The Cleveland Browns had no choice but to rebuild their entire offensive line this offseason. It was thought that in the process, they improved the unit, which was far from a guarantee.
The Browns used every avenue available to them, trading for Tytus Howard, signing free agents Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins, and drafting Spencer Fano to become starters. They also re-signed Teven Jenkins, restructured Dawand Jones’ contract, and used late-round picks on Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford.
While there is a nice mixture of veteran experience and rookie upside, with some depth, there are also some legitimate concerns. No team has ever had to replace its five starters in one offseason, and the unit needs to build chemistry to be truly successful.
With that in mind, analyst Adam Gerstenhaber is making a surprising claim about the Browns’ new offensive line, saying it might not be better than it was last season.
“On paper, I’m not convinced their offensive line is significantly better because part of the reason they struggled was due to injuries last year. It wasn’t horrible at the beginning of the season, they just had injuries. Are they better at center? I don’t know. Are they better at left guard? I don’t think so. Are they better at right guard? I don’t know. Are they better at right tackle? Yes. Are they better at left tackle? Probably. Significantly. You’re better at tackles, but I think at center and guard, you’re worse,” Gerstenhaber said.
Are the #Browns really better up front? 🤔🏈@adamthebull says he's not convinced, on paper, that Cleveland's offensive line is better than last year's. 👀https://t.co/Mm4TX6uG5V pic.twitter.com/p7mSZPnT3Q
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) July 6, 2026
After opening the 2025 season with Jones and Jack Conklin at tackle, Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller at guard, and Ethan Pocic at center, the Browns used seven different starting combinations in the first seven games. Bitonio wound up as the only offensive lineman to start all 17 games, with Pocic and Teller next at 13 starts.
Their replacements may be younger and healthier, but not necessarily better. Howard at right tackle was one of the worst run blockers in the NFL last season, ranking 79th among 89 qualified tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. Fano is being asked to play left tackle as an NFL rookie after playing the right side in his final two college seasons.
Johnson, as the probable starting left guard, had the fifth-worst pass-block win rate in the league for the Los Angeles Chargers last season, and Elgton Jenkins, the potential starting center, has played just 13 games at the position in his seven NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Teven Jenkins managed just four starts at right guard for Cleveland last season despite its ever-changing alignments.
There is a good deal of optimism about what the Browns’ new offensive line is capable of, but it still has to prove it on the field.
NEXT: Denzel Boston Warns NFL About Browns' New Rookie Duo
