Jedrick Wills is still a free agent, to at least one NFL analyst's surprise. But if you followed the Cleveland Browns last year, there’s no way this is a shock. Wills was a healthy scratch multiple times throughout 2024 after being injured throughout his first four years in the league, and the Browns eventually decided they'd seen enough.
Cleveland not only refused to beef up their offensive line in free agency, but doubled down on that decision in the NFL Draft. Yet they’re still refusing to bring him back, which makes clear that Wills' NFL career has reached a new low.
Wills, a former first-round pick out of Alabama, came to the Browns looking to be a cornerstone at left tackle. He ended up underperforming and heading to unrestricted free agency. Now, with OTAs starting up, he’s still looking for a new team to potentially revive his career with.
Jedrick Wills' NFL career hits new low as he struggles to find a home
As injuries pile up in the first few weeks of the season and as trades and roster moves happen, it’s a pretty good chance Wills ends up on an NFL team before the season is over. Take the Minnesota Vikings, for example: They lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw early in the year last season and needed an immediate replacement, eventually making a trade to fill the void.
That’s why I think he’ll end up on a team before the season ends, but why it’s equally not shocking he’s still a free agent. According to Pro Football Focus, he was graded below-average for a left tackle. Wills ranked 108 out of 140 total players with an overall grade of 52.9. As a pass blocker, he was right about average with a 63.6 grade, but that’s not something to necessarily be proud of when you talk about a former first-rounder. He also played all 245 of his offensive snaps at left tackle, ranking 87th out of 140 at the position.
With that, there’s a chance a team sees value in him maybe moving around the line and not just playing left tackle. A team like the Dallas Cowboys could be interested in adding depth to their offensive line and bringing him in as a utility lineman, maybe Wills strikes gold in a new position.
That said, his numbers from last year, which included seven penalties and three sacks allowed, are exactly why no team is jumping to sign him in the offseason. It doesn’t mean he won’t end up on an NFL roster at some point this year; it just means he’s not a priority signing for anyone, including the team that cut him.