Zion Johnson has gone from a debated offseason pickup to one of the Browns’ most reliable pieces up front, and the early returns are making Andrew Berry look sharp.
When Berry overhauled Cleveland’s offensive line in March, he stripped it down to the studs. Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, and Ethan Pocic were among the departures, while Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Tytus Howard arrived from the Chargers, Packers, and Texans.
The ripple effect has been immediate. According to Pro Football Focus, the Chargers and Packers now sit 31st and 32nd in team-wide pass block grade, while Cleveland has climbed to 14th after finishing 32nd a year ago.
Johnson was the move that drew the most noise, and not all of it was kind. But through five games, the Browns appear to have made a bet that’s already paying off. Young offensive linemen with real upside rarely hit the market in a league starved for quality blockers, and Cleveland may have seen something others missed.
Johnson has played every offensive snap this season except one in Week 1. Through five games, he’s been the Browns’ highest-graded pass blocker, giving up only four pressures and no sacks. His run blocking has been merely average, but he still ranks second among Cleveland’s starting offensive linemen.
The left A-gap has been a productive spot for the Browns’ ground game. Runs headed through that lane - between the center and left guard - have averaged 4.8 yards per carry, per PFF, which is the second-best mark on the team. Only runs through the C-gap, between the right tackle and the tight end, have done better at 5.0 yards per carry.
Cleveland is still averaging just 3.7 yards per carry overall, so the offense hasn’t exactly turned into a machine on the ground. But Johnson’s work has stood out inside a line that’s been far better than expected.
He’s also only 26 for one more month, and under Todd Monken and offensive line coach George Warhop, he appears to be trending upward. If this keeps up, PFF could end up showing this as his best season yet.
Berry has already seen some of his offseason decisions pay off, and Johnson is right near the top of the list. Like Monken, he’s forcing people to reassess the assumptions they made back in the spring.
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