Somehow, someway Ohio State center Luke Wypler fell not only out of Day 2 but all the way into the sixth round. And the Cleveland Browns, a team that has been drafting for value over positional need all weekend, this was music to their ears as they landed Wypler for just the price of pick no. 190.
As we have done with every other pick, we will grade this Wypler pick as well. Trying to stay unbiased about a Browns pick from the state of Ohio, it remains quite difficult not to think the Browns knocked this one out of the park.
The production:
Production is hard to grade for an offensive lineman, so we predominantly have to look at pressures allowed and athleticism to translate them to the NFL level, and the data favors Wypler quite well.
Using PFF metrics, Wypler graded off the charts as both a pass blocker and run blocker for the Buckeyes over his two seasons as the starting center. No. 2 overall pick and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has even said that Wypler is one of the smartest players he has ever played with.
This past season, Wypler allowed only eight pressures and just one sack all season from the middle of the Ohio State offensive line. This is off the heels of a 2021 season where he allowed just eight more pressures and no sacks. Allowing just one sack in two seasons sounds pretty good to me.
Also, an athletic player, Wypler finished his pre-draft cycle with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.31. He checks all of the boxes the Browns could look for from a data perspective.
Grade: A
The fit:
My goodness, Wypler was created to play in an outside zone scheme. He is not overly physical or powerful, but he is athletic, mobile, and comfortable in space when climbing and working toward the boundary. This makes him a dream for what the Browns look to accomplish in the run game.
Another really nice block by the C on the same side OZ pic.twitter.com/mQgrL8t8UE
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) October 11, 2022
Who knows when he will see the field as a starter, but he was built to plug into this system. As they transition to more shotgun runs, however, that is where it could get a bit sticky. However, Wypler plays with great leverage and possesses a firm anchor when he is able to jump set and drop his weight right off the snap.
Yeah, Ok Luke Wypler pic.twitter.com/OgRtEMzbz2
— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) February 23, 2022
Grade: A+
The grade:
For the cost of pick no. 190, what more could someone want out of the pick He’s got the grades, he fits the scheme like a glove, and helps the Browns get out in front of a potential need in 2024.
Not many remember because he tore his ACL shortly after, but Dawson Deaton could not even find the field with third-stringers in the one preseason game he dressed for. Deaton was not a lock to make the team if he had not been placed on Injured Reserve before the season started.
Harris is entering a contract year off of a significant lower-body injury in the first preseason game of the season. At this point, the 2020 NFL draft sixth rounder is on the outside looking in. Even Pocic, who just signed an extension, has safeguards built into his contract should his play return to the level it was with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Browns landed great value in Wypler who fits a need and their scheme well.
Overall grade: A
