Why Browns O-lineman Wyatt Teller says Nick Harris is 'perfect man for the job' at center

Wyatt Teller usually arrives at Browns headquarters 45 minutes to an hour before early morning weightlifting sessions, prompting Nick Harris to playfully promise it would be his offseason mission to beat his linemate to work.

It's been happening.

“I'm like, 'What are you doing, man? What the heck? This is my thing,'” Teller told the Beacon Journal before participating in a charity Dungeons & Dragons game last week in Cleveland. “But, no, I'm happy for him. He's been taking the steps forward that are going to lead to success.”

The Browns are counting on Harris to capitalize on his opportunity to become their starting center for the 2022 season.

They drafted Harris in the fifth round (No. 160 overall) out of the University of Washington in 2020, thereby establishing a succession plan for longtime starting center JC Tretter, the president of the NFL Players Association. In March, the Browns released Tretter in a cost-saving move, and all eyes shifted toward Harris.

The Browns also signed Ethan Pocic this offseason to give themselves another option in the middle of the offensive line coached by Bill Callahan, but Harris is receiving the first crack to secure the job. When organized team activity practices began last week, Harris worked with the No. 1 offense and Pocic toiled as a backup. OTA practices resume Tuesday, with Wednesday's session open to reporters.

“I come here every day just trying to get better,” Harris said last week. “I'm just trying to battle myself every day, compete with myself in the practice sessions we get. We got one of the best offensive line coaches in the game, and I think he's helped me tremendously with my game. So whatever's presented to me, I think I'm ready for the opportunity.”

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A Pro Bowl right guard, Teller is confident Harris is prepared to seize a starting role.

“He's smart. He's strong. He works hard,” Teller said. “I truly believe he's a leader, and when you're a center, you're the first voice going out [on the offensive line]. You've got to know what's going on. You've got to get everything right, and he's the perfect man for the job. I truly believe that.”

Nick Harris didn't play much behind former Browns fixture JC Tretter, but Harris did practice plenty with starters

Harris, 23, has been waiting.

After missing a significant number of games due to injury early in his career with the Green Bay Packers, Tretter proved to be an iron man for the Browns, who signed him as an unrestricted free agent in 2017. Tretter had played every offensive snap of his Browns tenure — a streak of 5,165 — until he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 23 and sat out a 24-22 loss to the Packers on Christmas at Lambeau Field.

Harris received his first career start at center and excelled, strengthening the organization and player's faith he can get the job done.

“When you get those game reps, it gives you that feeling like you belong,” Harris said. “Obviously, in the back of your head, when you're not playing that much, you're like, 'S***, I don't know.'

“Playing against Green Bay, it made me feel like I belong. It felt good to be playing center and getting out there and doing what I do.”

An overlooked aspect of the Browns grooming Harris to ascend their depth chart is tied to Tretter's practice routine the past couple of seasons. Tretter became a fixture on the injury report. He was listed with a knee issue and usually participated in one practice per week on a limited basis. As a result, Harris often practiced with the starters, giving him ample experience between Teller and All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio.

“The amount of reps that I've taken against top-tier talent out here on defense, it's helped me tremendously,” Harris said.

ProFootballFocus.com assigned Harris a grade of 70 versus the Packers. For context, Tretter's season grade of 78.7 ranked sixth among PFF's 39 qualifying centers in 2021. Pocic earned a grade of 67.3 last season with the Seattle Seahawks, placing him 15th at the position.

“I'm thankful we got to see [Harris start the Packers] game last year,” Teller said. “We're always practicing next to each other, but it's kind of cool to see what we can do in the game, and we were running the ball. We were kicking butt.”

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To recap, the Browns rushed 25 times for 219 yards (8.8 average) and a touchdown against the Packers but couldn't overcome a career-high four interceptions thrown by quarterback Baker Mayfield. Harris is snapping the ball to Mayfield's replacement, Deshaun Watson, this offseason.

Harris played nearly two full games at right guard late in the 2020 season while Teller was out with an ankle injury. Those outings didn't go as well for Harris as his start in Green Bay did.

“When he had to step in two years ago as a rookie, one, being a rookie is hard, and I still think he did a good job, but the two games that I was injured, he was playing guard, and everybody was like, 'Is he going to pan out?'” Teller said. “Then he comes in and plays center and just goes all out. That's his position. So it's funny how when you play your position [it makes a difference].”

It's not unusual for NFL offensive linemen to play different spots, but Harris' lack of prototypical size makes center by far his most logical fit. He measured 6-feet, ⅞ inches and weighed 302 pounds at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. The Browns list him as 6-1 and 293 pounds, though he has added 16 or 17 pounds of muscle, assistant strength and conditioning coach Evan Marcus said on “Building the Browns,” the team's TV and web series.

“I worked out with him all offseason,” Teller said. “It was funny how when we were first working out I was doing more weight than him. Then all of a sudden, I left for a weekend, and he was doing more weight than me. I'm like, 'Nick, what the heck's going on?' He's trained extremely hard.”

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Last season, the Browns listed Tretter, who's still a free agent, as 6-4 and 307 pounds. They list Pocic as 6-6 and 309 pounds.

Ever since the franchise drafted Harris, its coaches have pointed to his lateral movement skills as a reason to believe he'll be able to compensate for a shorter frame and flourish in a scheme heavily reliant on zone blocking.

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An extended chance to study Tretter's habits and techniques is another factor favoring Harris. When the Browns cut Tretter, nobody from the front office or coaching staff contacted Harris with a passing-of-the-torch message. Tretter eventually got in touch with him, though.

“He reached out to me and let me know if I needed help with anything to always reach out. I said the same,” Harris said. “I told him I appreciate everything he did for me and everything he taught me in this position and in this game. It's all love, man. He showed me the ropes for real for my first couple years in the NFL.

“Playing behind JC, I learned a lot. He's a veteran center — I personally think one of the better centers in the NFL. So playing behind him, learning how he is in the meeting room, learning his tricks and his tools that he's learned over his career, helped me tremendously.”

Now it's Harris' turn.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Wyatt Teller says Nick Harris perfect fit for center