• Chris Lindstrom remains elite: The Falcons’ star guard was the NFL’s only player at the position to earn a 90.0-plus PFF run-blocking grade in 2024.

• A surprise at No. 5: Few would have predicted the Raiders’ Jordan Meredith to play so well in his first season of significant action, but he did just that.

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Philadephia Eagles’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 put a bow on the 2024 NFL season — and PFF’s grades. Here were the top 10 guards across the regular season and postseason.

1. Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons (93.5)

Lindstrom has quickly developed into arguably the best guard in the NFL, as this is his third consecutive season ranking as the position’s highest-graded player. He is at his best in run blocking, where his 94.6 PFF grade was a career high and he was the only guard in the league to reach a 90.0 mark. Oddly enough, his pass blocking wasn’t nearly as impressive. His 68.0 PFF grade in that department ranked second lowest among players on this list. Still, Lindstrom allowed only one sack on 627 pass-blocking snaps.

2. Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos (86.9)

After playing his college ball at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, Meinerz has seamlessly transitioned into an NFL stalwart as the 99th overall pick in 2021. This past season was his second straight with a top-three finish among guards in PFF overall grade. In 2024, Meinerz was the only guard to earn a PFF grade of at least 80.0 in both run blocking (85.2) and pass blocking (81.4). His PFF pass-blocking grade trailed only Elgton Jenkins by 0.2 grading points, as he allowed just 12 pressures on the season.

3. Kevin Zeitler, Detroit Lions (86.8)

The oldest player on this list (he turns 35 in a few weeks), Zeitler excelled in his first year in Detroit. His 86.8 PFF overall grade was his best performance since he put up an 89.1 number in 2014, while his 87.2 PFF run-blocking grade was a career high. As a pass blocker, Zeitler had an up-and-down year. While he did allow a career-high five sacks, they came on just 18 pressures, which tied for the 19th-fewest among 79 qualifying guards. Zeitler is an impending free agent this offseason, ranking 32nd overall in PFF’s free agent rankings, and could be a real asset to whichever team brings him in.

4. Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts (81.3)

Nelson is no stranger to ranking among the game’s best guards, and 2024 was no different. He was solid across the board, both as a run blocker (81.7 PFF grade, tied for fourth best) and a pass blocker (79.7, fourth best). Nelson hadn’t been his dominant self over the past few seasons, as his PFF grades were slightly above average. His 81.3 PFF overall grade in 2024 was his best since putting up an 87.5 figure in 2020. Nelson doesn’t turn 29 for another few weeks, so this bounce-back campaign should have Colts fans optimistic about the former sixth-overall pick’s return to dominance.

5. Jordan Meredith, Las Vegas Raiders (80.8)

If you polled experts ahead of the season, likely few, if any, would have included Meredith. Not appearing in a game until Week 6, Meredith played by far the fewest snaps among players on this list but made the absolute most of them. He didn’t allow any sacks and let his quarterback hit the ground only once to the tune of just nine pressures on 399 pass-blocking snaps. This was Meredith’s first season playing more than 100 snaps since being an undrafted free agent in 2021. If 2024 was any indication, he should see a significant increase in his role going forward.

6. Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers (80.5)

A rookie third-rounder out of Kansas, Puni brought positional flexibility to San Francisco, and the 49ers ultimately decided to play him at guard. He hit the ground running, shoring up what had been a weakness for the team over the past few seasons. Puni didn’t allow a sack until Week 12 and was a mauler in the run game, as his 81.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranked sixth among guards.

7. Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs (80.0)

Thuney spent a large chunk of his season at left tackle, having played 389 of his 1,288 snaps there, the postseason included. However, he mostly played guard, so he qualifies here. His performance as a tackle caused him to drop in the rankings, as he carried a 65.7 PFF overall grade with a 62.7 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 62.1 PFF run-blocking grade at the position. At left guard, his usual spot, he boasted an 84.6 PFF overall grade, which would have moved him into fourth place on this list. His 90.4 PFF pass-blocking grade as a guard led the position by a significant margin.

8. Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles (78.6)

Dickerson was primarily a center in college at Alabama but has fit into the Eagles’ left guard spot very nicely. His 79.4 PFF run-blocking grade ranked seventh at the position, and he played the third-most snaps of any player in the league. Dickerson was particularly dominant in the Eagles’ divisional-round win over the Rams, putting up a 94.0 PFF overall grade while opening up plenty of lanes for Saquon Barkley’s 200-yard rushing performance with a 91.7 PFF run-blocking grade against a tough Rams defensive line.

T-9. Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets (77.7)

After dealing with injuries for most of his career, Vera-Tucker had his first mostly healthy year since his rookie season, playing 916 snaps over 15 games. As a result, he was one of the few bright spots for a disappointing Jets team. His 77.7 PFF overall grade and 74.5 PFF pass-blocking grade were both career highs. Vera-Tucker was consistent from a production standpoint, going under a 60.0 PFF game grade only once — a Week 7 outing in which he departed early due to an ankle injury.

T-9. Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams (77.7)

Dotson proved that his 2023 breakout season — in which he ranked as the second-highest graded guard in football — was no fluke. He backed it up with another top-10 showing in 2024, even though his pass blocking wasn’t stellar. He allowed career highs in sacks (five) and pressures (30) for a 60.2 PFF pass-blocking grade, the lowest mark on this list. However, he was as dominant as ever in run blocking, finishing with an 81.7 PFF grade. Dotson had three games this year with a PFF run-blocking grade of at least 90.0 and a fourth where he just missed (89.2).