No pressure: Za’Darius Smith has the boldest comparison for Browns rookie DT
By Lior Lampert
This offseason, the NFL lost Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald to retirement.
Donald cemented his legacy as one of the best players in league history. He was a Pro Bowler every year of his 10-year career, eight-time All-Pro and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. A generational talent, it will presumably be a long time before we see someone of his caliber, right?
Wrong (apparently).
On Sunday, Cleveland Browns veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith said he sees shades of the legendary Donald in rookie interior lineman Michael Hall Jr.
Browns DE Za’Darius Smith on rookie Mike Hall Jr.: “He’s different, man. He reminds me of Aaron Donald a little bit. Hopefully he don’t see this.” pic.twitter.com/ocVuIVAhTc
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 4, 2024
"He's [Hall] different, man. He reminds me of Aaron Donald a little bit," Smith stated via ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi.
Whether Smith intended to or not, he put immense pressure on Hall by comparing him to arguably the most distinguished defender of the modern era.
Za’Darius Smith raises expectations for Browns rookie Michael Hall Jr.
By Smith's account, Hall is already making his presence felt at Browns training camp. Drawing parallels to a future first-ballot Hall of Famer suggests the 2024 second-round pick is doing something right and turning heads, albeit far-fetched.
Hall is the highest-selected player the Browns have chosen in the NFL Draft since 2021. He spent three seasons at Ohio State and will continue playing in Cleveland as a pro.
Despite only starting 12 games during his collegiate days, Hall was productive for the Buckeyes. He amassed 45 combined tackles (10 for loss), six sacks and a fumble recovery from 2021-23. Still, Smith connecting him (or anyone) to Donald feels extraordinarily lofty.
Like Donald, Hall is a bit undersized for his position. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old makes up for it with incredible quickness, agility, footwork and upper-body strength -- similar to the former Rams franchise icon.
If Hall can accomplish even a fraction of what Donald did throughout his illustrious career, that would be a success. But Smith did his new teammate no favors by setting the bar this high this early.
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