Which Left Tackle Prospect Fits The Browns Best?

If the Browns are eyeing a left tackle with the 10th overall pick in Thursday’s draft, they’ll have several talented players from which to choose. 

The first five spots in The Ringer’s 2020 Draft Guide offensive line rankings are occupied by tackles. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projects seven tackles as possible first-round picks. 

But which tackles fit best with Cleveland? I combed through several outlets’ draft coverage (A draft expert I am not — I will link to all the great work referenced in this story) to evaluate which tackle would be the Browns’ best match.

5. Mekhi Becton, Louisville

Becton is not the the fifth-best tackle in this draft. Most big boards have him ranked third or fourth because of the way he crushed ACC defenders for three seasons at Louisville.

He also crushed the combine in March. At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds (14 pounds heavier than the second-heaviest tackle in this class), he ran the eighth-fastest 40-yard dash. He was throwing down reverse dunks in high school. 

But the Browns are looking for more certainty and stability from Baker Mayfield’s blindside protector. It remains to be seen whether Becton can provide either. 

For starters, we learned last week that his combine drug test was flagged. We can debate whether the NFL should be testing for marijuana (they shouldn’t), and flagged doesn’t mean failed. But it won’t help Becton’s standing with the Browns, either.

Based on Becton’s on-field acumen, Brugler called Becton a high-upside prospect at right or left tackle. But Brugler also mentions that Becton relies on his size too often, is slow adjusting to inside moves and needs to develop awareness against pressure. The Ringer’s Danny Kelly wrote that “there could be concerns about (Becton’s) ability to stay at his ideal playing weight given his weight fluctuations in college.”

So sure, Becton’s physical attributes make him an enticing prospect. But can the Browns afford to wait for Becton to realize his high-upside potential with a roster that’s built to win soon, if not now? 

4. Josh Jones, Houston 

The Browns will not draft Josh Jones at No. 10, but they could draft him in the late first/early second round if Andrew Berry starts trading draft picks. 

Most big boards rank Jones in the low 30s, meaning the Browns either trade down from No. 10 or trade up from No. 41 to take Jones. If they trade down from No. 10, they’d get Jones plus extra picks. If they trade up from No. 41, they’d get Jones plus whoever they drafted at No. 10. 

Jones’ appeal as a prospect lies in his pass-blocking potetntial. He allowed just four pressures at Houston in 2019 and was voted an offensive practice player of the week by the defenders he blocked in Mobile. 

Jones’ wingspan is the fifth-shortest among 2020 tackles, though. And According to Brugler, Jones is too often off-balance when run blocking, which Brugler attributes to “spotty” hand placement. That might be a red flag for Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, whose Vikings ran the ball the fifth-most in the NFL last season. 

3. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa 

Wirfs is top-rated tackle on the Ringer’s draft board and its sixth-best prospect overall. Like Becton, Wirfs is an athletic specimen. 

In high school, Wirfs won a state championship as a wrestler and discus-thrower. He set an Iowa record by power-cleaning 450 pounds

At the combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.85 seconds) of the 2020 tackle class and jumped higher (36.5 inches) than any lineman ever had. It’s fair to wonder when he’d ever need to jump that high, but it’s still impressive to watch a 6-foot-5, 320-pound man move like that. 

As for his blocking Wirfs, allowed just 40 quarterback pressures during the 1,138 pass-block snaps he played at Iowa. He played right tackle in college, but Browns GM Andrew Berry said last week that he doesn’t view that as a deal-breaker.

There is some doubt about whether Wirfs is long enough to play tackle, though. His 80.25-inch wingspan is the sixth-shortest in the draft. His DUI arrest (operating a scooter while intoxicated) in July 2018 and underage drinking citation in June 2019 will raise eyebrows in the Browns’ front office, too. 

But Wirfs’ talent combined with his production at Iowa is hard to look past. At worst, Both Brugler and Kelly project him as a strong guard prospect. And his athleticism suggests he could play left tackle, despite spending his entire college career on the opposite end of the line.

2. Andrew Thomas, Georgia

Thomas checks all the traditional boxes. In Georgia’s pro-style system, he earned Freshman All-American honors at right tackle. After moving to left tackle his sophomore season, he earned first-team All-SEC honors the next two seasons and was named an All-American (second-team in 2018, first-team in 2019) each year. 

Thomas allowed just 27 pressures in three seasons and just nine last season. He also gained respect from his teammates. Coaches called him one of the Bulldogs’ “best leaders.”

In the run game, Kelly describes Thomas as a “bulldozer.” Brugler said Thomas needs to shore up his pass-blocking technique but that his issues are “fixable.” 

Thomas might not have as high of a ceiling as Becton or Wirfs, but he’s also probably a safer pick to become a long-term answer at left tackle. 

1. Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama 

Wills never played left tackle at ‘Bama, but he still protected Tua Tagovailoa, his left-handed quarterback, as well as any blindside protector in the country. 

According to Alabama’s team website, Wills allowed just one sack and 3.5 hurries last season. Brugler described him as a “mauling” run-blocker, and his college contemporaries gave him high praise, too. 

Coaches called him a “student of the game.” Michigan edge rusher Josh Ache said Wills never falls for the same move twice. And Wills didn’t miss a game in either of his last two college seasons. 

For those reasons, Brugler rated Wills as the top tackle in this class. Wills is the only tackle Brugler said has “All-Pro upside.”

Kelly has Wirfs ranked above Wills but still compares Wills to Carolina Panthers left tackle Russell Okung, a 10-year starter and two-time Pro Bowl selection. 

Of course, it can’t be ignored that Wills lacks left-tackle experience. But he’s coachable, and the experts believe his talent will translate to the NFL. If Wills is available at No. 10, he’d be a great fit for the Browns.