Getty Left tackle Yosh Nijman of the Green Bay Packers.
The Cleveland Browns face major questions at the offensive tackle position, both for the remainder of this season and beyond.
Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin began the 2023 campaign as Cleveland’s starting left and right tackles, respectively. Wills was one of the worst players in the NFL at the position before hitting IR with a knee injury, while Conklin didn’t make it through the first half of Week 1 before going down for the year with knee problems of his own.
Rookie Dawand Jones has stepped in for Conklin to reasonable success, though the blindside of whomever quarterbacks the Browns next year is a question mark. Wills is under contract through 2024 due to the team’s decision to pick up his $14.2 million fifth-year option ahead of this season, but that doesn’t mean Cleveland won’t replace him if a better option becomes available.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff on Monday, November 20, suggested the Browns pursue Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Yosh Nijman over the offseason to add depth at the position and potentially to replace Wills if necessary.
[Wills is] going to have to prove that he can get back to full health and command a contract extension after the Browns accepted his fifth-year option,” BR wrote. “Nijman, who has been a spot-starter for the Packers through the first four years of his career, would give them a high-quality backup if Wills gets hurt again or struggles.”
Packers Have Reduced Yosh Nijman’s Playing Time in 2023
GettyGreen Bay Packers offensive tackle Yosh Nijman.
After playing 53% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps in 2021 and 69% of the snaps last year, Nijman has fallen into a reduced role this season.
He has played just 22% of the Packers’ offensive snaps in 2023 and has earned only one start. Making his demotion more surprising is the absence of left tackle David Bakhtiari from all but one game due to a knee injury that will sideline him through the remainder of the year.
Green Bay has opted instead for seventh-round rookie Rasheed Walker at the most important position on the line. Walker has been middling in 2023 but has still kept his starting job, which doesn’t bode well for Nijman’s market value when he hits free agency in March. However, Nijman may just need a change of scenery and/or a coaching staff that believes in him enough to make him a permanent fixture in the starting lineup.
Yosh Nijman Offers Versatility at Offensive Tackle
GettyGreen Bay Packers offensive tackle Yosh Nijman.
David DeChant of The Athletic wrote in April that the 27-year-old Nijman was on track for an annual contract figure in neighborhood of $20 million because of his versatility.
“Nijman … has played left tackle (782 snaps) and right tackle (528 snaps) since 2020 at an above-average level. Those guys get paid, and paid big,” DeChant wrote. “He’s been best on the left, allowing three sacks and a 2.94 percent pressure rate, compared to five [sacks] and 4.36 [percent rate], respectively, on the right. A restricted free agent this offseason, Nijman received the second-round tender (worth $4.3 million) from the Packers. He could push for $17 million or more annually on his next deal.”
Nijman probably isn’t in line for anywhere near that kind of contract now given his reduction in playing time with the Packers this season. That said, he has been solid in the 139 snaps he has seen in 2023, allowing two sacks and taking two penalties.
His Pro Football Focus player grades are better than Wills’ numbers across the board, and Cleveland can probably sign Nijman at a reasonable value, which makes him a sensible target for the Browns this offseason.