After the earlier look at offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus, it's time to look at their article on the guards and centers in pass protection. Green Bay Packers RG Josh Sitton really stood out, as he has done all offseason, coming in at No. 5 overall among guards. From PFF:

Elsewhere in the top five there is the guy recognized by many as the league’s top guard, Logan Mankins, and a Packer whose excellence seems to be really catching on in Josh Sitton.

While that's outstanding work by Sitton, the article doesn't mention two other players who started all 16 games (plus postseason) for them: LG Daryn Colledge and C Scott Wells. The article doesn't rank all guards (only the top 20 and bottom 20) or centers (only the top 10, bottom 10), and both players fall somewhere in the middle. That's a good assessment: average, reliable players.

The Packers should be thinking about keeping Sitton long-term, though he won't be a free agent for at least another year (depending on the new labor rules). If he keeps it up for another year or two, he could become the highest paid guard in the NFL. They should also see they have something good in Colledge and Wells, who are both average players that are rarely injured. They shouldn't be overpaid, but I expect the Packers will try to keep them both.

When people think of pass protection the thing that immediately springs to mind are offensive tackles. Those guys dealing with the dominant defensive ends and outstanding outside linebackers.

No doubt it’s important, but it’s also important for a quarterback to be able to step up in the pocket and into his throws. For that you need guards and centers who can hold their ground and not let defensive tackles get a push or penetrate past them.

So Part 2 of our Pass Blocking (In)Efficiency week sees us turning our attention to those interior men doing just that.

You’ve seen the formula in our previous pieces, but as a reminder:

((Sacks + (0.75 * Hits) + (0.75 * Hurries)) / Pass Pro Snaps) * 100

Simple enough and for the purposes of this study, only players who stayed into pass protect on at least 200 occasions qualified.

We’re going to be grouping guards as one entity, and centers as another and the results (as you would imagine) are interesting (for lovers of offensive line play anyway). Starting with the guards, narrowly ending up top is the perennially underrated Bobbie Williams. While his run blocking may not have been as dominant as in previous years, he gave up just 11 QB disruptions all year, and only more than one in a game four times.

That was slightly better than Brandon Moore of the Jets who had a quite remarkable last six games of the season (including the playoffs). In those games, he gave up just the a solitary pressure as he was a key cog in the Jets formidable offensive line. Elsewhere in the top five there is the guy recognized by many as the league’s top guard, Logan Mankins, and a Packer whose excellence seems to be really catching on in Josh Sitton.

Mankins and Sitton, however, sit behind one of the free agent signings of 2010. When Houston snapped up Wade Smith it seemed like he was just one of a number who would compete for playing time. In a move that didn’t surprise us (he had a strong finish to ’09 as a Chief), Smith won the starting job and a lot of praise for his positive performances. Any time you give up less than a pressure per game you’re doing well.

Pass Blocking Efficiency, Guards, Top 20, 2010
Rank Name Team Pass Blocking Snaps PBE
1 Bobbie Williams CIN 660 1.59
2 Brandon Moore NYJ 669 1.61
3 Wade Smith HST 646 1.78
4 Logan Mankins NE 348 1.87
5 Josh Sitton GB 810 2.07
6 Travelle Wharton CAR 330 2.12
7 Jahri Evans NO 780 2.18
8 Chris Snee NYG 597 2.18
9 Harvey Dahl ATL 706 2.23
10 Will Montgomery WAS 337 2.30
11 Brian Waters KC 531 2.31
12 Carl Nicks NO 780 2.34
13 Rich Seubert NYG 569 2.37
14 Mike Brisiel HST 295 2.37
15 Kyle DeVan IND 546 2.38
16 Andy Levitre BUF 579 2.42
17 Jacob Bell SL 662 2.61
18 Kyle Kosier DAL 495 2.63
19 Steve Hutchinson MIN 409 2.69
20 Richie Incognito MIA 643 2.72