On the very first drive of the first preseason game of the season, center Nick Harris suffered a devastating and season-ending injury. This was after the Cleveland Browns already cut veteran J.C. Tretter to allow for Harris to take over the job. In the offseason before, however, general manager Andrew Berry also signed veteran Ethan Pocic to a one-year deal worth just over the minimum to give the Browns a solid fallback.
There are two things they could not have envisioned when they made that deal: Pocic would be starting Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, and he would be playing at the level that he is.
After another dominant showing against the Cincinnati Bengals and how Pocic continues to thrive in this Cleveland offense.
What the data suggests on the Browns' center
After spending five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, an original second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Pocic signed with Cleveland this offseason. While Pocic came off of his best season in Seattle, he was never viewed as even an average center.
And his PFF grades reflect that.
The 6-foot-6 and 309 pound center’s grades are littered with yellow and orange over his first five season. Yet this season for the Browns, Pocic’s grades are all green lights.
Through eight games in 2022, only one center has a higher grade than Pocic. You read that correctly. PFF has graded Pocic out as the second-best center in the league. At this point, Pocic has a grade of 82.6, a pass blocking grade of 72.6, and a run blocking grade of 81.8.
The Browns have the seventh-best run blocking offensive line according to Football Outsiders, and Pocic is a big part of that. They rank as the 15th best pass blocking unit as well.
The Browns are winning upfront across the board at a high level. We now take a look at Pocic’s tape against the Bengals and see what he is doing well and how he continues to thrive.
Ethan Pocic as a run blocker vs. Bengals
Pocic plays with tremendous eyes as a run blocker. The Bengals came out looking to take away backside cuts and gap out those holes against the Browns’ potent rushing attack. On more than one occasion, Pocic identified this backside rusher, got his hips turned, and kept the blitzer from getting to his ball carrier.
Bengals came in with a concerted effort to gap out backside against zone, but Pocic (on multiple occasions) flashed fast eyes and agility to get himself in position to displace that backside defender. pic.twitter.com/m1Rrrjbve1
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 4, 2022
Pocic has a pretty strong lower half as well, and keeps his legs churning through the whistle. This showed up big time in the redzone, as Pocic was seen driving a defender out of his gap and deep into the endzone through the whistle. This type of grit, hustle, and drive personifies this Bill Callahan-coached offensive line.
More Pocic propaganda pic.twitter.com/9RWWE9H1Ok
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 4, 2022
His movement skills also make Pocic a fantastic fit in this wide zone-based offense. Pocic has no issues getting lateral down the line of scrimmage, getting wide toward the boundary, or working in space for the Browns’ offense. Pocic lived up to his grade on the evening against the Bengals.
Eyes on 71 and 55 here pic.twitter.com/ri237ZO02o
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 3, 2022
Ethan Pocic as a pass blocker vs. Bengals
Over his career, Pocic has not been known as a stellar pass blocker. And that could still be said in 2022 despite significant adjustments and improvements. Pocic does not have the strongest hands in the world and tends to throw off his balance by getting out over his hips.
Regardless, Pocic has been steady, does his job, and is always willing to look for work when no defender engages his zone.
Long-term center Ethan Pocic imo pic.twitter.com/78ACcVBa37
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 4, 2022
Pocic’s hands, again while they are not overly physical, have shown a great deal of refinement. He does a great job at working his hands back inside of the frame of defenders when he is hit with a move by the pass rusher.
Having this ability to reset his hands (pull them back and re-engage a defender) allows him to remain patient, squared up to his man, and keep his eyes on the frame of the man across from him.
Jacoby working full-field once again to find his check. He was at an all-time high on Monday night. pic.twitter.com/0ai05v5RZO
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 3, 2022
Pocic is not a world-beater as a pass blocker, but he does what needs to be done intoemain in control over the man across from him.
Final thoughts on Pocic
All in all, pulling five dominant clips in one singular game speaks for itself a bit. Pocic lit up the Bengals’ interior and played like the top-five center that he currently is in the NFL.
Signed to just a one-year deal this past offseason, however, the Browns are going to have to make a decision. From this vantage point, signing a guy who will only be 28 years old in 2023 to a long-term deal feels like a no-brainer.
He is a significant scheme fit as his movement skills when working laterally and in space are up to par, and while he still has weaknesses as a pass protector is still thriving at a high level in 2022 with the Browns.
Lock him up long-term.
