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A deep dive into Jack Conklin’s potential fit with the Cleveland Browns

By Mitch Zoloty

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 06: Jack Conklin #78 of the Tennessee Titans runs onto the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Buffalo defeats Tennessee 14-7. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 06: Jack Conklin #78 of the Tennessee Titans runs onto the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Buffalo defeats Tennessee 14-7. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 01: Jack Conklin #78 of the Tennessee Titans and J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans go one on one at NRG Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Houston won 57-14. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 01: Jack Conklin #78 of the Tennessee Titans and J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans go one on one at NRG Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Houston won 57-14. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Conklin’s punch isn’t perfect

When watching Conklin play, he does a good job of getting his hands in the right places. The only problem is sometimes he allows himself to get punched first. This means that sometimes he gets his strike off too late, which can be a problem against good pass rushers who are good at speed-to-power rushes. This is a small critique but would be something that would need to be improved if he is to become one of the league’s highest-paid offensive tackles.

In a division with some of the NFL’s best pass rushers, such as T.J. Watt and Matthew Judon, it will be something that could get exposed from time to time. This is a technique issue, which would likely be able to get fixed by a great offensive line coach like Bill Callahan. This isn’t a huge problem, as he does have good hands, but he does not have $20 million per year hands.

His footwork can struggle at times

When looking at his footwork, there are some areas for improvement. There are some situations where he steps underneath himself, which puts him at a disadvantage from the start in the run game. However, he shows the ability to recover from this most of the time. This is also another technique issue, which could probably be fixed through practice.

Having bad footwork at times is a problem though, especially when the Titans began to run plays not necessarily in his wheelhouse. When watching the film, Conklin’s biggest hole in the run game was getting movement on inside zone plays. He’s not an elite mauler of an offensive lineman, and that’s okay. In today’s NFL, not every offensive lineman is a phone booth hero. Conklin is still good at run blocking inside zone plays, but he can struggle to get the needed movement. Fixing some problems in his footwork would be able to aid him in this endeavor.

He is not a Mauler

Conklin is not your old school drive blocker who can take a 300 pound defensive lineman and put him in the dirt 10 yards downfield. He can struggle at times to get movement. There are instances where he may play too high and can get bull rushed, which is either due to his overall strength, late punch, or his body’s leverage. If the Browns are looking to run Iso and Inside Zone the entire game, Conklin is not the offensive tackle for them.

I’m sure Conklin has great weight room numbers, as most NFL offensive linemen do. I just don’t see that transitioning to the field as it does for some other offensive linemen. That’s not to say he’s weak, it’s just to say that an offensive coordinator isn’t putting Conklin in the best situation to succeed if they want him to play in a phone booth. Conklin is your new age offensive tackle, where they are more athletic than they are strong.

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