The NFL’s first ever Protector of the Year has Penei Sewell, Garett Bolles and Quenton Nelson in the spotlight at midseason point
Which star offensive lineman deserves the honor of becoming the NFL’s first ever Protector of the Year?
With the NFL season halfway done, our team at A to Z Sports decided to vote on who should win each of the major NFL awards. Over the next week, we’ll release one article per day, covering each award. This article will cover the NFL’s first-ever Protector of the Year award.
A panel of four writers was selected for each award, and we attempted to exclude the primary beat reporters for the top-five favorites by betting odds in each category. That way, we’ll minimize bias in the voting as much as possible.
And speaking of voting, we copied the NFL’s MVP point system, where first-place votes result in 10 points, second-place votes receive five points, third-place votes get three points, fourth-place votes are worth two points, and fifth-place votes are worth one point. Obviously, the player with the most points wins the award.
For the Protector of the Year award, our panel includes Kyle Crabbs, Tyler Forness, Rob Gregson, and Wendell Ferreira.
A to Z Sports midseason Protector of the Year voting
Garrett Bolles, T, Denver Broncos
“Because of the name of this award, we should expect that it will be more impacted by pass protection than run blocking, and nobody in the NFL has been more efficient than Bolles to protect a quarterback. Going into Week 9, the Denver Broncos’ left tackle had given up only five pressures in 340 pass-block snaps, leading the best pass-protecting offensive line in football despite Bo Nix’s limitations as a quarterback.
Bolles’ abilities shouldn’t be a surprise, because he’s been an elite pass protector for three years at least. However, he’s playing the best football of his life in 2025.
These awards are a smart way to tell the story of a season. The Broncos deserve credit for the offensive line they put together, and nobody more than Bolles is able to represent what this unit is about.” – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay
Penei Sewell, T, Detroit Lions
“I don’t believe there is a single offensive lineman in the NFL who is more versatile and better at their complete craft than Sewell. He is one of the few linemen that you can deem a weapon. He is tremendous in his pass sets against both power and speed. He is a roadgrader as a run blocker in a variety of concepts. And while we haven’t seen it often in 2025 (yet), we know what he can do with the ball in his hands. The best protector and lineman in general resides in Detroit.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh
Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
“Nelson to me deserves a nod for what he’s brought to the Colts’ young offensive line as a stabilizer, plus just how good the unit has been thus far around Daniel Jones. We know all the issues that caught up to Jones in New York — Nelson feels like he’s playing his best ball, and the value there, with new young starters on the rest of the interior, carries a lot of weight to me.” – Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports NFL anaylst
Final voting results
- Garett Bolles: 27 points (2)
- Penei Sewell: 20 points (1)
- Quenton Nelson: 12 points (1)
Protector of the Year winner: Garett Bolles
“Garett Bolles has come a long way since his famous quote about being sick of losing. He’s quietly become one of the most reliable pass and run protectors on one of the best offensive lines in football. He hasn’t allowed a single sack all season while appearing in over 600 snaps on offense. He has a blocking percentage of 99.8% and has only four penalties on the season. He’s allowed only seven pressures, which is less than one a game through the 2025 season, with no signs of slowing down.
The former first-round pick is an MVP and deserves the honor of winning the league’s first-ever protector of the year award. Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins was instrumental in establishing the award, with Bolles being the beneficiary and taking home the hardware. If Bolles can keep up his stellar play, he’s a lock to receive the award, and rightfully so.” – Adam Zientek, A to Z Sports Buffalo and Denver
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