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

C/G Frederick Mauigoa (Washington State)

A second or third-day pick with great pass blocking skill is Frederick Mauigoa of Washington State. Having played in an offense that nearly had 6,000 yards in passing for 2019, Mauigoa has plenty of experience and ability to adjust to the pro game as a pass blocker. The Cougars as a team only averaged a hair more than one sack per game in 2019. Considering they threw the ball 708 times last season, that’s quite remarkable to only have 20 sacks to your name.

That’s 35.4 plays in between sacks on average. For comparison the Browns threw 539 times, with 40 sacks, meaning they went 13.48 plays in between sacks on passing plays. Does this mean that Mauigoa help the Browns reach historical NFL all-time great pass blocking stats? No, of course not, the stats merely show you that Mauigoa was taught how to pass block well, and was efficient.

The problem with Mauigoa is that no one has a clue where he is in the process. Some like CBS don’t even have him in the top 40+ of lineman, while others like WalterFootball.com have him going in the 4-6 round range and potentially an undrafted free agent. While others yet, like DraftSite.com have him going in the 4th round to the Vikings and DraftTeck have him as the 79th overall prospect regardless of position and a third-round pick.

At 6’3 and 310 lbs he’s the perfect size to play right tackle in a zone-blocking scheme and with his interior strength, you know he’s strong enough to get guys off the line of scrimmage, the only question that really remains is if he can run block well enough. There are a lot of good interior guys who can play either guard or center and a few who can even move out to tackle, the real question is finding the right guys at the right positions who have the right attributes to dominate a run-first offense.

After all, that’s the key to remember. This is NOT going to be a pass-happy offense. The need for a Thomas like tackle does not exist as it has in years past. The focus should be about bolstering the offensive line with dominant and strong players that can move the chains and allow the running backs the time they need to get through.

If the Browns went offensive line with the first three picks, it’s hard to argue that it wouldn’t be the right move. This team needs an overhaul on the offensive line and not just one or two guys.