The Cleveland Browns had a host of issues with former first-round pick and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who never quite panned out after the team selected him 10th overall out of Alabama in 2020.
Wills started 45 games over his first three seasons in Cleveland, though his play and effort were both up and down over that run, leading analysts to question each with relative regularity. Those questions grew even louder over the next two seasons, particularly after the Browns picked up the fifth-year option on Wills’ deal for the 2024 campaign out of, at least in part, a lack of other seemingly viable options.
Wills appeared in just 13 games over the past two years, largely due to injury. As it turns out, injury issues may also keep Wills sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 season.
“Sources: Free agent OT Jedrick Wills, who dealt with a lingering knee injury last season, is planning to sit out most — or possibly all — of the upcoming season to fully recover and get back to 100%,” NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reported on Monday, June 2. “Wills, the former #Browns’ top 10 pick, has drawn interest from multiple teams and is still just 26 years old — but he believes taking this time off is the best move for the long-term future of his career.”
Browns Face Major Questions at Tackle Positions in 2025
GettyFormer Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.
Wills earned a total of $34 million across his five seasons with the Browns, though the team didn’t bring him back for 2026 and beyond — an outcome that the majority of NFL analysts who broached the topic predicted ahead of the offseason.
His departure, and the departure of his salary, from the offensive line unit should ultimately prove beneficial for Cleveland on the heels of a three-win season that landed the Browns the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Based on the team’s current depth chart, per ESPN, former right tackle Dawand Jones will move to the left side of the line for his third professional campaign. Right tackle Jack Conklin remains on the roster as of early June, though he profiles as a potential trade/cut candidate given his salary and recent history of serious injuries across multiple years.
It appears that Cleveland will keep together its star duo of offensive guards in Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio for at least one more season, which should solidify the position group on the interior.
Browns Must Invest in Offensive Line to Protect Rookie QBs
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns aren’t poised to compete for a division crown in a loaded AFC North or for a deep postseason run in the upcoming campaign. That said, a strong offensive line is important if for no other reason than to keep the team’s quarterbacks upright through a rebuilding year.
Cleveland drafted Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round and Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado in the fifth round. Both are likely to remain with the franchise due to their statuses as rookies on whom the team just used meaningful draft picks to acquire.
There is also a reasonable chance that one, or both, of them could find his way into a starting role at some point during what could be another rough season in Northeast Ohio.
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