Browns Digest

The Browns Give Mike Hall Jr. Chance to Chase NFL Dreams in His Backyard

Defensive Tackle Mike Hall Jr. is the latest Ohio State Buckeye to join the Cleveland Browns

Anthony Moeglin

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) and
Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) and / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
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Streetsboro, Ohio native Mike Hall Jr. won't have to go far to get his professional career started. After leaving the 216 to attend The Ohio State University, Hall heard his name called in round two of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Hall will become a pro essentially in the city he grew up in with a team and scheme that is a perfect fit for what he does best - create chaos.

Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51)
Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Browns fans got the full Jim Schwartz experience in the 2023 season, where Cleveland posted the number one defense in the league. Week after week, Schwartz let his defensive line play with very little rules other than get to the football.

Cleveland's defensive line is in a very unique position heading into 2024. They are a veteran-laden group that has a handful of guys on one-year contracts, specifically Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris. The group of interior linemen is finished out by Dalvin Tomlinson, Siaki Ika and new addition Quinton Jefferson.

Hall joins that group with no pressure to perform right away, but the opportunity to have a major impact on the defense in the years to come.

From a statistical standpoint, Hall doesn't jump off the page. He finished 2023 with 24 total tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. From the defensive tackle position in the college game, stats are hard to come by. But what he does on tape unquestionably stands out. He rushes with a motor that is second-to-none, while plugging up the run game with his 290-pound frame.

Hall fits into the Cleveland defensive scheme perfectly and will have an opportunity to thrive under Jim Schwartz. Expect him to take a back seat in 2024 before exploding onto the scene in 2025. This appears to be a very good pick in the second round by the Cleveland Browns.

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Anthony Moeglin

ANTHONY MOEGLIN

Anthony Moeglin is a northeast Ohio native, who most notably quarterbacked John Carroll University to the NCAA DIII National Semifinals in 2016 after beating the No. 1 team in the country twice in a 4-week stretch. He contributes written and video/podcast content for Browns Digest, as well as serving as the lead football analyst for BuckeyesNow on the FanNation network.