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.
C/G Tyler Biadasz (Wisconsin)
Joel Bitonio was a tackle in college, so the idea that Tyler Biadasz isn’t on the Browns radar because he played center in college is laughable. Now, that’s not a statement on his worth as a top ten pick, that’s also not to say he’s not worth a top ten pick. If you go into a draft and you think a guy like Russell Wilson is too good to let him fall past your pick and into the later rounds, damn the experts and take him. There is no such things as “draft value”. If you think the guy is the best, why risk losing him?
Biadasz is one of the best overall players in the draft and as far as interior lineman go is top-notch. He’s a stout run blocker who helped keep a mediocre quarterback upright most of the year. According to the Wisconsin football roster page, Biadasz is the exact type of player new head coach Kevin Stefanski will love;
"2019 Season: Earned third letter, starting all 14 games at center … helped Badgers average 233.1 rushing yards per game and 5.3 yards per attempt … allowed just 1 sack in 390 pass blocking snaps … blocked for Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 2,003 yards and 26 total touchdowns, repeating as Doak Walker Award winner and unanimous first-team All-American"
You can’t look at that resume and not get excited about this guy plowing the field for the running backs behind him. Prioritize him wherever you want in the draft but for a scheme and play style, there isn’t a single offensive lineman more tailor-made for the Browns scheme in 2020 than Biadasz.
Fansided’s own Jason Truitt did point out a flaw in his game, which might be something that can be corrected with the right coaching;
"His biggest flaw is his balance. Biadasz has been known for dropping to his knees when overpowered. When he reaches open field he likes to lunge towards the defender. Which is why on film you see the lineman on the ground more than one would like. ….Biadasz’s athleticism seems to be held back a bit by his weight. However, with a professional NFL workout and nutrition regime, he could shed off some pounds with ease."
If the Browns have to trade back up to get him, take him “too high” or sneak into Seattle’s war room and literally steal the draft pick from under their noses, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure he’s on the team come July.
OT Tristan Wirfs (Iowa)
Tristan Wirfs may have been Iowa’s best offensive lineman last season in a year where the storied program wasn’t having it’s best season. Wirfs is potentially the best tackle in the draft, as Pro Football Focus has him ranked second on their board of offensive tackles behind Andrew Thomas of Georgia. Having watched Wirfs a lot, it’s not hard to see he has quickness in not just his footwork but his hands too.
He’s incredibly nimble and can seal the edge on a lot of players in college. Maybe not a left tackle, but it’s more important to get the best players possible, considering the offensive line has holes for days. Wirfs combine stats are going to be key to finding out what he can offer beyond just size and great run blocking. Is he quick enough to catch a good pass rusher? How’s his footwork? Can he handle more complicated slants and stunts? Will he be quick enough to make the low-point-of-contact on the defensive front ahead of him? What about his horizontal speed; can he chase down a linebacker in the ground game? These are all questions you hope to have a better answer come combine time.
It’s not a perfect science, the combine, but it is a good barometer on what he would need to work on or what extra attributes he brings to the table.
Why Wirfs over other tackle prospects? Simply put there is no one unanimous pick at the position CBS has Jedrick Willis at the top spot. WalterFootball.com has Mekhi Becton and as mentioned before Pro Football Focus has Thomas. There is no Joe Thomas in this draft, so to draft someone with the expectation that they’ll become that is unrealistic. Every tackle prospect has major flaws and most of them have to do with their ability to pass-block.
So instead of trying to find the next great pass-blocking left tackle, let’s find an elite level run blocker instead so that the Browns can build a true AFC North team that can be successful.
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.