The 2024 NFL offseason has certainly been one to remember. Many big changes are being made, with several star players switching teams. This includes two of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. Read below to find out who these two offensive linemen are and what they did to stand out.
Tyron Smith and Trenton Brown Lead Pressure Rate
NFL Next Gen Stats put out a notable statistic about the 1-on-1 pressure rate from last season. This measured what percentage of the time certain offensive linemen allowed pressure. There are two notable linemen that led this category.
These offensive linemen were Tyron Smith and Trenton Brown. What do these two linemen have in common? Besides being two of the best left tackles in the NFL, they are both known for doing an extraordinary job of protecting their quarterbacks. This stat exemplifies this.
Smith had the lowest pressure rate in the NFL at 6.7%. Brown was second in the NFL at 7.1%.
Leading Left Tackles Found New Homes
What is notable about these two left tackles is that they are both going to be playing for new teams next season. Tyron Smith spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, after 13 seasons, he is going to play for the New York Jets in 2024.
Then, we have Trenton Brown. He has spent his last three seasons with the New England Patriots and nine total seasons in the NFL. Now, he has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Protecting Notable Quarterbacks
Both of these offensive linemen will have unique tasks entering the 2024 NFL season. They will each be tasked with protecting a fragile quarterback. Smith has Aaron Rodgers, who will be coming off of a torn Achilles injury from last season.
Then, Brown will have to protect Burrow. This quarterback ended his last season due to a torn wrist ligament. Obviously, both the Jets and Bengals wanted top talent on their offensive line next season to help make sure this does not happen again.
Moving Forward
So, where do these teams and tackles go from here? We mentioned above that Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow need more protection. Smith will be looking to have one final chapter of his NFL career with the Jets. As for Brown, he is going from a team that is rebuilding to a team looking for redemption.
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