The most important position on the offensive line, the left tackle is vital to any team's success in the NFL.
The left tackle needs to combine the situational awareness and game intelligence of the quarterback, with the physicality required to hold back the giant defenders barreling down on him.
He needs to be quick enough to stop the edge rushers, strong enough to hold off a roving defensive tackle, and smart enough to spot a defensive back dropping in to blitz.
There aren't many athletes who can possess all of those qualities, but everyone on this list does.
Some notable omissions from this list include Los Angeles Rams legend Jackie Slater, iconic Seattle Seahawk Walter Jones, and three-time Oakland Raiders Super Bowl champion Art Shell.
Anthony Munoz (1980-1993)
During his 12 years in the NFL, Anthony Munoz was named First-team All-Pro nine times. Twice more he was named Second-Team All-Pro. That means that for more than a decade, Munoz was either the number one or number two left tackle in the NFL.
Munoz was one of seven offensive tackles named in the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, and helped to change the importance of the position by virtue of his dominance.
Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, the starting quarterbacks benefited from a virtual certainty that pressure would not be coming from their blind side. Such was his dominance that there is a persistent rumour that Munoz never allowed a single sack in his career, but this is likely exaggerated.
He also caught four passing touchdowns.
Munoz was the first ever Bengal to be named to the Hall of Fame, in 1998.
Jonathan Ogden (1996–2007)
The first ever draft selection by the Baltimore Ravens, Ogden proved a cornerstone of the new team over 12 years. With the exception of his rookie year, Ogden was named to the Pro Bowl in every season of his career. He helped the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2001, and also caught two touchdown passes.
He was named NFL Offensive Linemen of the Year by his fellow professionals, Ogden was consistently recognised as the league's pre-eminent left tackle.
Standing six foot seven inches tall, Ogden was unusually massive for his position and provided excellent protection to quarterbacks like Vinny Testaverde and later Joe Flacco. He also served as a vocal team leader, helping to inspire his teams to success.
Joe Thomas (2007–2017)
The "First lineman in NFL history" as Thomas became known after a chyron fail on NFL Network, Thomas was the single bright spot during one of the most consistently poor periods of performance in NFL history. Thomas was runner-up as Rookie of the Year in 2007, and named First-team All-Pro for the first of six times in 2009. He was named 10 times to the Pro Bowl, and played an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps. Those selections were consecutive, more than any other lineman in NFL history.
Thomas was also selected in the All-Decade team of the 2010s and allowed only 30 sacks in 6,680 pass blocking attempts in his career, an 0.4% sack rate.
Willie Roaf (1993-2005)
Selected eighth overall in the 1993 NFL Draft, "Nasty" Willie Roaf was selected to seven Pro Bowls in his first nine seasons with the New Orleans Saints. After switching to Kansas City, Roaf made four more Pro Bowl appearances in his final four seasons.
Roaf was integral to the first ever period of sustained success in New Orleans, anchoring the line behind quarterback Aaron Brooks for the club's first playoff win, a Wild Card win over the St Louis Rams. Perhaps only Drew Brees is more highly rated among New Orleans fans.
Equally adept as a run and pass blocker, Roaf joined the likes of Ogden in redefining expectations of the franchise left tackle and was elevated to the Hall of Fame in 2012.
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