Ronnie Stanley given spot on list of top 50 players in NFL by Pro Football Focus
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL in Ronnie Stanley. He is sound as a run blocker while also being an amazing pass protection. However, he missed the back half of the 2020 season after suffering a gruesome leg injury.
Pro Football Focus began releasing their top 50 players in the NFL list on Monday, starting with 50-41. Stanley made his way onto the list taking the No. 46 spot. When explaining Stanley’s ranking, Sam Monson of PFF touched on his ability as a pass protector.
“Stanley may be the best pass-protector in the entire NFL at any position. He has back-to-back PFF pass-blocking grades of at least 90.0 (albeit in an injury-shortened year in 2020). He has surrendered just 16 total pressures across his last 719 pass-blocking snaps, allowing his quarterback to be hit or sacked just three times in that period.”
Monson did however say that in his opinion, the job of a pass protector is eased by what he calls the “Lamar Jackson effect”.
“Stanley’s run blocking has improved throughout his career, but it’s his pass-blocking prowess that powers him to this ranking. What separates him from a player like David Bakhtiari is a combination of longevity at that level and the undoubted effect Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense has on the ease of his job as a pass protector by comparison.”
Stanley is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. When he’s fully healthy he can do things that many others at his position can’t, plus he’s a great fit with what Baltimore does on the offensive side of the ball. He is definitely one of the best 50 players in the league, and has another strong year ahead of him in 2021.
