The Browns invested heavily in the tackle position when Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry arrived in Cleveland. Right tackle Jack Conklin even secured his second contract with the Browns already. However, there have been some concerns about the progression of former first-round pick Jedrick Wills, who is currently the weak link in this offensive line. Is there someone on the depth chart who could challenge Wills for his starting job? Let’s find out!
1. Jack Conklin (RT)
Conklin is one of the NFL’s premiere run-blocking right tackles. He is a very explosive athlete with strong hands and a good understanding of blocking concepts, as he’s rarely found out of position. He plays with low pad level to initiate contact and quickly create pushback off the line. Conklin possesses the strength to sustain blocks and is a very capable blocker on the move and in open space. However, in pass protection, he lacks great balance and strong anchor to prevent getting overpowered by top edge rushers. He has missed a few games due to injuries over the last two seasons, which could be something to monitor in the future. Although he had somewhat of a down year in 2022, I am comfortable that he will bounce back this season. In conclusion, I believe Conklin is an above-average starter who, when healthy, proves to be an effective pass protector against most edge defenders and an outstanding run blocker.
2. Jedrick Wills (LT)
Wills is an exceptional athlete for his position, possessing incredibly quick feet to kick out of his stands and mirror pass rushers effectively. When reaching the second level, he moves very smoothly and can easily cut off linebackers. While flashing some decent run blocking skills, he especially lacks consistency in this area. It seems that Wills’ effort is rather inconsistent, as he lacks the intensity required to consistently finish blocks in the run game. He also tends to go on cold streaks during games. Additionally, he struggles with pre-snap adjustments by the defense and adapting to blitzes mid-play. If Wills wants to retain the starting left tackle position, he must improve his overall performance, particularly his effort on the field. Given that the Browns exercised his fifth-year option, it indicates their belief in him to progress and live up to his first-round potential. However, it is getting time to demonstrate that before it’s too late for him. Overall, I would not rule out that Wills retains the starting job for the next two seasons. Nevertheless, there is one player on the depth chart who really could challenge him for his position.
3. Dawand Jones
The first thing that grabs your attention when watching Jones play is his incredible size and wingspan. His frame might not suggest it, but I was genuinely impressed by his ability to kick out of his stands and his foot speed – likely a result of his background as a basketball player. Additionally, he effortlessly reaches into the chest of practically any pass rusher, while also maintaining blocks with impressive strength in his hands and upper body. Given his size, he faces a natural leverage disadvantage in the run game and lacks some open-field athleticism, which could lead to challenges, especially on wide zone runs. Like every rookie, he still needs the game to slow down for him and work on his awareness and communication in pass protection. If his performance in preseason translates to matchups against stronger defenders, I believe he could be a serious threat for Jed Wills’ job. However, I don’t want to overhype Jones in his rookie year, as he still needs to prove that he can play with consistency and stay healthy, which has been a problem with other massive offensive tackles in the NFL (such as Mekhi Becton). If he reaches his upside though, he could make this offensive line a whole lot scarier.
4. James Hudson
Hudson has shown good progression in his first two NFL seasons, considering he only played offensive tackle since his freshman year in college. He maintains a low pad level and possesses a strong upper body to create pushback in the run game. While he might not strike you as an exceptional athlete, he has good enough foot speed and open-field athleticism to be effective as a blocker on the move. However, he occasionally misses blocks at the second level. Nevertheless, his arm length raises concerns, particularly in pass protection. Hudson frequently gets overpowered by rushers due to him struggling to initiate contact. Additionally, he lacks lower body strength to anchor down in such situations. I believe it would be interesting to move him inside, as his skillset could translate well at guard. He would get a little more help in pass protection and probably match up better against (mostly) less explosive and shorter defensive tackles instead of edge defenders. Hudson remains a work in progress, but I think he has the potential to become a very good 6th man-type on the offensive line with positional flexibility.
5. Tyrone Wheatley
I did not expect much from Wheatley when I began studying his film, but i was very pleasantly surprised. Granted, he has only played limited snaps in the preseason game against Washington, but he showed a lot of potential in that matchup. He displayed great explosiveness, impressive balance, and the ability to effectively mirror pass rushers. Furthermore, he showed active footwork, driving defenders off the line of scrimmage in the run game. His hand placement was also quite effective, locking his hands into opponents’ shoulder pads. Wheatley has some positional flexibility and could potentially provide depth at guard as well. In fact, he impressed me enough to revise my breakdown of the interior offensive line and give Colby Gossett’s roster spot to him, partly due to Wheatley’s positional flexibility.
6. Derrick Kelly
Kelly had even less playing time in preseason than Wheatley, but honestly, the difference between watching these two players back to back was like night and day. Kelly appeared sluggish compared to Wheatley, and I don’t believe he can be an offensive tackle in this scheme.
Edit: Wheatley was traded to the Patriots in exchange for running back Pierre Strong. As a result of this trade, the team is expected to retain another interior offensive lineman. (so check out: https://diaryofadawg.blog/browns-interior-offensive-line/ to see the consequences of this move.)
Offensive Tackles on the 53-man roster (prediction):
- Jack Conklin
- Jedrick Wills
- Dawand Jones
- James Hudson
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