5 Browns O-Linemen who stepped up under Bill Callahan

3. James Hudson III has Improved as a Sophomore.

Last season, James Hudson III was not very good as a rookie. There were reasons to question the wisdom of making him a fourth-round pick.

Most of Andrew Berry’s draft picks are precocious kids, drafted at age 21 with three years of college experience, rather than the 22 or 23-year-olds with four years. The theory is that the younger guys are still developing and thus will have a higher ceiling in the NFL.

However, Hudson only had one year at the University of Cincinnati after making the transfer there and was 22 when drafted. Hudson had gotten tangled up with coach Jim Harbaugh at That School Up North. That’s actually okay. In evaluating potential prospects, student-athletes should have an automatic forgiveness policy if Harbaugh doesn’t like them. Nevertheless, a 22-year-old prospect with one year as a starter and one year’s cup of coffee at TSUN did not sit well with amateur draft evaluators.

Sure enough, Hudson wasn’t nearly ready as a rookie last year and just was not much of a baller. When Jack Conklin and Chris Hubbard both went down, neither he nor Blake Hance (who famously stepped in at guard to protect Baker Mayfield in the playoffs in 2020, but isn’t really a capable tackle) was able to provide pass protection. The Browns gave up an appalling 49 sacks in 2021.

However, at the start of 2022, Conklin was not ready to go and Hudson had to play against Carolina and the New York Jets. Hudson was night-and-day improved over his rookie campaign. Because Conklin’s contract is expiring at the end of 2022, Hudson may become the starter in 2023, or possibly next week if there is a deadline deal that makes sense.

Here again, let’s credit Hudson for working hard, but maybe Callahan and the rest of the Browns coaching staff had something to do with it as well. Having Joe Thomas on staff in the preseason was certainly a major asset as well.

Speaking of Conklin, it goes without saying that he made All-Pro in his first year with Cleveland after coming over from Tennessee, but that might not be enough to keep him in Cleveland.