Perhaps the Cleveland Browns have found their successor to future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas.
The Browns on Thursday night selected Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills with the 10th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Wills is expected to start at left tackle for the Browns in 2020 even though he played at right tackle for the Crimson Tide during the past two years.
The 6’4”, 312-pound Lexington, Kentucky, native was the second offensive tackle selected on Thursday night.
The New York Giants picked Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick.
The Browns picked Wills ahead of Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.
“With the 10th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft the Cleveland Browns select … Jedrick Wills, Tackle, Alabama.”
📺: #NFLDraft on ABC, ESPN + NFLN pic.twitter.com/89YIVKvpGb
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 24, 2020
Welcome to Cleveland, Jedrick Wills Jr.!
📰: https://t.co/X4Nll3DMee#BrownsDraft pic.twitter.com/agucLqT4To
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 24, 2020
Just lemme know how much time you need to finish your route 13🤞🏽😤 https://t.co/LUOsKtbIgR
— Jedrick Wills Jr.® ➕🌎☄️💕 (@JWills73) April 24, 2020
The New York Jets picked Becton with the 11th pick.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Wirfs with the 13th overall pick after making a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2019, Wills allowed only one sack and only 3.5 quarterback hurries.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein called Wills “one of the most impressive tackles in the draft.”
“He has basketball-caliber foot quickness and the quick hands of a boxer, and all of it is wrapped in a stout, powerful package of bad intentions,” Zierlein wrote. “His game is tailor-made for the NFL, and his range of success is good starter to All-Pro.”
Statistics from Alabama’s athletic department show Wills only missed seven assignments on 771 offensive snaps in 2019.
Wills helped anchor an offensive line that ranked third in the country, allowing just .92 sacks per game.
The Crimson Tide only gave up 12 sacks in 406 pass attempts during the 2019 season.
Last season, Alabama’s offensive line opened holes and provided time for the Crimson Tide offense that ranked second nationally in scoring (47.2 ppg), third in passing (342.2 yards per game) and sixth in total offense (510.8 yards per game).
Wills is expected to protect the blindside of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was sacked 40 times in 2019, which ranked ninth-most in the NFL.
The Browns have solidified their offensive line this offseason, signing right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency.
Cleveland has tried to find a left tackle since Joe Thomas suffered a torn triceps in his left arm in October 2017.
The Browns have played Spencer Drango, Desmond Harrison, Greg Robinson, Kendall Lamm, Chris Hubbard, and Justin McCray at left tackle during the past two-and-a-half seasons.
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital patient Fletcher Rollinson helped introduce the Browns’ first-round pick on Thursday night.
The Browns’ next pick is scheduled for Friday in the second round at No. 41 overall.
.@StJude's Children's Hospital patient Fletcher Rollinson introduces the @Browns first round pick OT Jedrick Wills Jr. 🙏 @JWills73 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/P8YEup9tD9
— NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2020
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