Ranking the NY Jets and every AFC East offensive line room

The NY Jets have the misfortune of playing in arguably the toughest division in the NFL, as every single team in that group has a very clear path toward becoming a contender. The AFC East is a true gauntlet full of contenders who seek to ruin Aaron Rodgers' debut season.

The play of these teams' offensive lines might be the deciding factor in such a tight race. With many of these squads having struggled to keep their quarterbacks safe last season, fixing this issue will be a major feather in the cap of whichever executive can accomplish that.

When taking a look at the starting offensive lines for this quartet of wannabe contenders, the stratification and separation of these groups become clear. Are the Jets near the top, or stuck right in the middle of the circle of mediocrity?

Ranking all AFC East offensive lines including NY Jets

4. Buffalo Bills

• LT Dion Dawkins
• LG Connor McGovern
• C Mitch Morse
• RG Ryan Bates
• RT Spencer Brown

Buffalo's offensive line issues have often been masked by Josh Allen playing like a world-beater at the quarterback position, but the Bills' issues have started to pop up later in the season during each of the last few campaigns. Is there one player in this unit who is considerably above average?

Dawkins is likely the tip of the spear in this alignment, with Brown possessing some real potential at right tackle due to his 6-8 frame. However, the youngster might be a year or two away from fully dipping into his talent reservoir. McGovern, formerly of Dallas, is as average as possible.

The NY Jets' offensive line is better than the Bills' line

Mitch Morse is a serviceable starting center in the league, but any offensive line with Morse as one of the clear best players is never going to be truly elite. Ryan Bates is in much the same tier as Morse, as no defensive line coach is sweating in their boots while game planning for him.

While the drama-laden Bills have some exciting depth pieces, as David Edwards came over from the Rams and O'Cyrus Torrence was regarded as one of the steals of the draft in the late second round, the starting unit lacks the pizzazz it needs to escape last place here.

3. New York Jets

• LT Duane Brown
• LG Laken Tomlinson
• C Joe Tippmann/Connor McGovern
• RG Alijah Vera-Tucker
• RT Mekhi Becton

The Jets' offensive line is nowhere near as bad as what some fans and Zach Wilson stans would have you believe, but it was far from a fantastic unit last year. While it is better this year, there are still a few uncertain X-factors that will determine just how good this group can be.

Mekhi Becton is a complete unknown with next to nothing guaranteed to him at the right tackle spot, and resident greybeard Duane Brown is no sure thing to perform well due to his advanced age. Laken Tomlinson was a Pro Bowl player in San Francisco but looked lost last year.

Will the NY Jets' offensive line improve in 2023?

At the center spot, the winner of the competition will either be a rookie in Joe Tippmann that was widely regarded as an extremely high-floor pick, or a proven veteran in Connor McGovern. The depth pieces on the bench, like Max Mitchell and Carter Warren, both have some reasonable upside.

What takes the Jets above Buffalo is the presence of Alijah Vera-Tucker, who is quickly making a name for himself as arguably the best guard in the division. When healthy, Vera-Tucker is a legitimate game-changer in both the running and passing game,

2. Miami Dolphins

• LT Terron Armstead
• LG Liam Eichenberg
• C Connor Williams
• RG Robert Hunt
• RT Austin Jackson

The Dolphins' offensive line could be among the most volatile in the league, as the left side features one of the best at his craft in the solid Terron Armstead, and a second-year guard in Liam Eichenberg, that looked nothing like the dominant player we saw at Notre Dame.

Williams is still getting worked on, but he likely won't be anything more than an average player at the center spot. Hunt has been a reliable run-blocker, but with 11 penalties and three sacks allowed, he hasn't necessarily kept Tua Tagovailoa upright all the time.

Can the NY Jets compete with the Dolphins' line?

Jackson has made some noted improvements from where he was coming into his career, but calling him above average would be a bit of a stretch. Isaiah Wynn and Kendall Lamm are both on the high end of the spectrum as far as backups are concerned.

The Dolphins' line generally managed to hold their own last season, and Mike McDaniel seems to be betting on continuity following their decision to largely run back the same unit. Time will tell if this decision was the right move.

1. New England Patriots

• LT Trent Brown
• LG Cole Strange
• C David Andrews
• RG Mike Onwenu
• RT Riley Reiff

Even without Dante Scarnecchia, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have once again assembled a solid offensive line, even after a few years of uncertainty. Riley Reiff is old, but he should be able to slide right in and keep Mac Jones off the turf.

After a very slow start, Cole Strange gradually got his feet under him and looked better as the season progressed. Mike Onwenu remains one of the more underrated players at his position in the league, and David Andrews remains a solid starter.

The Patriots' OL is better than that of the NY Jets

The Patriots once again have solid depth on the line, as they spent three draft picks on interior offensive linemen. If Trent Brown is healthy once again, that could be a huge difference-maker for a line that has undergone a great deal of change in the last few seasons.

The Patriots may not have the quarterback firepower to compete with names like Allen and Rodgers, but with a solid defense and quality offensive line, they will be a nuisance once again.