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The forgotten men in the trenches. The ones who aren’t snapping the ball and aren’t on the edges, facing the big-name rushers screaming around the rail.
It’s the guards who have more responsibility than people realize and yet don’t get the acclaim (and in most cases the pay) of their contemporaries. Often, it’s the guards leading the way on running plays or being asked to pull out into space with athleticism to set up a screen or sweep. And yet, from a financial standpoint, only six are being paid more than $80 million on their current contracts, while 14 tackles are above that threshold.
Still, guards are beginning to get their just due. In 2025, Trey Smith, Tyler Smith and Will Fries all signed new contracts north of $87 million, with an average of $40.6 million guaranteed. It’s a good sign for a position that was long overlooked and is now starting to become more valued as the run game climbs back to the game’s forefront.
But which teams have the best duos? Which are the ones suited most to dominate the interior? We’ll break down the top five pairings.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia
While the Chiefs have had issues at tackle for years around Patrick Mahomes, the guard play has long been elite. From 2021 to ’24, Kansas City won a pair of Super Bowls and reached three with Smith and perennial All-Pro Joe Thuney flanking fellow All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.
However, after trading Thuney before last season to the Bears, the Chiefs entrusted a second-year, converted tackle in Kingsley Suamataia to do the job. The result was excellent. Smith earned Pro Bowl honors for the second consecutive year on the right side while Suamataia became a plus-starter, anchoring the left side with 17 starts while only being whistled for five penalties. Going into his third year and second at guard, the BYU product is a good bet to continue ascending.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron
Lindstrom has long been one of the standard-bearers at guard. A four-time second-team All-Pro, Lindstrom has been a tower of power for the Falcons since being drafted in 2019, only missing one game since his rookie campaign. All told, Lindstrom’s grade of 88.4 on Pro Football Focus ranked second among guards, while his 91.7 run-blocking mark topped the charts.
As for Bergeron, he’s settled in nicely through three years, starting all but two games of his career. The Syracuse product also had top-30 PFF grades last year overall and for run blocking, showing the versatility of a player entering the final season of his rookie contract.
3. Los Angeles Rams: Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson
The Rams are the overwhelming favorite to not only reach but win the Super Bowl, and the power on their offensive interior is one reason why.
In Avila, Los Angeles found a gem in the second round of the 2023 draft. Initially, Avila went from guard to center (his collegiate position) before sticking at guard in ’25 after the trade of Jonah Jackson to the Bears. Since making the transition, Avila has become one of the league’s top linemen regardless of position, starting 40 games over his three-year career. Last season, he allowed only two sacks and six quarterback hits.
As for Dotson, he was a middling player in Pittsburgh before blossoming into a star with the Rams. Since coming to Los Angeles before the 2023 season, Dotson has played in 45 games, anchoring the line in front of MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford. If he’s allowed to hit free agency next winter, the 29-year-old is in line for a major payday.
2. Chicago Bears: Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson
It’s rare that a guard gets into the Hall of Fame. In fact, only 16 players who primarily played that position are enshrined in Canton. Thuney is a terrific bet to eventually join that group, having won four titles with the Patriots and Chiefs, and earning three first-team All-Pro selections, along with two second-team nods.
Despite being 33 years old, Thuney remains at the top of his game. He’s reached the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons and has only missed two games throughout his 10-year career. On four occasions, he’s played 100% of the offensive snaps.
Then there’s Jackson, who, like Thuney, was acquired by Chicago last offseason. Jackson, 29, played all 17 games for the Bears, committing only one holding penalty while garnering a 72.3 overall grade from PFF, ranking him 26th among guards (Thuney ranked eighth and first in pass blocking).
1. Denver Broncos: Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers
The Broncos have a strong case for the best offensive line in the NFL, and the guards are the strength of this unit.
Meinerz has developed from a third-round pick out of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2021 to the best guard in the league, earning first-team All-Pro honors each of the past two seasons. On PFF, Meinerz is credited with an NFL-best 89.1 grade, while also playing every game over the past three seasons. At 27 years old, Meinerz is the current standard for guard play.
Then there’s Powers, who is a quality player in his own right. Signed away from the Ravens in 2023, Powers was limited to eight games last year due to a torn biceps, but when healthy is a powerful force on the left side, who has committed only 16 penalties in his seven-year career.
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MATT VERDERAME
Matt Verderame is a national NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, writing features, columns and more. Before joining Sports Illustrated in March 2023, Verderame wrote for FanSided and SB Nation. He’s a proud husband to Stephanie and father of two girls, Maisy and Genevieve. In his spare time, Verderame is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.
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