Buffalo Billsoffensive tackleDion Dawkinshypothesized honoring the NFL's best offensive lineman with a "Protector of the Year" award during a January news conference. Four months later,the NFL officially voted to add the awardto its annual slate of end-of-year honors. The Protector of the Year award marks the first new honor introduced by the NFL since the 2016 season. At that time, the league introduced the Offensive Line of the Year award, which was discontinued in 2018. The NFL's newest honor will hope to last longer. It will also be voted on by "a panel that includes a number of former OL greats,"according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Who might that panel pick to be the NFL's first Protector of the Year? Here's a look at the top candidates to win the award in 2025. Position: Left tackle Team:San Francisco 49ers Williams is entering his age-37 season in 2025 but remains one of the NFL's best blindside blockers. He made three consecutive All-Pro first teams from 2021-23 and was graded as a top-two tackle by Pro Football Focus in his first four seasons in San Francisco. Williams was limited to just 10 games last season by an ankle injury but still played at a high level when healthy. If he can stay on the field in 2025, voters may be inclined to back the venerable veteran and make him a high-profile choice for the NFL's newest season-long award. Position: Right tackle Team:Philadelphia Eagles TheEaglesroutinely have one of the strongest offensive lines in the NFL. Johnson has been a big part of that over the last decade-plus. He has allowed more than one sack just once in the last six seasons and helped Philadelphia build the league's best rushing offense in 2024. TUSH PUSH STAYS:Winners, losers as NFL retains Eagles' signature play Position: Right tackle Team:Detroit Lions Sewell has made back-to-back All-Pro first teams and finished 11th in the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year voting for 2024. He has been a strong, versatile blocker for the Lions, providing Jared Goff with top-notch protection while creating holes forJahmyr GibbsandDavid Montgomery. Sewell has also shown an ability to play on both sides of the line during his career, a skill few other top tackles have been asked to demonstrate during their careers. His steadiness and ironman-like reliability – he has missed just one career regular-season start, which came in 2021 – will endear him to voters, especially if Detroit can once again boast one of the NFL's best offenses. Position: Left tackle Team:Tampa Bay Buccaneers Like Sewell, Wirfs has played on both sides of the offensive line. He now plays at left tackle and established himself as one of the best pass protectors last season, logging a league-best 94.1 pass-blocking grade from PFF. Position: Left tackle Team:Los Angeles Chargers Slater was PFF's No. 2 ranked offensive tackle overall last season behind only Eagles left tackleJordan Mailata. The 2021 first-round draft pick had a top-10 grade in both pass blocking and run blocking, making him one of the best-rounded tackles in the NFL. Slater hasn't gotten as much love as some of the other top NFL tackles, but if theChargerscan continue to improve in their second year under Jim Harbaugh, he may earn more recognition. It will also help him to be blocking for a dynamic running back duo of rookieOmarion Hamptonand former first-round pickNajee Harrisin 2025. Position: Left guard Team:Chicago Bears Thuney performed admirably at left tackle for the Chiefs last season on their run to Super Bowl 59. He is much better suited as a guard and has been an ironman throughout his career, playing in 146 of a possible 148 regular-season games. Thuney has been an All-Pro first-teamer in back-to-back seasons and finished 10th in the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year voting last season because of his versatility. Helping theBearscut down onCaleb Williams' league-high 68 sacks from last season should only further establish him as one of the league's best and most versatile offensive linemen. OPINION:The Chicago Bears have been a QB dumpster fire. They are at it again with Caleb Williams. Position: Left guard Team:Indianapolis Colts Nelson has played seven career NFL seasons. He has made the Pro Bowl in all of them, including three All-Pro first-team nods in his first three seasons. Nelson posted a career-high 10 penalties last season but still graded as PFF's fourth-best guard for the 2024 NFL season. If he can cut down on those infractions, he should emerge as a quality candidate for this award. Position: Right guard Team:Atlanta Falcons Lindstrom has graded as PFF's top overall guard in three consecutive seasons. Grading as the league's top run-blocking guard twice in that span while allowing just six total sacks over 3,212 snaps. Enough said. Position: Center Team:Kansas City Chiefs Humphrey did not allow a sack and committed just one penalty across 1,115 snaps last season. He has blocked well in front ofPatrick Mahomes, and his consistency and athleticism have turned him into one of the NFL's best centers. Kansas City's offensive line has been subject to ire after struggling immensely during Super Bowl 59. If the unit bounces back in 2025, Humphrey will get a lot of credit for serving as a stabilizing force. Position: Center Team:Detroit Lions Ragnow is a tough blocker who once played through a fractured throat during a 2020 game. He is among the league's best run blockers, as he has graded among PFF's top three run-blocking centers in the last six seasons. If Gibbs and Montgomery enjoy another great season, Ragnow may get as much attention as Sewell in the race for this award. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who could win NFL Protector of the Year? Top candidates for new award
