Coming off a trip to the NFL playoffs, the Cleveland Browns were quite limited in the ways they could improve their roster going into the 2024 NFL season. Basically, the Browns must find improvement at the quarterback position, from the acquisition of WR Jerry Jeudy and from the internal development of young players.
With only a few star young players, that last part might not be a strong progression this year.
Cleveland’s lack of cap space and draft capital, along with a roster that does not have room for new starters, means their NFL draft picks like Michael Hall Jr. may not have a lot of room to contribute as rookies. Last year’s top picks, WR Cedric Tillman and DT Siaki Ika, combined for just over 700 snaps.
Tillman’s 609 snaps on offense were still less than 50% of the team’s overall snaps on that side of the ball.
If Hall is going to make an impact, his ability to get pressure on the quarterback will be the key.
Last year, Dalvin Tomlinson (36) and Shelby Harris (22) were the only interior defensive linemen with more than 20 total quarterback pressures. None of the defensive tackles had more than Tomlinson’s four sacks.
Doug Farrar shows here how Hall can make things miserable for a center trying to block him in pass protection:
Michael Hall Jr.'s stutter/swim move is something no center wants to deal with. pic.twitter.com/37TL8rFOuV
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 9, 2024
The good news, as Farrar shows, is that Hall doesn’t just win with speed and technique but has power despite his smaller frame:
Michael Hall Jr. can be tricky and technical with his hands and feet, but he's also capable of leveraging a center right back into the pocket. Hall could give the @Browns a level of quick interior pressure they didn't have in 2023. pic.twitter.com/svI6l5EdRP
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 9, 2024
Cleveland’s defense was great last season despite very little pressure up the middle. Even if Hall doesn’t get to 500 snaps, he could still make a huge impact on the team with this specific skill set.
