Cowboys' Zack Martin named top interior offensive lineman by ESPN

Many thought the Dallas Cowboys were going to take quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Luckily, they were smart enough to take guard Zack Martin.  From the moment he stepped on the field, Martin hasn't just been good, he's been dominant.  Martin has racked up eight Pro Bowl selections […]

Matthew Lenix
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Dallas Cowboys, Zack Martin

Many thought the Dallas Cowboys were going to take quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Luckily, they were smart enough to take guard Zack Martin. 

From the moment he stepped on the field, Martin hasn't just been good, he's been dominant. 

Martin has racked up eight Pro Bowl selections and eight All-Pro nods in nine seasons with 2020 being the only year he didn't accomplish either and that was due to missing six games with a calf injury. He's getting long in the tooth, but Martin isn't slowing down a bit when it comes to playing high-level football. 

ESPN used over 80 voters including coaches, execs, and scouts to come up with the 10-best interior offensive linemen. Martin would sit in the top spot. 

1. Zack Martin 

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 5

Last season marked a sixth first-team All-Pro nod for Martin, who at age 32 is among the most highly productive players at any position.

He gave up three sacks on a 96% pass block win rate, the eighth-best clip in the league. His 73.8% run block win rate was also impressive.

Martin did not run away with the voting, but he's still considered the best.

"He's maybe declined physically a little bit due to age, but he's so smart and so instinctive that he makes up for any physical shortcoming," a high-ranking NFL executive said. –Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

Martin logged 1,143 snaps last season and was only called for one penalty. That's been a key factor in Martin's career, his discipline, as he's only been called for five penalties over the last four years (20 in nine seasons).

In the 628 pass-blocking reps Martin had in 2022 he didn't allow a sack, only gave up two quarterback hits and 16 pressures. As a pass rusher, what are you supposed to do against someone that great?

Martin is technically sound and smart on the highest level plus he's still physically imposing after all these years. As long as his health remains excellent, Martin will have a stranglehold on the interior offensive lineman crown for a while.

Feature image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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