The Cleveland Browns gave center Ethan Pocic a three-year, $18 million contract extension this past offseason after a solid first year with the team. That decision looks better and better as the year has gone on.
Pocic has been one of the biggest constants on the offensive line this season in a year with three injuries to key offensive tackle starters. He had a 98.6 pass-blocking efficiency rating through the first three months of the season and maintained that through the past four weeks as well.
Ethan Pocic: 98.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating since week 10
🔸 2nd among all Centers
🔸 5th among all linemen pic.twitter.com/34M6j24016— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) December 13, 2023
His 96 percent pass-block win rate ranks tied for fifth in the NFL among interior offensive linemen, according to ESPN. It helps, too, that left guard Joel Bitonio ranks highly in win rates and right guard Wyatt Teller has been a solid starter all year.
Despite the injuries, the Browns rank sixth in pass-block win rate as a team. That’s crucial for Cleveland with 38-year-old Joe Flacco now under center for the rest of the year. Flacco is much more of a pocket-passer than his three predecessors on the Browns, so an effective interior blocking unit is a big reason why he’s been successful so early in his tenure with the team.
Pocic is the foundation that holds the Browns offensive line together, but he may join the long list of injured stars in Cleveland. He was among 11 starters who didn’t practice Thursday ahead of Week 15 against the Chicago Bears. Pocic left Week 14 with a knee injury in the first quarter in didn’t return.
The Browns need Pocic healthy – as evidenced by how well he’s played this season. They’ll also face a surprisingly-solid Bears defense led by trade deadline acquisition Montez Sweat.
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