Browns add a “flash player” from Ohio State who could be part of the rotation early on.
The Cleveland Browns finally decided to get in on the fun of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night with the selection of defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. in the second round with the No. 54 overall selection.
The 6-foot-2 and 299-pound Hall is Cleveland’s first selection of this year’s draft as the Browns are in the final year without a first-round selection as part of the Deshaun Watson trade in 2022.
Keeping it local!! Michael Hall Jr. is staying home!
» https://t.co/gx8nsfk40h pic.twitter.com/GFldA7C75B
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 27, 2024
Scouting Reports
Here is a scouting report from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who had Hall as his fifth-ranked defensive tackle on his board, a projected second- or third-round pick, and the No. 60 player overall:
A two-year starter at Ohio State, Hall was interchangeable at the one- and three-technique in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ four-man front. His college state sheet is underwhelming, especially in his final season in Columbus (2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks), but his pass-rush win rate (18.3 percent) was second best among FBS defensive tackles in 2023.
With his first-step burst and lateral agility, Hall quickly gets vertical and is a tough player to handle one-on-one. He uses his long arms and natural leverage to work underneath the blocks, although his lack of size and anchor put him in compromised positions, especially versus the run.
Overall, Hall was more of a flash player than consistent force, but his quick-twitch movements and natural energy are the ingredients of a disruptive gap penetrator. If he stays healthy, he will be an immediate rotation player and eventual starting three-technique tackle in a four-man front.
How He Fits the Browns
It is doubtful the Browns would move on from one of their four core defensive tackles of Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst II, Quinton Jefferson, or Dalvin Tomlinson, so Siaki Ika could be sweating out the final roster cuts following his second training camp in Cleveland.
React Now
What do you think, Browns fans?