The 4 best linemen you probably haven't heard of
Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.
The big men up front rarely get the attention or accolades that they deserve.
The old adage that "the game is won in the trenches" is often true. But in today’s fantasy football- and highlight-driven society, the work of the 300-pounders is regularly overlooked - and the guys up front that do stand out are usually big sack producers or offensive tackles with big reputations.
Here are two big men on each side of the ball who might not come with notoriety, but are excellent undersold contributors. We excluded the pure edge defenders (they get enough credit) and focused on just the 300-pounders.
Offensive Line
Brandon Linder, Jacksonville Jaguars
Few seem to realize it, but Linder has been exceptional since entering the league. Linder played a little tackle in Miami, but was considered a guard at the NFL level.
While he could certainly hold his own at guard, Linder has been really settled in at center for the Jaguars. Linder missed some time in college through injury and recently with illness, but there is no denying his toughness. He has exceptional size for the interior, but rarely loses the leverage battle.
Linder isn’t the most explosive, strong, or agile offensive lineman, but he is very smart, competitive, and tough. Those traits rub off on his Jaguars teammates and does what Jacksonville needs with its defense and rugged running game as the cornerstones of the organization.
John Sullivan, Los Angeles Rams
Sullivan has had a long and successful career, really making a name for himself between 2011-2013 with the Vikings. A case could be made that the veteran is playing his best football this year at age 32 in his first year with the Rams.
Los Angeles’ addition of Andrew Whitworth received much more publicity than its signing of Sullivan this offseason. Both veterans have helped turn one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2016 into what is now an upper-tier unit. Sullivan’s ability to make all the line calls as well as his influence behind the scenes has paid off handsomely for his new team and the Rams' younger offensive linemen.
During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Sullivan started just one game, and most thought his career was essentially over. He is proving those people wrong in a big way this season.
Honorable Mention: David Andrews, Joel Bitonio, Trent Brown, Demar Dotson, Ramon Foster, Rodger Saffold
Defensive Line
Timmy Jernigan, Philadelphia Eagles
Jernigan entered the league with some fanfare and is a very talented player overall. He was shipped out of Baltimore after being asked to be more of a 3-technique defensive tackle because the Ravens had huge nose tackles. Therefore, Jernigan was asked to be more of an upfield penetrator.
The ideal usage for Jernigan is a combination of the two, which is exactly what the Eagles are asking of him. With Fletcher Cox as the foundation of Philadelphia’s exceptional defensive front, no one will be leaning on Jernigan as a pure disruptor lined up on the outside shoulder of a guard.
Instead, Jernigan gets to penetrate in this four-man front from a 1-technique position on a shade of the center. This is exactly how to best utilize Jernigan’s assets where he can be an equal force against the run or pass.
Jernigan hasn’t gotten the notoriety he deserves. In fact, even Cox and the rest of the Eagles' defense hasn’t gotten due credit for Philadelphia being the NFL's only one-loss team. It will be fun to watch Jernigan, Cox, and the Eagles' great defensive line when they return from their Week 11 bye to battle Dallas' strong offensive line.
Danny Shelton, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are the worst team in the NFL, but one thing that they do well is defend the run. Shelton, the prototypical nose tackle, is a major reason why Cleveland has done so well at limiting opposing running games despite usually being down on the scoreboard.
Players in Shelton’s mold are often considered dinosaurs because they don’t offer much as pass-rushers, but finding guys to control the interior of the line of scrimmage is easier said than done, and Shelton will push the pocket at times in passing situations.
What is even more encouraging going forward is that Cleveland will hopefully have Myles Garrett for the remainder of the season, which makes all those around him better and will greatly boost the Browns' pass rush. Cleveland faces a slate of below-average offensive lines during the second half of the season.
Next time you watch the Browns, keep an eye on Shelton and the fine work he is doing on the interior.
Honorable Mention: Michael Brockers, Kenny Clark, Tyrone Crawford, Javon Hargrave, Matt Ioannidis, Steve McLendon, Michael Pierce, D.J. Reader, Mitch Unrein
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)