Browns populate PFF’s First-Quarter All-Pro team

The Cleveland Browns are one of the early surprises of the 2020 NFL season after building a 3-1 record on the foundation of a three-game winning streak.

The team has done that via a dominant running attack, an offensive line that is quickly becoming one of the league’s best, and a defense that has made plays at opportune times.

That has not gone unnoticed as several Browns find themselves on Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro Team for the first quarter of the season.

The offensive line has a heavy representation on the team with center J.C. Tretter as a Second-Team selection, while right guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Jack Conklin earning First-Team honors:

One of the biggest surprise performances of the season has been the play of Wyatt Teller at right guard for the Browns. Teller had the best PFF grade of any player at any position in Week 4, but he has been excellent even outside of that game — he’s been a different player to anything we have seen from him in his career before this season. Teller’s overall PFF grade is 94.1, and he has allowed just three hurries across three games while dominating on the ground. The worst run-blocking grade of his season is 78.7, with the other three being at least 84.0. Teller has been a huge part of Cleveland’s offensive success.

Along with Teller, the arrival of Jack Conklin has transformed Cleveland’s offensive line. Jedrick Wills Jr. has held up well on the other side of the line at left tackle, but Jack Conklin was made for this offensive system and has been able to bulldoze players on the ground, especially with combination blocks with Teller inside. Conklin has also been good as a pass-blocker, allowing four total pressures across four games. This is always likely to be the weaker part of his game, but he is on course for the second-best PFF pass-blocking grade of his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Denzel Ward joins Tretter on the second team, while defensive end Myles Garrett is a First-Team selection:

The only edge rusher with a higher PFF pass-rushing grade than T.J. Watt is Myles Garrett. With an extra game under his belt compared to his divisional foe, Garrett leads the NFL in total pressures, with 27. He trails only Watt and Khalil Mack in pass-rush win rate (23.1) and has an absurd three forced fumbles in four games. Not to mention, his five sacks are tied with Za’Darius Smith‘s total for the most in the NFL. Garrett was playing at this level last season before being suspended for the second half of the year, but he looks set to play an entire campaign as a truly dominant edge rusher.

The most notable omission is Nick Chubb, the best running back in the league, who lost out to Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints for a spot on the team.