CLEVELAND — As it turns out, the Cleveland Browns won't have to rely on their third-string left tackle on Sunday. Shortly ahead of their kickoff of vs. the Houston Texans, the Browns announced that left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is active and will start in their Week 2 matchup.
Now in his second season as Cleveland's starting left tackle, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter of the Browns' 33-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. While Wills was carted off the field at Arrowhead Stadium, further evaluations showed that his injury wasn't serious with head coach Kevin Stefanski deeming the Alabama product "day-to-day" throughout the week.
Making matters worse for the Browns' offensive line outlook was that Wills' primary backup, veteran Chris Hubbard, was ruled out for Sunday's contest vs. the Texans after suffering a triceps injury. Had Wills been unable to play vs. Houston, Cleveland likely would have relied on guard Blake Hance to fill its void at left tackle.
In addition to Wills, the Browns also announced that safety Grant Delpit is active and expected to make his NFL debut on Sunday. Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the LSU product missed the entirety of his rookie season after suffering a torn Achilles injury in the preseason.
Meanwhile, the following players are listed as inactive for the Browns on Sunday:
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- OT Chris Hubbard
- S Richard LeCounte III
- LB Tony Fields
- DR Tommy Togiai