Who do Cleveland Browns have to play left tackle?

The Cleveland Browns can choose between hurting Jed Wills, healing Chris Hubbard, gamer Blake Hance or rookie James Hudson.

The Cleveland Browns are going to have to face the very tough San Diego Chargers, and it is not quite clear who is going to protect quarterback Baker Mayfield‘s blindside.

Rookie Jed Wills is solidly entrenched as the starter, but he has been bothered by a severe ankle sprain and he just is not his normal self. He continues to aggravate it and has had to come out of every game so far. The pattern is clear.

Four games and four times he has not been able to continue. Wills is normally an athletic offensive tackle but currently, he’s extremely slow and playing on one leg. He’s a liability. How about choosing another player until he gets that thing healed enough that he does not re-injure it each and every week?

Chris Hubbard should be the next man up. Hubbard is an unusual player because he can automatically play any position on the offensive line. Some players, even veterans who are experienced on both sides of the line, take several weeks to switch from the left side to the right side, because their muscle memory is programmed for one side and they cannot easily reverse it.

Hubbard can do it automatically it seems, and he can play all five positions on the offensive line and has been the extra blocking tight end at times also. He’s the coach on the field when he is playing. Right now, however, he’s recovering from a torn triceps muscle and it is not clear whether he can be ready in time for the Chargers.

Blake Hance is developing into another Hubbard. Hance got his shot in the playoffs versus Pittsburgh in 2020, when a surprised Baker Mayfield found “a guy named Blake,” who he was introduced to just that morning, was blocking for him in the playoff game! The nickname has sort of stuck.

A guy named Blake has already played guard and tackle in the NFL playoffs, and he has also played center for the Browns in the preseason. He has subbed for Hubbard subbing for Wills and he has been acceptable if not an All-Pro candidate at left tackle. Our scouting report is that he is a better left guard than left tackle. However, a guy named Blake on two legs is better than Wills on leg one or Hubbard with an injured triceps.

At the end of the bench sits James Hudson. Hudson is a rookie fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Cincinnati. Unlike Hubbard and Hance, he’s a natural left tackle. However, he is a rookie, and rookie tackles usually have a miserable time in their first year in the NFL.

Browns fans from previous regimes have been taught that draft choices, especially quarterbacks, become stars immediately upon joining the NFL and this is just nonsense. If Hudson is like the 50th best tackle in the NFL right now, that’s rather what should be expected for a fourth-round pick. In other words, typically fourth-round picks are not good enough to be a starter and they will be bullied their first year. That does not mean that Hudson should not play, however.

Hudson got a chance to play versus Minnesota and immediately committed a penalty on fourth and short yardage. That didn’t endear him to the coaching staff.

Whoever the Browns choose, they can protect the left tackle to some extent because they run a two-tight-end offense, meaning that they can plug up his side of the line by leaving the tight end at home to block when necessary.

The Browns, in fact, have three tight ends who have posted significantly improved grades this season compared to last season. All three are graded by Pro Football Focus as within the top 32, meaning that they should be considered to be viable NFL starters.

David Njoku, in fact, is graded as an elite pass blocker now. He was one of the worst in the NFL at pass blocking circa 2017 and is one of the best in the NFL today. Tight ends in general and Njoku, in particular, don’t get nearly enough credit for their blocking ability.

Harrison Bryant didn’t grade above average in anything last season. Frankly, it was’ot obvious that he was better than undrafted Stephen Carlson, who is on Injured Reserve this season. So far this year, however, Bryant has been much improved in all phases of his game and is a proficient blocker on the offensive line. These guys will have to help out against the likes of Joey Bosa on Sunday, so we’ll see if they can slow him down, or at least make him take a wider path to pressure quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is one of the absolute best in the business and will make the correct call. This writer is not going to second-guess whatever call is made. However, based on the limited knowledge available, the guess here is that Hudson might get the start, on the grounds that everyone is tired of seeing Wills come out of the game.

Hudson is healthy and, although his skill set is not as developed as Hance, he is a true left tackle. He was below average versus Minnesota but survived. The Browns have the additional power blocking tight ends to help him out when necessary.