Top Free Agent Landing Spots For OT Jedrick Wills Jr.

Former first-round OT Jedrick Wills Jr. was supposed to anchor the offensive line in Cleveland for a long time. He was a top-10 pick and started as a rookie in 2020, showing some promising signs in his first few years in the league. The Browns went so far as to pick up his fifth-year option after three years, guaranteeing him over $14 million for this past season.

However, he struggled over the last two campaigns, posting PFF grades of just 54.7 and 58.6 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Wills was in and out of the lineup last year, dealing with a knee injury early in the year before being benched after returning from injury. Wills said he made a “business decision” to sit himself in a midseason game after tweaking his knee the week before, despite not being given an injury designation pre-game. That comment didn’t sit well with the coaching staff, and he was relegated to a swing tackle role for the remainder of the year.

While Wills hasn’t performed up to par as a starting left tackle, he offers a fairly high floor as a backup option, especially this late in the offseason calendar. With OTAs fast approaching, teams that missed out on tackle help in the draft or end up suffering injury setbacks to projected contributors might want to give Wills a look. He has five years of starting experience, and even his worst play is pretty solid for a backup.

He’s also young, just turning 26 years old this past Friday. With how generally desperate teams are for even baseline play at tackle, it’s hard to see Wills not landing a shot with a team — assuming he wants to play. 

Wills, 26, was drafted by the Browns in the first round out of Alabama in 2020. He signed a four-year, $19,702,911 rookie contract with an $11,889,390 signing bonus.

The Browns picked up Wills’ fifth-year option for the 2024 season before restructuring his contract for the first time in August of 2023. They did so again in March of 2024 in order to create $10.44 million in cap space.

In 2024, Wills appeared in five games and made four starts for the Browns at left tackle. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars made a splash in the draft by trading up to select two-way superstar Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall. He’ll get some run on defense, but it sounds like the plan is for him to primarily pair with second-year man Brian Thomas Jr. to form an imposing receiver duo. With Liam Coen as the new head coach, setting up QB Trevor Lawrence for success is the top priority.

That may be difficult with the current state of the offensive line. Walker Little and Anton Harrison might be a fine starting duo, but it gets thin quickly behind them. Wills would be an upgrade over Cole Van Lanen and Fred Johnson as the team’s swing tackle, and he could fill in as a spot-starter in case of injury.

New York Jets

After using back-to-back first-round picks on offensive tackles, New York is set for the future at the position. Olu Fashanu had a solid rookie year performing fill-in duties, and Armand Membou was the consensus top tackle in the 2025 draft. They aren’t just the future for the Jets, but the present as well. With Tyron Smith retiring and Morgan Moses now in New England, Fashanu and Membou are the expected starters this year.

Like the Jaguars, the Jets don’t have much in terms of depth behind their starting duo. Chukumwa Okorafor has flashed in the past, but he’s bounced around the league in recent years. I don’t know if Wills is a direct upgrade, but he would provide additional depth and compete with Okorafor for primary backup duties. New York’s offensive line has been a problem for years, and the starters finally look like a good group. They can’t afford to be undone by a lack of depth.

Los Angeles Rams

Entering the year as the presumed favorites in the NFC West, the Rams are in a clear contention window. QB Matthew Stafford recommitted to the team, but that arrangement seems to be on a year-to-year basis from now on. The rest of Los Angeles’s roster contains one of the best young cores in the league, but Stafford is nearing the end of his career. The Rams are positioned to push hard for a championship before he retires.

Whenever HC Sean McVay’s offense has struggled, poor offensive line play is usually the culprit. Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein form a strong duo to anchor the line, but it’s not a perfect situation. Havenstein has had some injury issues as of late, and he’s getting older. Warren McClendon Jr. is the current swing tackle, but he struggled when in the lineup last season. One injury to a starting tackle and the offensive line suddenly looks real shaky.

Wills still has top draft pedigree and would be an upgrade over McClendon as a spot starter, if nothing else. He wouldn’t be asked to come in and lock down an every-week role, either. Los Angeles can’t afford to waste one of the few years Stafford has left in the event of an injury to Jackson or Havenstein. Wills could be key depth on the way to another deep playoff run.

Other teams to watch: Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans