Browns Interior Offensive Line

The offensive line, especially the interior, has been a staple on the Browns’ offense for a long time now. There is a strong argument to be made for the guard duo in Cleveland to be the best in the NFL for the past three seasons. Ethan Pocic had a breakout year with the Browns last season, rounding out one of the best interior offensive line groups. However, this is an injury-prone position group, which calls for decent depth to sustain quality play throughout a whole season.

Centers

1. Ethan Pocic

Pocic has a big frame for a center with really long arms that give him an advantage when trying to put his hands on a denfender’s chest. Because of his size, he is also a very good run blocker with the dickhead mentality to finish blocks. Although Pocic is a bit better moving forward than backward, he can still anchor down against pass rushers and even hold up against bigger DTs one on one. His size can be disadvantageous as well when facing smaller DTs with better explosiveness off the ball. On stunts and creative rushes, he can get lost sometimes, but his overall awareness is decent. Pocic signed a 3-year, 18 million dollar deal; however, his starting job is not going to be guaranteed with two young and promising centers behind him.

2. Nick Harris

Harris is an undersized yet very mobile center. Granted, it was only preseason, and Harris was not facing starters, but in the Hall of Fame game, he looked like he put on some functional play strength. His size, however, comes with great athleticism in space, which is vital for playing center in a wide zone blocking scheme. Harris also possesses very quick feet to move off the line and into his spot quickly. He is still a young and promising center that lost his starting opportunity to an injury last year. As of now, I have Harris listed as the second center, since he is probably a better player than Wypler right now. However, I think if the Browns would have to decide between these two they would go with Wypler, because he is younger and on a cheaper contract. Don’t be surprised if the Browns trade Harris for a mid to late round pick before the end of camp.

3. Luke Wypler

Wypler was the Browns’ 6th-round pick in the most recent draft, and many analysts considered this an absolute steal. He presents an intriguing combination of strength and athleticism in a stocky package. He showed good command of the offensive line in his preseason debut, which was impressive to me. Although Wypler is slightly bigger than Nick Harris, he still qualifies as an undersized center. Nevertheless, he showed his effectiveness as a blocker against top-tier talent at Ohio State. Especially on the move he uses his core strength and speed to seal off lanes. However, due to his arm length he will struggle occasionally against long arm and bull rushers. In conclusion, Wypler is a very interesting prospect, who could be competing with Pocic for the starting job in years to come.

Guards

1. Joel Bitonio

Bitonio is the longest-tenured Cleveland Brown and has been a rock at left guard for them. His upper and lower body are incredibly strong, which allows him to basically move anyone he wants to anywhere he wants. Especially when he is pulling or climbing to the second level, he is nearly unstoppable. Joel is equally dependable in pass protection, with great hand placement and anchor. He also seems to be aware of anything happening around him, bringing great veteran presence to the offensive line. Moreover, he seems to get better with age, and I don’t see regression kicking in any time soon. Overall, Joel has been a pillar for this franchise over his career and I would love to see him retiring in Cleveland with a ring.

2. Wyatt Teller

Teller is one of the nastier mauling guards in the NFL. He possesses impressive strength, and watching film on him is extremely fun because of how frequently he puts defenders on their ass. Coming off the ball, he is very explosive and has great core strength to reach for blocks. Similarly to Bitonio, he is a really good athlete in the open space and you rarely see him miss blocks out there. Sustaining blocks is no issue for him in the run game; in the passing game however he can get beat by secondary rush moves at times. Furthermore, he struggles against speed rushers, where his urge to finish sometimes pushes defenders right into the quarterback in scrambling situations. Wyatt has had some issues with injuries over the last three seasons but if he is out there, he is one of the best run blocking guards in the NFL.

3. Michael Dunn

Dunn has played some guard for the Browns and lined up as an inline tight end in 13-personnel sets as an extra blocker. He does not possess any traits that would particularly stick out, but his skillset is very well-balanced, which is great for a backup. His hand placement and upper body strength enable him to sustain blocks, and he also has the mindset to finish off defenders. His explosiveness off the line and athleticism are good enough to be a competent blocker in a wide zone scheme. However, he can occasionally be overwhelmed by strength, leading to a shaky anchor and losses in pass protection. All things considered, I really like his positional flexibility, as he could cover all five positions on the line. In case of injury, I believe he will be the primary choice to step in at guard.

4. Colby Gossett

Gossett is a good athlete, with impressive strength in both his upper and lower body. He has long arms that, when placed correctly, help him to gain leverage against opposing defensive tackles. Due to his athleticism he is a capable blocker on the move and a good enough athlete to effectively climb to the second level and seal off linebackers. This is why I believe he fits the wide zone running style that the Browns run frequently. As I mentioned, his hand placement is not consistent, which leads to him punching air from time to time. Gossett can get lost on pass protection sets, especially against stunts and blitzes. Furthermore, you see a tendency for him to lean, which indicates a lack of balance that is particularly crucial in pass protection situations. Overall, he is a good run blocker and provides depth in that area, but must improve in pass protection to be a reliable backup guard on this team.

5. Wes Martin

Martin is a stocky guard with the strength to engage blocks head on. He performed well in his preseason debut, but I do have some concerns about him. His shorter arms give him a natural disadvantage that is especially noticeable on reach blocks and on the move. He tends to lean in pass protection, which can put him in bad positions. He’ll be competing with Gossett (and possibly another interior offensive linemen the Browns might bring in during camp) for the last roster spot.

6. Drew Forbes

Forbes sustained a significant back injury during training camp, which will likely cause him to miss time in the regular season. He is an adequate pass protector with decent anchoring ability and hand placement. However, as a run blocker, he doesn’t create a lot of pushback and lacks the necessary balance and athleticism to be an effective blocker on the move. I don’t believe he would have made the team even prior to his injury, and now I’m almost certain he won’t be seeing the field this season.

Edit: Following the trade of Wheatley, I expect the Browns to retain another interior offensive lineman. Cleveland tried out Wypler as a guard in the last two preseason games, indicating they believe he is not exclusively a center. While his pass protection during these games raised some concerns, he demonstrated effective run-blocking skills for his size at the guard position. Considering his potential for growth, the Browns might be comfortable with him as an emergency guard and center depth. In the end, both Harris and Wypler could find themselves remaining in Cleveland for the upcoming season.

Interior Offensive Linemen on the 53-man roster (prediction):

Center:

1. Ethan Pocic
2. Nick Harris
3. Luke Wypler (C/G)

Guard:

1. Joel Bitonio
2. Wyatt Teller
3. Michael Dunn