A deep dive into Jack Conklin’s potential fit with the Cleveland Browns
By Mitch Zoloty
Conklin is a great fit
Conklin’s greatest strength as an option for the Cleveland Browns is his fit into their new offense. After watching a few games of Conklin last season, it is clear that what he does well is what the Browns will be basing their offense around in the future.
Conklin performs his best when running outside zone schemes, especially on the backside of outside zone schemes. His athleticism allows him to get his head play side on his block and excels at sealing off defenders. Conklin was a big part of Tennessee’s run game and was crucial on many runs for Derrick Henry. A backside block on an outside zone play in the NFL is one of the hardest blocks in the game, and that is Conklin’s biggest strength in the run game.
He has elite vision
When watching the film of the Tennessee Titans, it was clear that Conklin had a great understanding of their schemes in pass protection and he excelled at picking up blitzes. The Browns struggled in doing so last season, so adding a tackle of his caliber would be huge for protecting quarterback Baker Mayfield next season. Conklin’s great vision just goes hand-in-hand with his intelligence, as it is clear that he is a smart and savvy player. Conklin, at the young age of 25 and soon to be 26, it is pretty remarkable to see him play this way.
It is rare to see a young player who plays like a 10-year veteran hit the market, which is why Conklin will be so sought after this year in free agency. Players like Conklin are the type of linemen who can help running backs turn five-yard gains into 20-yard gains.
He has done exactly that for the Titans, and a good example of that was in their divisional playoff game against the Ravens. Conklin can reach his man in what looks like an outside zone play, giving running back Derrick Henry a cutback lane in which he takes for a 27-yard gain and a nasty stiff arm on Ravens safety Earl Thomas. Conklin has the awareness to hold his block just long enough to let Henry have a wide-open cutback lane, and plays like that are what make him so valuable.
Conklin has some great physical tools
When evaluating an offensive lineman, it is one thing to have size. It’s another thing to be able to use that size. Conklin measured in at the NFL Combine at a solid 6-foot-6 and weighed a whopping 308 pounds. He also measured to have 35-inch arms, which are fantastic for an offensive tackle. That is a frame that should make a good offensive line coach salivate.
Conklin knows how to use his frame too, as he displays a good ability to recover on blocks when he may take bad steps or gets knocked off. He can think on his feet and get his body to move in the way in which he wants, which is incredibly underrated for offensive linemen. You can be 6-foot-8, 400 pounds, and have 40-inch arms, but if you don’t know how to control your body at an elite level, you will get exposed. Conklin has good hand placement that at times can be improved, but overall is good at landing his punch. His hands are something that can be an asset at times, but can also be detrimental.