4. Joe Thuney, New England Patriots
Thuney might be the least physically imposing player on this list. The third-round pick out of North Carolina State in 2016 doesn’t really pop off the tape in any particular category. At 6-foot-5 and 208 pounds, he doesn’t impose his physical will on defenders as other guards do. What Thuney has become, however, is the best possible distillation of the value of great technique. You just don’t see him out of position, and though he’s not some kind of leverage monster, he’s able to use that technique to get the job done in ways many far more physically gifted guards can’t.
The stats prove the story. Thuney allowed just one sack, four quarterback hits, and 12 quarterback hurries in 732 pass-blocking snaps last season after allowing no sacks, five quarterback hits, and 21 quarterback hurries in 765 snaps the year before. That kind of protection with that frequency of contact has made Thuney one of the most valuable offensive linemen in the league, regardless of position. And it’s especially impressive when you consider that Tom Brady got battered around quite a bit in 2019 as he waited for his receivers to gain separation — a process that generally yielded negative results. It will be fascinating to see how Thuney and the rest of the Patriots’ line adapts to Cam Newton in 2020. One thing’s for sure — New England doesn’t want that to happen without Thuney involved, which is why the team placed the franchise tag on him.