Free agency is one of the riskiest ways to build an NFL roster. Teams pay premium prices for players coming off strong seasons, and those players do not always carry that production into a new scheme. Offensive linemen can be especially tricky, since chemistry with the players around them matters as much as individual talent. The Browns appear to have found a winner with one of their biggest offseason signings.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports ranked Zion Johnson 8th among the best free agent acquisitions through Week 5, on a list headlined by Kenneth Walker III of the Kansas City Chiefs and Mike Evans of the San Francisco 49ers.
“Cleveland’s offense is still bogged down by physically diminished Deshaun Watson at quarterback, but left guard Zion Johnson is playing a strong brand of football, particularly in pass protection. Through five weeks, Johnson has not surrendered a sack, and he has allowed just three quarterback pressures and one quarterback hit on 184 pass-blocking snaps. Finding quality offensive play in 2026 can be difficult, but the Browns hit on Johnson,” Podell wrote.
Johnson’s numbers are remarkable considering what has happened around him. The Browns allowed 8 sacks in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, and Deshaun Watson has been pressured on 79 dropbacks this season, the 5th-most in the league. Yet Johnson has not been responsible for a single sack.
That suggests the protection issues are coming from elsewhere along a line with 5 new starters. Rookies Spencer Fano and Austin Barber are still adjusting to the NFL, and injuries at center have made continuity hard to find.
Johnson has been the steady presence in the middle of it all. His 80.1 pass-blocking grade ranks 5th among guards, according to Pro Football Focus, and allowing just 3 pressures on 184 pass-blocking snaps is elite production at any position.
The Browns paid for that reliability, signing Johnson to a 3-year, $49.5 million deal with more than $32 million guaranteed. Through 5 games, that investment is paying off.
He arrived with plenty of experience, too. Johnson was a 1st-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022 and started for them before reaching free agency, giving the Browns a seasoned presence next to Fano on the left side.
The challenge is getting the rest of the group to his level. The Browns cannot afford another afternoon like the one in New Jersey when the Baltimore Ravens visit on Sunday.
Johnson’s play is one of the few bright spots in an uneven start for the offensive line. If the players around him can match his consistency, Cleveland’s offense could look very different in the weeks ahead, and Andrew Berry’s decision to invest in him will look even smarter.
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