Fans of the Cleveland Browns want to see their team secure a left tackle in the upcoming NFL draft, but they are understandably nervous about GM Andrew Berry making a mistake. They all remember the hope they had for Jedrick Wills Jr. and how he fell painfully short.
Some people believe Wills didn’t reach his potential because he was forced to switch from right to left tackle. But speaking to ESPN Cleveland, Joe Thomas said that isn’t the case.
Instead, he claimed Wills didn’t live up to the hype because he lacked the “motivation and desire.”
“The problem with Jed (Wills) was motivation and desire,” Thomas said.
“The problem with Jed (Wills) was motivation and desire,” – @joethomas73 on OTs switching from RT to LT not being a big deal. https://t.co/4bYgKUIWl8 pic.twitter.com/AsnNBUNVPU
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 14, 2026
The Browns picked up Wills as the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. As you can expect, people were envisioning great things from the first round pick. But he hasn’t panned out the way people wanted, and some feel that the Browns dropped the ball with him. He has had injury problems, of course, but certain fans believe the Browns forced him to be someone he wasn’t and that held him back.
They specifically need a left tackle, but there has been some talk of them taking a right tackle and then molding them into a left tackle.
Thomas says that can work, but only if the player is willing to make it happen. An NFL rookie has a lot to prove and wants to show what they are capable of. They are usually up for any task.
Wills didn’t play for the Browns at all in 2025 and will now try to start a new chapter of his career with the Chicago Bears.
Reports say he will be in competition for the left tackle position, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can achieve more with a new team.
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