If the Browns are going to be successful on offense this year, they are going to need their offensive line to take a major step forward. It won’t matter who is at quarterback if the offensive line struggles as much as it did last season. None of the four quarterbacks on their roster are elite runners or scramblers, so it’s vital that they build an offensive line that can create a clean pocket for whoever is behind the center.
Speaking of the center, Ethan Pocic might be the one player on the offensive line who needs to step up the most in 2025. Pocic has started 44 games over the last three seasons for the Browns, and he was a borderline Pro Bowl player in 2022 and 2023. But he took a step backward in 2024, especially as a run blocker. You can make a case that he was the best run-blocking center in 2022, but that part of his game has regressed in recent years.
However, Pocic is still one of the better centers in the league, and the hope is that he can get back to the level that he played at when he first joined the Browns.
Ethan Pocic ranked 12th-best center by PFF
In a recent article by Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus, he ranked the top 32 centers in the league going into the 2025 season. Pocic came in at No. 12 on the list, but his ceiling is much higher than that. Here is what the site had to say about the former second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks during the 2017 NFL Draft:
"While Pocic recorded his lowest PFF grades since landing in Cleveland in 2022, he remains one of the most consistent centers in the NFL. Across the past three seasons, he has produced a top-10 PFF overall grade (74.8) and a fifth-ranked PFF WAR total (0.74) — metrics that point to his ability to regain his footing heading into 2025."Mason Cameron, Pro Football Focus
The hope is that with the Browns going back to more of a traditional Kevin Stefanski offense that utilizes the wide zone rushing attack, Pocic and the rest of the offensive line will improve. We know that he is a quality center, but his play in 2024 was significantly below his average. Pocic will turn 30 going into the 2025 season, which certainly isn’t old for a center. In fact, you can make a case that he is in the prime of his career.
If Pocic, Joel Bitonio, and Wyatt Teller can all get back to their 2022-2023 form, Cleveland’s offensive line could be significantly improved this year. With the additions of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, maybe the Browns can finally get back to running the football and controlling the clock. That’s how the Browns can be successful this year despite uncertain quarterback play. But it all starts with Pocic and the rest of the veteran offensive linemen.