The 2026 NFL season is here, and we have updated our Pre-Season Football Monitor.

As we have expanded our projects, we can’t say we've expanded the team behind the scenes!  As a result, we are a little behind on this one, and we could only post the top 50 of the Pre-Season Monitor at this time.

We will add more during the season (and yes, we know that defeats the purpose of pre-season), but thank you for your patience.

We have unveiled the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, and now the five Offensive Linemen.

They are:

#1 OL, #6 Overall: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers, #5 Overall Last Year.

#2 OL, #22 Overall: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts, #26 Overall Last Year.

#3 OL, #34 Overall: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles, #27 Overall Last Year.

#4 OL, #38 Overall: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions, #68 Overall Last Year.

#5 OL, #41 Overall: Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears, #64 Overall Last Year.

Look for more information on this project shortly.

Joe Thuney arrived in Kansas City in the spring of 2021 with a reputation for quiet reliability rather than flash. Five seasons starting every game for the Patriots, two Super Bowl rings, and spots on New England’s All-Decade and All-Dynasty Teams had established him as a high-caliber left guard, even if individual awards hadn’t followed. The Chiefs signed him to a five-year, $80 million deal, betting that the same technician who had protected Tom Brady could do the same for Patrick Mahomes.

He settled in immediately as the starting left guard and became the steadying presence on an interior that also featured Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Thuney’s game was never about overwhelming power. Instead, he relied on precise hand placement, balanced footwork, and an ability to recover when initially driven back. In pass protection, he was elite, routinely ranking among the league’s best guards by limiting pressures and almost never allowing sacks. In the run game, he was athletic enough to pull, reach the second level, and sustain blocks on combination plays, even if pure one-on-one power rushes could occasionally challenge him. He also showed he could slide out to left tackle when injuries demanded it.

Over the next four seasons, that consistency helped the Chiefs reach three straight Super Bowls. They won the first two—against the Eagles and the 49ers—while Thuney earned the individual recognition that had largely eluded him in New England: Pro Bowls in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Second-Team All-Pro in 2022, and First-Team All-Pro in both 2023 and 2024. In 2024, he even drew votes for Offensive Player of the Year and was named the team’s Derrick Thomas MVP after stabilizing the line at left tackle late in the season.

In March 2025, the Chiefs traded him to the Chicago Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The move closed a short but potent chapter in which Thuney had done exactly what Kansas City needed: protect the quarterback, open lanes when called upon, and raise the floor of the offensive line without demanding the spotlight.

2025 Pre-Season Rank #64, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #75, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #120, 2022 Pre-Season Rank: #140. Peak Period: 2021-25

Over the last few seasons, the profile of Joe Thuney rose to the point where he is nationally recognized as one of the top pass protectors in the National Football League, and legendary Quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will tell you that firsthand.

Thuney helped anchor both Brady’s New England Patriots and Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowl Championships.  In 2025, Thuney joined the Chicago Bears, and in his first campaign in the Windy City, he was just as dominant.  Last season, he added his fourth straight Pro Bowl and third straight First Team All-Pro, and is positioning himself for a coveted All-Decade selection.

Thuney’s next two seasons will likely determine his Hall of Fame bust.