There is a delicate balancing act that goes on in the NFL between an established veteran and a new rookie teammate who play the same position. The older player wants to be a good example and mentor, but helping the younger player too much could wind up costing him his job.
Fortunately, the Cleveland Browns do not seem to have that conflict on their under-construction offensive line, at least between Tytus Howard and Austin Barber. The two potential right tackles have been working with each other, something Barber, as the rookie, greatly appreciates.
Speaking at training camp, Barber named Howard as the veteran he’s learning the most from, taking those lessons and putting them to use during practice.
“Tytus Howard has been a great, great vet. He’s helped me so much in the little time that we’ve had together so far. Just to be able to learn from him and then go in there and do some things that he’s helped me with. Even having the belief of the coaches to throw me with the ones, it’s really important,” Barber said.
Howard was acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans this offseason as the first move for the Browns in their offensive line rebuilding project. He was almost immediately given a three-year, $63 million contract extension, which is likely what makes him feel secure enough to take Barber under his wing.
Barber was a third-round pick, No. 86 overall, in the 2026 NFL Draft as a potential backup swing tackle and hopefully future starter. The Browns also selected Spencer Fano with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round, and he was recently named the starting left tackle by head coach Todd Monken.
The right side could be up for grabs with the rest of the line still in flux. Howard is expected to be the starter there, but there has been some talk about moving him to guard, and on Saturday he left practice early with a possible injury.
When he did, Barber was moved into his first-team spot. It gave the 23-year-old a chance to show what he had learned from Howard, who was back on the field on Monday. Dawand Jones is a contender to start at right tackle, if need be, as he looks to get his career back on track following three straight injury-shortened seasons.
Barber will likely find himself on the field at some point during the regular season, and he should be well prepared for action, thanks in large part to Howard.
NEXT: Overlooked Browns Defender Made A Strong Case On Day 11
