Turf Show Times
Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson are about as good as it gets at guard
Offensive line is an area that has plagued the New York Jets in recent years. They spent ample resources this offseason in order to rebuild the corps in front of Aaron Rodgers, which is especially important for a quarterback on the wrong side of 40 and coming off an Achilles tendon tear.
How has this group fared in 2024? Where are the weak spots that the Los Angeles Rams might want to attack with their young fearsome foursome of Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Byron Young?
New York selected former USC Trojan Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft. His play on the field has been steady and positive, though he battled injuries over the last two seasons and missed time.
However, Vera-Tucker is in the midst of a career year for the Jets. He’s allowed just 13 pressures on the year according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and he didn’t give up pressures in four games so far this season. Of all guards with at least 488 snaps, Vera-Tucker ranks 16th in PFF grade.
This offseason the Jets signed a running mate for Vera-Tucker and brought in John Simpson from the Baltimore Ravens. New York inked Simpson to a two-year $18M free agency deal.
Using the same snap threshold, Simpson is PFF’s eighth-ranked guard. He’s also allowed just 13 pressures on the season but has played over 100 snaps more than Vera-Tucker.
Who else belongs in the conversation for best guard combo in the NFL?
Well, Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron rank first and 25th, respectively for the Atlanta Falcons.
Landon Dickerson is 10th with his Philadelphia Eagles teammate, Mekhi Becton, at 12 overall.
The Kansas City Chiefs moved Joe Thuney to left tackle to put their best five starting linemen on the field, but if you consider him a guard he ranks fifth and Trey Smith is 11th.
Think the Rams deserve consideration? Kevin Dotson is PFF’s sixth-highest graded guard. However, you have to lower the snap threshold to 195 in order see another LA guard on the list. Steve Avila ranks 48th and rookie UDFA (another former USC Trojan) ranks 59th.
Second-year center Joe Tippmann, a second round pick in last year’s draft, is a somewhat volatile player for New York. He’s allowed 18 pressures on the season in pass protection, though half of these have come in four games against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars. The good news for the Rams is that the Jets played Miami and Jacksonville in their most recent two games.
Can Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner take advantage of an up-and-down center in Tippmann?
While Jared Verse has been relatively quiet of late, he could reverse his...
