Browns: Zeitler, Bitonio Top 5 in division

Cleveland Browns guards Joel Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler rank as two of the best guards in the AFC North according to Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus already gave credit to the performance of Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter earlier this offseason, now credit is being given to the two teammates who line up next to him on every play. Kevin Zeitler and Joel Bitonio rank in the Top 5 of AFC North guards. Zeitler and Bitonio rank second and third respectively. The only guard in the division considered better is Baltimore’s Marshal Yanda.

Joel Bitonio

The Browns left guard Joel Bitonio comes in second on the list. Bitonio’s grade of 74.7 classifies him as “above average” by Pro Football Focus’ system. Bitonio appeared in all 16 games for the second consecutive season. This comes after only appearing in 5 games in 2016 due to injury. Bitonio proved he is one of the best guards in the league and will be an integral part of the Browns offensive line moving forward.

Kevin Zeitler

Rather than dwell on a “trade rumor” about Kevin Zeitler, it is better to focus on his productive 2018 campaign. The Browns right guard received a grade of 74.2. This is just below the grade that Bitonio received and also classifies as “above average”. Like Bitonio, Zeitler appeared in all 16 games for Cleveland last season. Zeitler’s longterm future in Cleveland may not be as clear as Bitonio’s, but should at least be a member of the team next season.

Browns guards were integral to their success

The Cleveland Browns offensive line performed as one of the better units the NFL down the stretch. The performances of two of the best guards in the division certainly helped. That is in addition to the division’s best center JC Tretter. Bitonio and Zeitler will look to continue their success in 2019 as the Cleveland looks to compete for the division title.