A new deep look at the Los Angeles Rams offensive linemen sees the unit receive a surprising ranking ahead of the 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Rams have had a strong offensive line, albeit with some hurdles such as injury and suspensions that have watered down the unit in 2024, and could be the case in 2026 if Alaric Jackson receives his second punishment from the NFL.
That said, the unit has come together to protect Matthew Stafford in a major way. While the unit may not be the best in the league, they are certainly in the top five. That is the case for a new ranking from Mike Clay.
Clay released his compilation of the entire NFL's linemen groups, stating that grades come from many factors, including "stats, pass and run block win rates, PFF grade, draft capital, etc."
When it comes to the Rams, the team has been ranked fourth in the NFL. Per the ranking, each lineman has been given a rating from 0 to 10.
Jackson is a 7.9, Steve Avila is a 5.5, Coleman Shelton is a 6.8, Kevin Dotson is a 7.4, and Warren McClendon is a 5.7. The rating text also indicates that the darker the green, the more of an "elite" player they are, with the red being a poor starter.
Now, what makes this ranking very interesting is that McClendon is second-lowest on the team. On Pro Football Focus, he is ranked the seventh-best tackle in the league with an 83.5 grade, and his 86.7 run block grade is ranked fifth.
The above ranking from Clay did indicate it's about more than just PFF, but 5.7 seems to be a bit low for a lineman who was highly ranked, and also gave up only one penalty and sack in 2025.
McClendon did miss one game, which could also factor in his overall rank, but that does not mean his ranking tanked the Rams' overall grade. In fact, no player has a red color, indicating they are decent to upper-level starters.
Los Angeles cannot operate with a poor offensive line, as Stafford is the type of quarterback who needs to plant his feet and let the ball fly. Additionally, the high-powered run game behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum would also fail with a faulty line.
Being ranked fourth is certainly not something the Rams should be concerned about, but the McClendon rating is a bit strange.
Rankings also come with a but of subjectivity, but none of that will matter once the pads come on and games are being played. If the line can protect Stafford, that is all the judgement they will need to be ranked upon.
