittsburgh's best offensive lineman, starting 16 games and being selected to the Pro Bowl before suffering an injury in the AFC championship game that kept him out of the Super Bowl.

"Everything stands out about him - he's physical, he's always downfield, he's always finishing," Roethlisberger told the Steelers' official website. "But I think what's most impressive about him is his smarts, the mental part of it.

"He is going to be the best (center in the league). The sky is the limit for him."

Using a first-round selection on an offensive lineman who has gone on to start at least 10 games has resulted in an average increase of 6.2 the following season in the NYLPI. Of the 44 teams since 2005 to pick an O-liner within the first three rounds who would make at least 10 starts, 28 went on to immediately fare better in the NYLPI.

While neither Pouncey nor Bulaga were picked in the top half of the first round, using a high pick on an offensive lineman has resulted in astounding NYLPI improvement in recent seasons.

Since 2005, there have been seven offensive tackles picked in the top 10 that have gone on to start at least 10 games. All seven produced a positive impact that resulted in an average increase of 15.6 in the NYLPI, with 2007 No. 3 pick Joe Thomas spearheading a turnaround of 42.8 with Cleveland - the index's largest year-to-year leap since 2005.

A year earlier, the Jets took two offensive linemen in the first round - tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson at No. 4 and center Nick Mangold at No. 29. Those two both started all 16 games in 2006, and New York's NYLPI increased by 29.9.

The index isn't the only thing that's significantly improved. The seven teams with an offensive lineman who was a top-10 pick to start 10 or more games have averaged 4.43 more wins the following season. Like Bradford and Saffold with the Rams, 2008 top overall pick Jake Long helped turn Miami from a one-win team into a division winner.

So while Carolina appears to have its sights set on taking Auburn's Cam Newton at the top of the 2011 draft, keep this in mind - the Panthers finished 30th in the NYLPI (40.9), tied for 30th in sacks (50) and dead last in passer rating (57.0) in 2010.

The Heisman Trophy winner will need some protection.

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