Most Overpaid Offensive Linemen in the NFL

Offensive linemen, especially left tackles, demand a great amount of money based on past performance. And some teams are willing to shell it out.

Here’s a look at some of the most overpaid offensive linemen groups, which may affect how you navigate NFL parlays.

NFL Offensive Linemen Spending

The Arizona Cardinals, who have NFL betting odds of +3000 to win the Super Bowl, have the largest cap hit for offensive linemen at $54.2 million. 

Most Underpaid and Overpaid NFL Players

Overpaid Quarterbacks | Underpaid Quarterbacks | Overpaid Running Backs | Underpaid Running Backs | Overpaid Wide Receivers | Underpaid Wide Receivers | Underpaid Offensive Linemen | Overpaid Defensive Linemen | Underpaid Defensive Linemen | Overpaid Linebackers | Underpaid Linebackers | Overpaid Defensive Backs | Underpaid Defensive Backs

Most Overpaid Offensive Lineman Groups

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are about to spend much more than they should, considering their recent offensive line production.

Last season, the Cardinals were 26th in adjusted line yards and 15th in adjusted sack rate, metrics from Football Outsiders which measure run blocking and pass protection. Pro Football Focus graded their run blocking 31st and their pass blocking 18th.

The Cardinals also return four players who started at least 12 games for them up front, none of which were younger than 28. While DJ Humphries made the Pro Bowl last year, he was graded 49th by PFF among tackles who saw at least 20% of the most snaps in the league.

Humphries has the second-highest cap hit in the NFL at his position at $19.3 million. That’s 9% of the team’s total cap. 

Center Rodney Hudson ($12.6 million) and guard Justin Pugh ($7.5 million) combine for over $20 million despite neither of them ranking higher than 32nd in PFF’s grades at their position. Projected starting guard Will Hernandez and tackle Kelvin Beachum both make over $1 million but weren’t higher than 60th at their respective positions.

Welcome to the Valley, @willhernandez76!

We have signed OL Will Hernandez to a one-year contract.

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 28, 2022

New York Jets

The Jets could outperform their 2021 season for a few reasons, but they still have allocated quite a few resources to their offensive line. 

The Jets have the sixth-biggest offensive line cap hit at $48.6 million. That was after ranking 22nd in adjusted line yards and 28th in adjusted sack rate.

George Fant will have the 16th-highest cap hit among NFL tackles at $11.1 million despite being 41st in PFF’s grades at the position. Alijah Vera-Tucker, graded in a tie for 40th among guards, will have a cap hit of $3.6 million. Connor McGovern will have the fourth-highest cap hit among centers at $10.3 million. He was ninth at his position in PFF’s grades.

The Jets did add Laken Tomlinson, who tied for 13th among PFF’s grades at guard and will have a cap hit of $5.4 million. Mekhi Becton, a former first-round pick with a cap hit of $5 million, could also be back after playing just one game in 2021.

Jets, OL Laken Tomlinson agree to three-year, $40M contract. (via @TomPelissero, @RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/bYICXwpreT

— NFL (@NFL) March 14, 2022

Houston Texans

Laremy Tunsil demands a large portion of the Texans’ spending, but he deserves it. He was a Pro Bowler and top-five in PFF’s grades in 2019 and 2020 before a thumb injury limited him to five games last year.

Tunsil has the sixth-highest cap hit for tackles at $17.7 million. But it’s the other money Houston has spent that’s problematic. The Texans are ninth in O-line cap spending at $43.8 million after ranking last in adjusted line yards and 22nd in adjusted sack rate.

#78 LT Laremy Tunsil (@KingTunsil78) taking part in the @HoustonTexans mandatory minicamp. pic.twitter.com/balZy3Tr8h

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) June 14, 2022

Tytus Howard was tied for PFF’s 76th-highest rated guard last season and is projected to start at right tackle. He has the second-highest O-line cap hit for the team at $3.9 million.

The Texans have tried to fix their O-line woes by adding Justin Britt and AJ Cann, as well as drafting Kenyon Green. 

Britt has the third-highest O-line cap hit at $3.6 million, and was graded PFF’s 23rd-best center. With a cap hit of $2.9 million, Cann played just four games in 2021 but was tied for PFF’s 19th-highest graded guard in 2020. 

Still, that’s likely not enough to justify the money spent.