3. D'Brickashaw Ferguson: Left tackle is one of the most important and most difficult positions in the league. His career got off to a slow start, but Brick was one of the five best at his position this year. Despite playing with a rookie quarterback who was often indecisive and tentative, D'Brickashaw only allowed about one hit every other game protecting Mark Sanchez's blind side. He didn't get much help either. While Alan Faneca remains a very good run blocker, his pass blocking skills have eroded to a degree. Most notable, though, is the improvement in Ferguson's run blocking. A few years ago, he added nothing in the run game. He was purely a finesse guy who could pass block. He has developed into an excellent run blocker. While Gang Green still runs primarily to the right side, now the team can run behind Ferguson.
2. Thomas Jones: Jones slowed down near the end of the year and had arguably the game's best offensive line blocking for him. How can you not give a guy with 1,402 yards on the ground a ton of credit, though. Jones isn't flashy. He's just reliable. He reads his blocks, finds his holes, hits them, and consistently picks up good gains to put his team in reasonable second and third down situations. He's still producing big time at an age when most backs are at the end of the line.
1. Nick Mangold: Offensive linemen seldom get the credit they deserve from the mainstream media. We here at GGN want to change that. In reality, all five offensive linemen were contenders for these spots. The way offensive lines function as a unit, the five players could probably count as one entity. Well, Mangold is the best of the bunch. He's the best center in football. He is the anchor of the line. What was the biggest reason the unit dominated on the ground? It started in the middle. Mangold consistently dominated his man without needing any help. In both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts, the nose tackle is responsible to try and draw double teams. Having a center who could regularly not just tie up but beat the nose freed up a blocker to find somebody else. Yes, I say the center was the most valuable player on offense.