The numbers prove it's time for the Browns to bench Jedrick Wills

When the Cleveland Browns used the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Jedrick Wills, it appeared they had their left tackle of the future.

A star at right tackle for Alabama, Wills moved to the left side as a rookie and despite much of the offseason being done virtually due to COVID, he played well. The problem is, he never took a step forward and now in 2023, he's regressed to the point he should be benched.

Wills entered the bye week 3.3% blown block rate according to Malachy Gardner of Cleveland.com. Not only is that one of the higher rates, but he has also accounted for just 0.6 yards of space before contact created in run blocking — which is the lowest in the NFL.

Despite this, Gardner says Cleveland has run to his side 46 percent of the time — which might explain why the ground game has fallen apart without Nick Chubb there to bail them out.

What's worse is that Wills isn't only struggling with opening holes for running backs. He's also having a hard time holding off pass rushers, with Gardner saying he's allowed more than a third of the team's pressures.

"Wills is one of the worst pass-protecting linemen in the league, and is responsible for allowing 36.7% of the Browns’ pressures this season, giving him no redeeming qualities in the passing game either."

Before the season, the Browns picked up the fifth-year option on Wills' contract, which was a highly criticized move. They had a strong belief he could return to his 2020 form — since he was battling injuries for much of 2022 — but after the first four weeks, it's tough to see that working out.

At this point, Wills has become a liability and it's time to look for a Plan B — because the numbers are showing that it can't get much worse.

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