What's at Stake for Jedrick Wills Entering Year 4?

Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills had his fifth-year option picked up by the team. It may not be the endorsement one might hope as he still has much to prove as he prepares for his fourth season in the NFL.

Jedrick Wills' first three seasons in the NFL have been have been both inconsistent and contradictory. He gutted out two of them playing through injuries, then played arguably his worst at his healthiest. Wills has been dominant in some games and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in others. Entering his fourth season secure with the knowledge his fifth-year option has been picked up, Wills has an opportunity to become the player the Browns hoped for when they selected him 10th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft or risk the possibility this is his last season in Cleveland.

Wills is infuriating because he is talented but too often he just doesn't play to it. He often makes it worse with poor body language that prompts some critics to suggest he doesn't care. However, if Wills didn't care, he wouldn't have put himself back in games where he was clearly injured or played stretches of the season where he was physically compromised. 

Wills suffered an injury to his leg in the opening game of the 2021 season only to see his backup Chris Hubbard sustain a season-ending triceps injury in the same game. Their only other option was James Hudson III, a rookie who wasn't ready for prime time, so Wills went back out there the following week. He struggled, but he played because he was their best option.

In 2022, Wills was the healthiest he's been in his young NFL career, but he didn't improve the way many expected. He didn't play as well as his rookie season, which is when he was at his best. That has prompted substantial criticism of Wills and has been the basis of plenty of fans calling for him to be replaced.

The Browns didn't hesitate to pick up his fifth-year option with Andrew Berry repeatedly saying the team is happy with Jed. However, they have also done some planning for a scenario where Wills isn't on the team anymore. It's on him at this point to decide where his career with the Browns proceeds from here.

Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan had input on the selection and Joe Thomas, who will be inducted into the Pro Football of Fame this summer, provided a full throated endorsement of Wills immediately after he was drafted, exclaiming that was the tackle he hoped the Browns would select. They weren't wrong in their evaluation of what Wills is capable, but he's now entering his fourth season with questions about what he can achieve.

Wills needs to get better getting off the ball with the snap. There are too many examples where he's late out of his stance and puts himself at an immediate disadvantage. This is easily the most irritating issue in Wills' game because there's no good reason for it to exist this far into his career.

Additionally, Wills will make some errors in judgment. He's not always using the right tool for the job in terms of his blocking. Particularly in pass protection, he will occasionally make the wrong choice on how to deal with a rush, creating a lane. While he is athletic, he's not so gifted he can consistently do that and recover which leads to some of the problematic plays he has.

Occasionally, there were communication issues this past year. Center Ethan Pocic would make a call at the line of scrimmage and then Wills seemingly wouldn't execute his assignment while the other four operated in a more organized manner. The confirmation would come after the play when the two are discussing what went wrong with a lot of pointing involved.

But most of all, Wills simply needs to be more consistent and eliminates the valleys he too often finds himself. Play to play and game to game, in all three seasons Wills has played, there have been games where he looks fantastic. He will make outstanding run blocks that almost singlehandedly spring plays, demonstrating his range and raw power. He can also shut down opposing pass rushers. Then he plays a game where he looks like a shell of himself, unrecognizable.

I don't need Wills to fake his body language to make people feel better about him. Bad plays are going to happen. Instead, the focus needs to be how he responds to a bad play, not dwelling on it and adopting a next play mentality. Wills needs to figure out how he can eliminate doubt and focus on his technique.

Some of this is about maturity. Wills was drafted by the Browns when he was still 20 years old and there have been outbursts that have suggested that's still an ongoing process. He only recently celebrated his 24th birthday. In that sense, he has plenty in common with David Njoku, who was drafted at the same age and has taken a meandering path to maturity as well as success.

Njoku had success in his second season in the NFL, but took three seasons to reclaim that same level of production. Part of his evolution as a player was growing up, owning his flaws and working harder to improve them in order to achieve his goals. Now, Njoku has become a vocal leader with the team in addition to being one of their top receiving threats. Athletics have come so easily in Njoku's life that struggling was a new feeling for him. He had to fight his way through it.

Njoku made the decision that being great at football was to important to him and approached it like a professional. Even when he requested a trade from the team, he didn't allow it to distract him from his personal development.

Wills is at a similar point in his career. He can make the conscious decision to focus on his own improvement, become a professional and still realize his immense potential. If he can enjoy a similar level of growth that Njoku has, he can break through that wall and become a great player.

So long as Wills has the right mentality, facing Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo throughout training camp could be great for his development. It's the best group of pass rushers the Browns have had and features different body types and rushing styles. If he embraces it for what it is and learns as much as possible, he could be as prepared as he was for his rookie season when veteran edge rusher Olivier Vernon spent time with Wills trying to prepare him for what NFL pass rushers could throw at him.

Wills has it in him to become the consistent left tackle the Browns need and shore up the offensive line heading into a pivotal season. His fifth-year option would be no problem and he could receive a second contract. There's also a scenario where Deshaun Watson plays like he's capable, the receivers thrive and Wills continues to be mired in inconsistency and stands out as a weakness.

In that were to happen, the Browns would then almost certainly find someone who would trade for Wills on his fifth-year option heading into the 2024 season. There are going to be teams who have cap space and see it as a worthwhile opportunity. However, the Browns would then need to find a new left tackle. That could potentially be James Hudson III, rookie Dawand Jones or a player not currently on the roster.

Seemingly, everything is set up to get the best out of Jedrick Wills this season. The infrastructure is there in the form of coaching, support staff, linemates and competition. So much will be determined by how Wills decides to approach this season. The opportunity is there for him to both establish himself as a quality tackle, ensuring his long term future in the NFL and answer one of the few questions facing this offense. It's up to him.