Browns recent success with Ohio State product informed taking another Buckeye

Back in the playoffs for the second time in four years, the Cleveland Browns finished 11-6 and in second place in the AFC North. The team wound up using a total of five starting quarterbacks for various reasons, and veteran Joe Flacco saved the day late in the season with his play.

However, it was the league’s top-ranked defensive unit that was a force for the vast majority of the season. The Browns not only allowed the fewest total yards but the fewest passing yards per game. End Myles Garrett earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He anchored a fearsome front four that came up with 24 of the club’s 49 sacks.

Jim Schwartz’s defensive line could be even scarier in 2024

If the Browns have the same kind of success with defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. this season as they did his former Ohio State teammate a year ago, Kevin Stefanski’s squad could once again be a playoff contender.

Cleveland did not have first-round pick in April, but used their first pick this year on this talented Buckeye defender. Hall is an intriguing prospect (analysis by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein), to say the least.

"There might be a different conversation if Hall was a little bigger, but a lack of size is hard to overcome on the NFL level. Hall plays with good pound-for-pound strength and stands up to bigger players in front of him. He’s twitchy to knock blockers off balance but will also be engulfed by size at times. He rushes with sudden feet and active hands to whip guards with quick wins but appears to lack the lower-body drive to capitalize on early advantages against stronger competition. Hall needs to add mass but should compete for a backup role early on and has immediate sub-rush potential as a 3-technique in a one-gapping scheme."

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points out that the Browns and general manager Andrew Berry took a chance on former Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones a year ago. The story was that weight concerns were a reason he slipped to the fourth round a year ago. The former Buckeye wound up playing in 11 games, making nine starts. However, he’s now on the rebound after a knee injury shelved him for the final five games and the playoffs. Still, it’s easy to see the correlation between what the Browns did with him and what they could do with Hall.

“With Dawand Jones starting games in the NFL and being productive, Cleveland must be doing something right,” an AFC scout told Fowler. “Not sure what they are doing there, but if Dawand can do that, Mike Hall can, too. The talent is there, he’ll just need a bit of help and guidance to become a pro.”

Help and guidance should not be a problem. Along with Garrett, there’s end Za’Darius Smith and interior standouts Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz makes it all go, and Hall could be an ideal piece when it comes to pass-rushing depth.