Best: G Justin Pugh
Good linemen are very hard to find.
The Arizona Cardinals offensive line has been almost sieve-like for the past three seasons where they have allowed at least 50 sacks each year. While the offensive line came under fire in the beginning of the 2019 season, it finished a respectable No. 22 in the league according to Pro Football Focus. While the pass blocking was shaky at times, the Cardinals offensive line had its shining moments in the run game. Those moments include helping Cardinals’ running back Kenyan Drake to one of his best rushing years since coming from the Miami Dolphins where he finished the season with 643 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in eight games with the Cardinals.
The reason for those solid rushing totals and good overall line production was the play of veteran Cardinals’ guard Justin Pugh.
Pugh was one of the best passing-blocking guards in the league grading out at 82.2 by PFF and only allowing two sacks the entire year. He was brought in to be an anchor on the Cardinals’ offense line after coming from the New York Giants on a five-year, $44.75 million deal. Pugh will have a cap hit of around $10.5 million which may seem like a lot, but it is actually No. 16 in terms of average annual value at the position.
The Cardinals have been extra committed to improving the offensive line with offensive tackle D.J. Humphries locked in for three years and $43.75 million and now a potential star in Justin Pugh.
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