Top 10 combinations of offensive and defensive lines in 2018

#8 Green Bay Packers

Offense: LT David Bakhtiari, LG Lane Taylor, C Corey Linsley, RG Justin McCray, RT Bryan Bulaga; Bench – Jason Spriggs & Patrick Lucas

Defense: LE Muhammad Wilkerson, NT Kenny Clark, RE Mike Daniels; Bench – Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams & James Looney

The Packers gave up a lot of what they had up front over the last two years. In 2016 they let former first-round picks B.J. Raji and Datone Jones on the defensive line and Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton walk, while last offseason they had to give up the other starting guard in T.J. Lang and backup center J.C. Tretter. However, they have developed their young pieces and now look very formidable in the trenches again.

Green Bay’s O-line might count on youth at both guard spots, but they are very strong around them. David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga make for one of the two best offensive tackle duos in the league, using a very unique pass set many call the “hug”-technique and allowing Aaron Rodgers to dance around in the pocket.

Despite Corey Linsley having his worst season with the Pack in 2017, the organization didn’t hesitate to let Tretter leave last offseason and give their guy a pricy three-year extension. What got lost during the 2017 season, when Aaron Rodgers was hurt for half the year, was the fact that the Packers had nine different offensive linemen with 200 or more snaps. I expect them to be better this time around, after already leading the league with an average of 2.04 yards before contact in the run game, according to PFF.

On defense, it has been Mike Daniels, who has really set the tone for this group in the last couple of years. He is kicking ass every single week and trash-talks like no other. Kenny Clark has developed into of the very best interior guys in terms of stacking and shedding opponents at the point of attack.

Next to tight-end Jimmy Graham on offense, Muhammad Wilkerson has been the big addition defensively. The seven-year vet is coming off two down-years with the Jets, where neither side was happy with each other anymore, but on a one-year prove-it contract he will be motivated to reproduce what he did in a dominant 2015 season.