Spencer Drango

Browns rookie Spencer Drango is in the competition at right tackle for the Browns.

(John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns rookie offensive lineman Spencer Drango doesn't need to be told about the accomplishments of veteran left tackle and now teammate Joe Thomas. In fact, one of his biggest challenges upon arriving in Cleveland was turning off his inner fan of the nine-time Pro Bowler while meeting him during a luncheon prior to the start of the team's rookie minicamp last weekend.

"He goes down as, recently, one of the best tackles out there -- the best tackle in the league," Drango said. "You hear about him and it's kind of like -- I didn't go completely fan."

It was a little more difficult for Drango to control himself around another Browns legend.

"Jim Brown was there and I shook his hand, so I might have fanned out a little bit more on Mr. Brown," Drango said.

Fandom aside, Drango understands what getting drafted onto the same offensive line as Thomas means.

"Hopefully getting to learn from him, watch him, hopefully play beside him or on the same line as him would be an awesome experience," Drango said, "and when he's inducted (into the Hall of Fame) first ballot I can say, 'Hey, I played next to him.'"

On the field, it didn't take Drango long to find himself in the middle of one of the more intriguing position battles this off-season. Despite head coach Hue Jackson's assertion following the draft that they would start Drango out at tackle, he was told by offensive line coach Hal Hunter prior to the start of camp to study up at right guard and center. That didn't last.

"About four or five plays into walkthrough I moved (from right guard) to right tackle and I'm pretty sure I'm staying there all camp," Drango said on Friday. "I'm up for playing wherever. Wherever it's going to help the team the most. 'Team be successful' is where I want to play and hopefully just get an opportunity to play and whether that's guard, tackle, center, right side, left side, wherever."

Spencer Drango runs out of the tunnel during rookie minicamp practice at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday.

Drango continued working at right tackle during Saturday's practice at FirstEnergy Stadium. Lest you think this is just a numbers game since the veteran offensive linemen weren't there this weekend, think again.

"Absolutely, I think he has to have a chance to compete (at right tackle)," Jackson said. "Obviously, the young man that played right tackle for us a year ago (Chiefs OL Mitchell Schwartz) is not here so there's [an opportunity] there. My whole job is putting guys in a position where I think they are going to have an opportunity to compete and maybe have a chance to play. He is a big, long guy who is one of the better pass protectors coming out of college. If he can grow in the area of run blocking and do what he has done as far as pass protection, you never know what could happen."

The Browns lost Schwartz to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Schwartz started all 64 games during his four years with the Browns and his departure, along with that of center Alex Mack to the Falcons, served to shake up a rare area of stability.

On top of that, perhaps no unit in football thrives more from stability than the offensive line. The Browns return three starters: Thomas, third-year left guard Joel Bitonio and veteran right guard John Greco. Cameron Erving is expected to start at center in his second season, but he struggled as a rookie, albeit after being asked to play both guard positions.

"Continuity on the offensive line is huge," Drango said. "Been on teams where we've had the same guys for three years playing with each other, so obviously the more time you get with people the better it is. You're communicating with each other the more you trust each other, so I'd definitely like to be part of that new wave but, like I said, if it's not in the cards right now, hopefully it will be soon. I just don't know when. So hopefully I get in there and start."

That Drango is vying for the right tackle position already is a bit of a surprise. Most draft analysts had Drango fitting best on the inside and perhaps even then not as a starter. NFL.com wrote that Drango "has decent pass protection technique, an anchor and the toughness for an interior line spot, but scouts question whether or not he has a 'hang your hat on' play trait that can make him anything more than a backup or a low-end starter." CBSsports.com draft analyst Dane Brugler wrote "Drango has an impressive NFL skillset as the game appears to come very easily to him, but he projects best inside at the next level."

Drango, for his part, understands that whatever his job in the NFL, he'll have to earn it.

"As far as position, I want to try and fight for a spot, obviously -- what rookie doesn't? -- but whatever happens happens," he said. "It's obviously all for the betterment of the team, so if they decide the other guy's there, I'm going to work my butt off to try to beat him out but, like I said, if it's for the team betterment, it's going to help us win, I'll do whatever I need to do."

Spencer Drango started all but four games during his career at Baylor after redshirting his freshman season.

Drango, who played high school football in Texas before attending Baylor, is still learning about his new home -- he's already received advice that West Side doesn't get nearly as much snow as the East Side -- but Ohio and surrounding areas aren't completely foreign to him. He was born in Indianapolis and his mom's family is in Dayton while his dad spent time in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He even tries to make it to the Indianapolis 500 every year when football allows.

He comes to Cleveland with a long list of accolades, including back-to-back All-American honors in 2014 and 2015, Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the year in 2015 and Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2014 and a finalist for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's best interior lineman, in 2015. After redshirting his freshman season, he started all but four games at left tackle in four seasons, missing only the final four games of the 2013 season with a back injury.

He doesn't believe the adjustment from Baylor's offense to Jackson's will be as drastic as some might expect.

"There's only so many ways you can run zone and power and everything like that," he said. "Learning those isn't the hard part. The passes, the protections are a little bit different. You have to try to translate it into what they want you to know, so the protections have probably been the biggest difference."

Even the style he expects the team to play might not be that different, which should make Browns fans happy.

"In college we were no-huddle, on the ball, here we're no-huddle, on the ball, so there are a lot of similarities that I've picked up so far," he said, "but biggest difference for me would probably be protections."

Drango is also learning that opportunity can come quickly in the NFL. Now he needs to make some fans of his own as he competes at one of the game's emerging positions of vital importance.