The Cleveland Browns were always going to face some growing pains dealing with a completely rebuilt offensive line this season. But coming off a game in which it allowed eight sacks to the New York Jets, and with the running game struggling all season, it seems like it is taking too long for the unit to develop.
Entering their Week 6 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns are still looking for consistent play from their offensive line. While they have overcome a troubling trend of penalties that plagued them early on, there is still plenty of room for improvement.
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell recently revealed his No. 1 concern about the Browns’ offensive line, saying it hasn’t developed the necessary cohesion to be successful.
“No one ever talks about individuals. They all talk about the cohesion of the unit. That’s the No. 1 thing they talk about. And unfortunately, cohesion of a unit doesn’t happen like a light switch. It takes time. Especially if you’re asking someone like [Austin] Barber to play a brand new position, that’s not easy. How many times do we hear when we study college offensive tackles, ‘Oh, he’s a guard.’ That’s not that easy. It doesn’t just happen. This is going to take a little time because there’s so much cohesion that’s involved, and that’s not there right now. There’s all kinds of things that just have to happen automatically that you’re not thinking. And now, I guarantee that there’s a lot of thinking going on,” Cosell said.
A third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Barber was a late addition to the mix, moving from tackle to guard during the preseason. He became a Week 1 starter when Teven Jenkins was sidelined by a lingering back injury.
That gave the Browns two rookies on the line who were changing positions. No. 9 overall pick Spencer Fano is the starting left tackle after playing the right side during his final two college seasons.
They joined veteran right tackle Tyuts Howard, left guard Zion Johnson, and center Elgton Jenkins. Howard left last week’s game against the Jets with a knee injury and was replaced by Dawand Jones, but he was removed from the injury report and will play against the Ravens.
Jenkins missed the Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering a concussion in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. He was replaced by Luke Wypler.
Now, the unit will have to deal with a Ravens defense that ranks 14th in the NFL, allowing 325.6 yards per game. Baltimore is 12th in rushing defense, and it has 10 sacks in its five games.
With a win, the Browns will move back into first place in the AFC North, and they will need a strong performance by their offensive line to get there.
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