Midseason review: Offensive line, tight ends

Through six games, the Oklahoma offensive line has largely played out as expected. The tight end room might be the least surprising position group on the team.

But with the Sooners on bye, it's a good time to analyze how things have shaken out with both position groups. Here's a look at the stats, data, takeaways and midseason grade for the offensive line and tight ends:

(Other midseason reviews: Running backs, wide receivers)

SNAP-COUNT LEADERS

1. Andrew Raym — 423

2. McKade Mettauer — 414

3. Tyler Guyton — 411

4. Walter Rouse — 374

5. Troy Everett — 297

(All snap-count data provided by Pro Football Focus).

TEAM RANKINGS

Sacks allowed: 5 (second in Big 12)

Tackles for loss allowed: 4.5 per game (T-34th nationally)

QB Pressures allowed: 43

TAKEAWAYS

— It's no surprise that Raym, Mettauer, Guyton and Rouse have played the bulk of the snaps. They were the four players named by Jeff Lebby as starters before the season even began. For reference, the Sooners have played 477 total offensive snaps this year.

— The question really centers around the left guard position. Savion Byrd got the start the first three games, but he was pulled in favor of Everett against SMU and then suffered an injury in Week 3. He hasn't played a snap since then, even though Brent Venables said Byrd was back prior to the Iowa State game. The preseason hype was legitimate for Byrd, but he didn't play particularly well in the first three games. He has a PFF season grade of 58.2 with a ghastly pass-blocking grade of 34.6.

— Everett has seen the bulk of the left guard snaps the past three weeks, but there's been some inconsistency with him, too. He's graded out well in pass blocking — 80.8, the highest of any offensive linemen — but his run-blocking grade has been suspect. He was eventually pulled in favor of true freshman Cayden Green against Texas.

— Speaking of Green, he saw a season-high 57 snaps against Texas after just seeing four against Iowa State. Most notably, he was in the game during the Sooners' game-winning drive against the Longhorns. He mostly played tackle during his prep days, but clearly the Sooners believe Green can be productive at guard. It should be interesting to see how the snaps shake out at left guard in the coming weeks. Does Green continue to earn the trust of the coaching staff?

— Caleb Shaffer saw rare playing time after Mettauer's injury against Texas, but he hasn't made much of an impact this season. He's played just 55 snaps, which is on par with young guys like Jake Taylor and Nate Anderson. Mettauer's injury timeline is unclear, with Venables saying the hope is he returns sooner rather than later. But if Mettauer misses any time, it appears Shaffer could see an uptick in snaps.

— Overall, the offensive line has been really solid in pass protection, which has played a big role in Dillon Gabriel's career-best season. But the running blocking has left a lot to be desired — nobody other than Rouse has a PFF run-blocking grade higher than 65.1. That'll need to be a point of emphasis moving forward.

MIDSEASON GRADE: B

SNAP-COUNT DATA

1. Austin Stogner — 321

2. Blake Smith — 78

3. Josh Fanuiel — 28

INDIVIDUAL STATS

1. Austin Stogner — 7 REC, 61 yards

2. Blake Smith — 2 REC, 30 yards

3. Kade McIntyre — 1 REC, 26 yards

TAKEAWAYS

— It's been the Stogner show at tight end. Outside of Smith, no other tight end on the roster has logged more than 28 snaps. That includes Jason Llewelyn (10), McIntyre (19) and Faniuel.

— It's been interesting to see the lack of involvement from Stogner in the passing game. He has just 10 targets on the season and is currently on pace for his fewest receiving yards in a season since his freshman campaign. However, three of his receptions came against Texas, and it's possible he could see some more involvement in the passing game with Andrel Anthony out for the season. He's been so-so as a blocker, receiving a pass-blocking grade of 60.7 and a run-blocking grade of 25.4 from PFF.

— Blake was primarily a blocking tight end during his Texas A&M tenure, and that's what he's been this season. He's been effective — he has a pass-blocking grade of 75.3 and a run-blocking grade of 71.9 — but he's only played 25 snaps over the past four weeks and didn't log a snap against Texas. We simply may not see any tight end other than Stogner log snaps down the stretch.

— The Sooners are excited about the potential of McIntyre and Llewelyn, but with Stogner on the roster it's unlikely either of them will see the field much moving forward.

MIDSEASON GRADE: B