The Cleveland Browns entered the 2024 NFL Draft with little expectation of selecting any of the top players available, having already committed all of their remaining draft picks just in case. This was after giving the Houston Texans—and, consequently, the Arizona Cardinals—a significant amount of draft capital as part of the Deshaun Watson trade.
Still, the Browns significantly increased their depth in the trenches with their two picks on Day 2 of the draft, which included a guard on the other side of the ball who used to be his opponent in college and a young defensive lineman with seemingly endless potential.
In 2024, these rookies might be Cleveland Browns players.
During the second half at Cleveland Browns Stadium, defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93), of the Cleveland Browns, celebrates after strip-sacking quarterback Clayton Tune of the Arizona Cardinals (not pictured).
November 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns At Cleveland Browns Stadium in the second half, Shelby Harris (93), rejoices following a strip sack of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (not pictured). Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports 2’s Ken Blaze. At defensive tackle, Michael Hall Jr. will press Shelby Harris.
Going into the 2024 NFL draft, the Browns had one of the lowest draft pick caches in the NFL, so it was unlikely that they would select many blue-chip players who could contribute right away as rookies.
Luckily, the Browns don’t have many holes in their roster going into 2024, and they managed to grab Michael Hall Jr., an OSU standout who should contend for playing time immediately out of the gate as a rookie.
Hall is a darn good defensive tackle who can rush the passer from the 3-tech position. He stands just under 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, has a huge wingspan, and a relentless motor. At just 21, he has the potential to get even better as he grows into a bigger role.
Does Hall have to start playing for the Browns right away? No, the Browns have a good veteran starter in Shelby Harris, who will start at that position this fall, but as the team’s general manager noted after the draft, the OSU product offers so much more.
Mike is genuinely a perfect fit for our offensive line. He’s very quick and explosive. He is able to overtake the passer. He has a long stature and a very strong motor when playing. He is, in fact, our defense’s classic 3-technique. Additionally, pass-rushers are always in high demand for us, particularly those who can influence the pocket from the inside, and we believe Mike will be able to accomplish that on our front end. Thus, general manager Andrew Berry told ESPN, “We’re really excited to kind of keep him home, so to speak, and think his skill set and passion really matches perfectly for our organization.”
“In college football, he was one of the more disruptive players, especially in pass rush situations. For us, it’s not a space-eating position. Guys with mobility are what we want. Because of this, our prototype for the role will differ slightly from other league schemes.
As a rotational player, Hall is one of the truly exciting young players on a team that will have few holes in its lineup coming into the fall. It wouldn’t be shocking if he began receiving snaps and developed into the team’s next outstanding front-seven player up front if he could demonstrate his abilities and be more disruptive than Harris overall and Dalvin Tomlinson on clear passing downs.
Zak Zinter was drafted by the Browns, it would seem, as a guard-of-the-future option who could fill in at several key positions in the event that one of the team’s Pro Bowl players missed time due to an injury.
If you are a Browns fan and you think that was the intention behind the Zinter trade, then you are (probably) right. Unless Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller gets hurt, he will likely sit the entire season out. However, referring to this as a “red-shirt year” would be incorrect because, as Andrew Berry stated following the draft, there aren’t really “red-shirt years” in the NFL.
“You know, I believe that time will tell for any player we add, including rookies. According to Cleveland.com, Andrew Berry told reporters, “I don’t think any of us can really make that call.” “The one thing I always discuss with Kevin as we sit here today is that, generally speaking, there aren’t any red shirts in the NFL. We’re eager to get him inside the building and going, even though everyone on the 53 will eventually be called into action.
Is Zinter going to be a key member of the Browns in 2024? Yes. With Bitonio entering his 11th season with the team this autumn, could one of the team’s guards begin to show his age? That is also conceivable, but as Kevin Stefanski noted following the draft, the Michigan prospect has a great deal to learn from two Pro Bowl players, and that will help him in the future.
Indeed, very valuable. And he’s walking into a really talented space where people push and encourage one another. However, I believe it is huge anytime you can connect with veterans who have been there and accomplished what you are doing.