Steven RuizSep 3, 2026
Ruiz ranks the 20 best position groups in the NFL entering the 2026 season, topped by the Rams' defensive line, and picks the Broncos as owners of the league's best offensive line. They also suggest Bears tight end Colston Loveland could be the NFL's best tight end a year from now.
Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original
What Steven Ruiz said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromWith the Eagles taking a step back last season, it's time we pass the "best OL in the league" title off to a new line. The Broncos are my pick for the honor.
- Where it was published
- Fox Sports
- The piece
- The 20 Best Positions Groups This Season In The NFL, Headlined By The Rams' D-Line
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Colston Loveland to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards“At this time next year, we could be talking about Loveland as the best tight end in the NFL.”
- 2Position Group Rankings“3. Broncos Offensive Line ... 6. Buccaneers Offensive Line ... 7. Eagles Offensive Line ... 9. Bills Offensive Line ... 16. Rams Offensive Line ... 20. Colts Offensive Line; "The Broncos are my pick for the honor" of best OL in the league”
- 3Position Group Rankings“1. Rams Defensive Line ... 2. Texans Defensive Line ... 5. Seahawks Defensive Line ... 17. Steelers Defensive Line”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Loveland to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards1 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| “3. Broncos Offensive Line ... 6. Buccaneers Offensive Line ...…”2 | Position Group Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| “1. Rams Defensive Line ... 2. Texans Defensive Line ... 5.…”3 | Position Group Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
3 checkable claims — 2 position group rankings and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against the record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Positional FinishesColston LovelandChicago Bears
Colston Loveland to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“3. Broncos Offensive Line ... 6. Buccaneers Offensive Line ... 7. Eagles Offensive Line ... 9. Bills Offensive Line ... 16. Rams Offensive Line ... 20. Colts Offensive Line; "The Broncos are my pick for the honor" of best OL in the league”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“1. Rams Defensive Line ... 2. Texans Defensive Line ... 5. Seahawks Defensive Line ... 17. Steelers Defensive Line”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.Bryan DeArdo · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.“Stanford Steve” Coughlin · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Stanford Steve said the Bears would beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night, and called a player they referred to as "Yakis" their Rookie of the Year.Chris Simms · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.
More position group rankings
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Gregg Rosenthal · Position Group Rankings · Close 75
In a snake draft of the NFL's best position groups, Rosenthal took the Eagles' tackles as the No. 1 group in the league, followed by the Steelers' edge rushers, Bengals receivers, Texans corners, Lions safeties, Rams defensive tackles, Broncos corners, Chiefs quarterbacks, Patriots corners and Seahawks defensive tackles. They also rated Ja'Marr Chase a top-two receiver and A.J. Brown a top-five receiver.Nick Shook · Position Group Rankings · Miss 0
Shook's picks in the best-position-group draft: Buccaneers receivers (over the Bengals), Lions tackles, Ravens tight ends, Steelers interior offensive line, Lions running backs, Giants edge rushers, Ravens safeties, Commanders quarterbacks, Lions defensive tackles and Texans safeties. They also called Jordan Addison one of the league's best No. 2 receivers.Jamie Erdahl · Position Group Rankings · Los Angeles Rams · Hit 80
Erdahl ranked their top five wide receiver duos, putting Philadelphia first, Detroit above Minnesota, and Cincinnati fifth.