Last year, due to numerous injuries, the Cleveland Browns had to bring in players off the street to finish the season. While this may be an exaggeration, it’s true that the Browns lost three starting-level offensive tackles to season-ending knee injuries. Although Dawand Jones has recovered from his injury, neither starters Jedrick Wills nor Jack Conklin have appeared in a regular-season game in 2024.
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However, this might change in Week 3. Analyst Daniel Oyefusi posted on X that both tackles are being evaluated for a potential return this Sunday.
“Will one or both of Browns OTs Jed Wills and Jack Conklin possibly be ready for Week 3? Stefanski: ‘Yeah, potentially,'” Oyefusi shared on X. So far, the Browns have been starting James Hudson III, a 2021 fourth-round pick, in place of Wills and Conklin.
Hudson has shown potential but hasn’t quite matched the level of play that Wills and Conklin bring. Conklin, a seasoned 30-year-old with eight years in the NFL, could step in as left tackle if Wills remains unavailable for the game against the New York Giants.
Wills, who has started at left tackle for Cleveland since being drafted 10th overall in 2020, has played 53 games over the past four years. The 25-year-old former Alabama lineman is in the final year of his rookie contract.
