Cleveland Browns: 3 offensive lineman to look at for the 2020 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns will more than likely go with an offensive lineman in the NFL draft if last year’s position play was any indication.

The Cleveland Browns need to desperately upgrade their offensive line play. While some members of the squad will be retained, hopefully, the fact is that not every player can do every job. Let’s be clear, the line the team has is good enough to be a top-three rushing team. They’re a solid group of run blockers, lead by the interior squad of Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter. The tackles in the run game were solid enough and even the tight ends were solid enough to not be a disaster.

It’s when the team had to pass that the mighty o-line looked more like a Pop Warner line. Bitonio and Tretter were blocking four or five guys by themselves. The offensive tackles were playing patty-cake on the opposing sidelines and right guard Wyatt Teller was playing Pokemon Go in the endzone half the time. It was a wreck.

So the goal is to upgrade the line. It’s not hard to see someone like Tretter moving to a guard position if an upgrade at center is the best fit. Most centers can move to an interior position and still be effective, case in point former Browns prospect and New York Giant’s great Shaun O’Hare.

With the team moving to zone blocking under new line coach Bill Callahan, expect to see more athletic tackles being brought in. Most pro schemes focus on partial, if not wholly zone blocking schemes, so it’s not a huge shift for most players. It’s more effective and allows players to play their gaps instead of specific guys. The downside, however, is that you’re dependent more so than ever on the player next to you. This means laterally quick, responsible and intelligent players need to be prioritized.

Drafting intelligent and responsible players? No wonder the Browns canned John Dorsey.