3 Reasons Cleveland Browns Are Moving Jedrick Wills To Left Tackle

Leading up to the NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry downplayed the challenges of moving a player from right tackle to left tackle, which proved prescient since they ended up with Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, who never played left tackle. So much of it comes down to time.

It's unreasonable to ask someone to move positions with only a few weeks to prepare for it. Wills has already been working on it, in preparation for what was always going to be a likely move, and he still has months to keep working on it. Whether someone prefers to think of it as learning to write with the other hand or former Green Bay Packer Josh Sitton's colorful thought on it, learning to wipe with the other hand, it can be done, but it's about time and practice. There are three reasons it makes sense for Wills to make the move rather than Conklin.

1. Experience on the offensive line

If a team was going to put a rookie tackle in place, the best to ensure their chances of success would be by putting him next to Joel Bitonio. Not unlike when Joe Thomas was drafted and put next to Eric Steinbach. It made it a far easier transition, having someone so confident and effective at their job on the inside gap, who can provide some room for error for a rookie trying to learn. It's also valuable from the standpoint of having that knowledge base next to him. And Bitonio played left tackle, switching positions coming out of college, so he's got plenty to offer from that standpoint.

Meanwhile, the right guard position looks to be a competition between Wyatt Teller entering year three and Drew Forbes coming into his second season. And while the winner of that battle should provide the Browns an effective player, that's not the place to put a rookie. Instead, the right guard is now flanked by J.C. Tretter and Jack Conklin, which is pretty ideal. The young players are supported by extremely competent veterans, which should allow for some early success.

2. The offensive scheme

If Wills is able to come in and be the powerful force he was for Alabama in the running game, driving opponents down the field and bringing a finisher's mentality, it can put defenses at a disadvantage defending the running game. They might even have to put additional help over there to try to stop Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

That then creates the opportunity to use that outside zone stretch look to then use playaction and roll Baker Mayfield to the right. Now, depending on the design of the play, Conklin becomes his personal protector. The Browns still intend to be able to run to the right as well, but most quarterbacks want to move to their throwing hand side.

Two years into his career, Mayfield tends to want to evacuate the pocket to his right, where he has a veteran in Conklin to protect him. But so much of this offense is predicated on making passes look like runs and runs look like passes that Wills and Bitonio leading the way to the left can create some favorable matchups working back to the right in the passing game.

3. Jack Conklin is a professional right tackle

In the past four years and particularly this past season with the Tennessee Titans, Conklin has transformed himself into a pro at right tackle. That's more detail and work put into this position for him than any college player coming out has put into their respective positions. It's the nature of being professional.

The Browns will move Wills now in the hopes that he can have the same type of transformation going to the left side that Conklin did moving to the right. Even if Wills stayed at right tackle, he'd have more work to do to get to the level Conklin has, so rather than put two players in the position of developing, they just have one, Wills.