Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry wasn't lying when he said he wanted to rebuild the entire offensive line in one offseason. Of course, it may have been more out of necessity than will, but he's clearly got a vision.
In almost no time, the Browns added three starters in Tytus Howard (trade), Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins (free agency). Joel Bitonio might be inching closer to retirement, and that leaves them with at least another spot to fill.
That's why getting former Green Bay Packers star interior lineman Elgton Jenkins was such a master move. Similar to Howard and Johnson, Jenkins will provide great positional versatility in Cleveland.
Elgton Jenkins' versatility reveals Andrew Berry's vision for the offensive line
On paper, Jenkins is better suited to be Bitonio's natural replacement at left guard. That's the position that helped him become a two-time Pro Bowler and get his first big career payday before the Packers moved him to center last season.
While never the stoutest run-blocker, Jenkins has always excelled in pass protection. Even last season, when he played center full-time for the first time in his career, Pro Football Focus gave him a 72.5 pass-blocking grade, the seventh-highest among 40 eligible centers. He only allowed 10 total pressures, including two sacks and two QB hits in 310 pass-blocking snaps. All in all, he's given up just nine sacks in nearly 6,400 career snaps.
Last season was a down year for the former second-round pick. He logged the worst PFF grade of his career (62.0). Even so, he's a disciplined veteran who has only been called for more than five penalties in a season once in his career. He provides elite pass protection in the interior of the offensive line, and he can be a plug-and-play player at two positions.
With Ethan Pocic testing free agency and the Browns missing on Tyler Linderbaum, they can trust Luke Wypler to start if he's healthy enough next season. If that's not the case, Jenkins gives them an insurance policy there. The same goes for Bitonio's potential retirement decision.
All the offensive line additions have something in common: They all have extensive experience playing in multiple spots. Berry and new offensive line coach George Warhop are valuing positional versatility over everything else, even if the new arrivals aren't the most prominent names around the league.
Berry has clearly learned his lesson from the past couple of years. Injuries have forced the Browns to shuffle the offensive line over and over, and having versatile players who can adapt to multiple roles will be crucial for this team going forward.
The Browns still hold the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft, but adding Jenkins gives them multiple options. They can still take top offensive tackle prospects Spencer Fano or Francis Mauigoa if they're available, or they can trade down and get Georgia star Monroe Freeling. Whatever the case, they don't necessarily have to use their first of two first-round selections on an offensive lineman, as was expected prior to the start of free agency.
This game is still won and lost in the trenches. There's no offensive guru or superstar quarterback who can fix an offense with a broken offensive line. The Browns learned that the hard way, and they deserve plenty of credit for how they've handled this so far.