# Jack Conklin
**Jack Conklin** is an American professional football offensive tackle who was selected eighth overall by the [Tennessee Titans](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-titans) in the 2016 NFL Draft, earned Associated Press first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie, and later played for the [Cleveland Browns](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-browns).[1](https://msuspartans.com/news/2016/4/28/2016_nfl_draft_update_conklin_selected_by_tennessee_in_first_round) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) Listed at 6 feet 6 inches and 308 pounds during his Titans career, he has played almost exclusively right tackle in the NFL.[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/raiders/wsbbhzhfjtzvse2ky8v7.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Draft | First round, No. 8 overall, Tennessee Titans, 2016 NFL Draft; the Titans traded back from the first pick to 15th, then traded with Cleveland to move up to No. 8[1](https://msuspartans.com/news/2016/4/28/2016_nfl_draft_update_conklin_selected_by_tennessee_in_first_round) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) |
| College | Michigan State, 2013–2015; started 38 of 39 career games (35 at left tackle, three at right tackle); more than 235 career knockdowns[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) |
| Recruiting | Unheralded "preferred walk-on" at Michigan State; awarded a scholarship in January 2013[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) • [5](https://www.vikings.com/news/prospect-profile-jack-conklin-16961174) |
| All-Pro | AP first-team All-Pro in 2016 as a rookie and again in 2020 with Cleveland; one of only two rookie offensive linemen named first-team AP All-Pro since the AFL-NFL merger, with Dallas guard Zack Martin (2014)[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) • [6](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/08/nfl/1610146104_481500.html) |
| Titans tenure | Four seasons, 2016–2019; started 57 of a possible 64 games[7](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-new-browns-rt-jack-conklin) |
| Browns contract | Three years, $42 million, signed in 2020 free agency[8](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-cleveland-browns-filled-big-hole-signing-jack-conklin-didnt-overpay) |
| Major injury | Torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2023 season against Cincinnati, ending his year[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-rt-jack-conklin-out-for-2023-season-with-torn-acl) |
## College career at Michigan State
Conklin came out of Plainwell (Michigan) [High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-school), where he was a three-year starter for his father, Darren Conklin, and an honorable mention all-state selection as a senior. Major programs did not recruit him, and Michigan State's offer of "preferred walk-on" status was the opportunity he accepted.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) • [5](https://www.vikings.com/news/prospect-profile-jack-conklin-16961174) He was awarded a scholarship in January 2013 and made his first 13 of 38 career starts as a redshirt freshman that fall.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) • [10](https://msuspartans.com/news/2016/4/29/Jack_Conklin_amp_8217_s_Incredible_Journey_From_Walk_On_to_NFL_First_Rounder)
**Rise to All-American.** He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014, and in 2015 he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and a first-team All-American (Sporting News, USA TODAY), becoming the first Spartan offensive tackle named a first-team All-American since Flozell Adams in 1997.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) As the cornerstone left tackle, he helped Michigan State to a combined 36-5 record from 2013 to 2015, two Big Ten championships, bowl wins over Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl and Baylor in the 2015 [Cotton Bowl Classic](https://www.edgepedia.org/cotton-bowl-classic), and a [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff) semifinal appearance against Alabama.[11](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/msuspartans.com/documents/2019/7/18/2019_Michigan_State_Football_Media_Guide.pdf) In the 2015 Cotton Bowl he limited Baylor All-America defensive end [Shawn Oakman](https://www.edgepedia.org/shawn-oakman) to three tackles as the Spartans ran for 238 yards against the nation's No. 9 rushing defense.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709)
After that junior season he forwent his senior year to enter the 2016 draft.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709)
## 2016 NFL Draft
The Titans held the first overall pick but traded with the [Los Angeles Rams](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-rams) back to the 15th spot, then made a deal with the Cleveland Browns to jump up to No. 8 and select Conklin.[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) He became the first Michigan State offensive lineman drafted in the first round since [Tony Mandarich](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-mandarich) went No. 2 overall to Green Bay in 1989, and the highest drafted Spartan since wide receiver Charles Rogers (No. 2) in 2003.[4](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709) His rookie contract was four years and $21.2 million.[12](https://as.com/us/us/2020/03/06/nfl/1583520794_078014.html)
## Tennessee Titans (2016–2019)
Conklin started all 16 games at right tackle as a rookie, the first Titans player to start every game at left or right tackle as a rookie since Michael Roos in 2005, and he was named first-team AP All-Pro, joining [Zack Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/zack-martin) as the only rookie offensive linemen so honored since the AFL-NFL merger.[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/raiders/wsbbhzhfjtzvse2ky8v7.pdf) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) graded his 2016 season at 88.9, and Tennessee ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards per game that year.[13](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/jack-conklin-named-ap-first-team-all-pro)
**Injuries and departure.** He started every game at right tackle in his first two seasons, including all 16 games in 2017 and both postseason games, but a knee injury in Week 14 of the 2018 season forced him to miss the last three games of that year.[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf) • [14](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/sd68ojnd8udux5hccgj5.pdf) He returned to start all 16 games in 2019, allowing four quarterback sacks per Pro Football Focus, and posted an 80.5 PFF grade in what analysts described as the best run-blocking season of his career.[12](https://as.com/us/us/2020/03/06/nfl/1583520794_078014.html) • [15](https://www.bigblueview.com/2020/2/11/21131548/nfl-free-agency-2020-rumors-ny-giants-jack-conklin-tennessee-titans/) The Titans nevertheless declined his fifth-year option before the 2019 season, and he left for free agency after starting 57 of a possible 64 games over four seasons.[8](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-cleveland-browns-filled-big-hole-signing-jack-conklin-didnt-overpay) • [7](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-new-browns-rt-jack-conklin)
## Cleveland Browns (2020–2025)
Cleveland signed Conklin to a three-year, $42 million contract in March 2020, filling its hole at right tackle without using a top draft pick on the position; the Browns then selected left tackle Jedrick Wills with the 10th overall pick.[8](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-cleveland-browns-filled-big-hole-signing-jack-conklin-didnt-overpay) He started 15 of 16 games in 2020 and was named first-team AP All-Pro at right tackle for the second time.[6](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/08/nfl/1610146104_481500.html) A knee injury in 2021 cost him time, and he signed a contract extension after the 2022 season, in which he started 14 games.[16](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ConkJa00.htm)
**2023 ACL tear.** In the 2023 season opener against [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati), a 24-3 [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) win, Bengals edge rusher [Trey Hendrickson](https://www.edgepedia.org/trey-hendrickson) rolled up under Conklin's leg early in the second quarter, and Conklin was carted off with a torn ACL that ended his season.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-rt-jack-conklin-out-for-2023-season-with-torn-acl) • [17](https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/09/11/browns-win-week-1) He returned for 2024, and in March 2025 he and the Browns agreed to a revised contract that kept him in Cleveland while allowing him to become a free agent in 2026 rather than 2027.[18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHirlEV2fw)
**2025 season.** Conklin earned a 57.4 overall PFF grade in 2025, 71st among 89 qualified offensive tackles, and the Browns placed him on injured reserve on December 20, 2025.[19](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/Jack%20Conklin/10642) • [20](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-sign-s-christopher-edmonds-and-place-t-jack-conklin-on-injured-reserve)
## Playing style and evaluation
Scouting services entering the 2016 draft described Conklin as an NFL-ready run blocker from a three-point stance with good football intelligence and the ability to recover if he overset in pass protection, projecting him as capable of playing all line positions except center.[21](https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/40017) NFL Media analysts [Mike Mayock](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-mayock) and Bucky Brooks ranked him the third-best tackle in the 2016 class.[5](https://www.vikings.com/news/prospect-profile-jack-conklin-16961174) In Cleveland, advanced metrics have shown a split profile: his PFF pass-blocking grades have run below average at times, but he has performed well on ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate, a player-tracking measure of the percentage of blocks sustained for a given amount of time.[22](https://claygirdner.github.io/Conklin/) His career has also been shaped by injuries, including the 2018 knee injury, the 2021 injury, and the 2023 torn ACL.[14](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/sd68ojnd8udux5hccgj5.pdf) • [9](https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-rt-jack-conklin-out-for-2023-season-with-torn-acl)
## References
1. [2016 NFL Draft Update: Conklin Selected by Tennessee in First Round, Michigan State University Athletics](https://msuspartans.com/news/2016/4/28/2016_nfl_draft_update_conklin_selected_by_tennessee_in_first_round)
2. [TitansOnline.com Media Guide, 2019 Wild Card Round: Titans at Patriots](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578067003/patriots/pafoksjeb6ulzj4albbk.pdf)
3. [2017 Regular Season Week 1, Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders media guide](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/raiders/wsbbhzhfjtzvse2ky8v7.pdf)
4. [Jack Conklin roster bio, Michigan State University Athletics](https://msuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/jack-conklin/1709)
5. [Prospect Profile: Jack Conklin, Minnesota Vikings](https://www.vikings.com/news/prospect-profile-jack-conklin-16961174)
6. [Aaron Donald y Travis Kelce, selecciones unánimes en equipo All-Pro, AS (2021)](https://as.com/us/us/2021/01/08/nfl/1610146104_481500.html)
7. [5 things to know about new Browns RT Jack Conklin, ClevelandBrowns.com](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-new-browns-rt-jack-conklin)
8. [Cleveland Browns filled a big hole with Jack Conklin's signing and didn't overpay to do so, PFF](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-cleveland-browns-filled-big-hole-signing-jack-conklin-didnt-overpay)
9. [Browns RT Jack Conklin out for 2023 season with torn ACL, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-rt-jack-conklin-out-for-2023-season-with-torn-acl)
10. [Jack Conklin's Incredible Journey: From Walk-On to NFL First-Rounder, Michigan State University Athletics](https://msuspartans.com/news/2016/4/29/Jack_Conklin_amp_8217_s_Incredible_Journey_From_Walk_On_to_NFL_First_Rounder)
11. [2019 Michigan State Football Media Guide](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/msuspartans.com/documents/2019/7/18/2019_Michigan_State_Football_Media_Guide.pdf)
12. [Los cinco mejores linieros ofensivos de la agencia libre, AS (2020)](https://as.com/us/us/2020/03/06/nfl/1583520794_078014.html)
13. [Jack Conklin Named AP First Team All-Pro, FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/jack-conklin-named-ap-first-team-all-pro)
14. [JACK CONKLIN, TitansOnline.com media guide](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/sd68ojnd8udux5hccgj5.pdf)
15. [NFL free agency 2020: How far should Giants go to reel in Jack Conklin?, Big Blue View](https://www.bigblueview.com/2020/2/11/21131548/nfl-free-agency-2020-rumors-ny-giants-jack-conklin-tennessee-titans/)
16. [Jack Conklin Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ConkJa00.htm)
17. [Browns dominate Bengals in Week 1, Axios Cleveland](https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/09/11/browns-win-week-1)
18. [The Cleveland Browns restructured Jack Conklin's contract, YouTube (2025)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHirlEV2fw)
19. [Jack Conklin player page, PFF](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/Jack%20Conklin/10642)
20. [Browns sign S Christopher Edmonds and place T Jack Conklin on injured reserve, ClevelandBrowns.com](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-sign-s-christopher-edmonds-and-place-t-jack-conklin-on-injured-reserve)
21. [What Ourlads' NFL Scouting Services said about Jack Conklin, Ourlads](https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/40017)
22. [Jack Conklin: Cleveland's Newest Right-Hand Man, Clay Girdner](https://claygirdner.github.io/Conklin/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Offensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license