Bengals O-Line tabbed one of NFL's best offensive position groups

The Bengals offensive line has routinely been one of the best in football during Marvin Lewis' tenure, so it's no surprise that trend is expected to continue in 2015.

ESPN's field Yates broke down the top-five offensive position groups in the NFL, and making the list was the Bengals' group of big uglies:

The Bengals' offensive line allowed the third-fewest sacks last season, while paving the way for the second-most rushing TDs in the NFL. Plus, Cincy added a pipeline to the future with its first two draft picks, Ogbuehi and Fisher.

The other groups to make the list were the Colts' receivers, Eagles' running backs, Packers' receivers, and Cowboys' offensive line. This isn't the first form of high praise the Bengals' O-line has gotten, and it likely won't be the last.

This past season, Cincinnati's line came in at No. 3 in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency ratings, which account for sacks, hurries, and QB hits surrendered, relative to the number of pass protection snaps. The Bengals' line came in at No. 3 for the regular season with an 85.0 rating, a mere 0.1 points behind Green Bay in the No. 2 slot. Not only that, but the 104 total pressures Cincinnati allowed were the fewest of any NFL team.

Leading the line once again in 2015 will be Bengals captain and left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who had arguably his best season in 2014, when he was one of two tackles to not allow a sack for the entirety of the season. He also allowed four fewer pressures than any other offensive tackle in the NFL.

In fact, Whit's 36.8 PFF grade in 2014 was the highest grade of his nine-year career, of the seasons during which he played at just one position. In 2013, Whit had a 38.4 PFF grade while playing nine games at LT in and six at LG. That was enough to help him finish 16th in PFF's Top 100 Players of 2015.

However, at 33-years-old and entering the final year of his contract, the Bengals appear to have a replacement in the wings in the form of rookies Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher. Spending two top-60 draft picks on those two should ensure there's little drop off once Whit's time in Cincinnati is over.

Another aspect of what makes Cincinnati's line so great is the weakest spot isn't much of a weakness. The Bengals traded up last year in the 2014 draft to snag UNC's Russell Bodine in the fourth round. The hope in the selection was to secure their center of the future. The Bengals were excited about Bodine going into the season, and he didn't disappoint, playing consistently all season.

Center is probably the second toughest position for a rookie and you couldn't have asked for more from a rookie center playing in the AFC North. Bodine went on to help anchor a line that allowed just 12 sacks (Bodine allowed just 2) and finished 6th in rushing offense last year, while playing with a rookie running back in Jeremy Hill and second year RB, Gio Bernard.

Oh, and don't forget about Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler, one of the best starting guard tandems in football. Their cumulative 22.2 PFF grade was the fifth best of any starting guard tandem who played in at least 60 percent of their team's offensive snaps. Both are signed through at least the next two seasons.

All in all, the future of the Bengals' offensive line is very bright, especially when it comes to the upcoming NFL season.