Who Steps Up On the Defensive Line?
The Cleveland Browns training camp is officially underway in Berea. During Monday’s afternoon practice, Browns veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith was carted off the field after sustaining an injury. It is confirmed that this was a knee injury that occurred during a goal line drill. While Smith has built a reputation for returning quickly after big hits, it is always worth noting if a player is carted off during practice. News 5 Cleveland Reporter Camryn Justice posted a video on X of the injury, stating that the Browns defensive end was “grabbing his left leg” towards the end of the play. There was a reason behind the injury speculation after Cleveland signed defensive end Marcus Haynes. Haynes is a former Old Dominion Monarch and spent last season on the Denver Broncos practice squad. Haynes has not taken any professional snaps, but was a strong candidate to make Denver’s roster last season.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the injury was confirmed to only be a knee contusion and will be good to go after taking some time to rest. This is a sigh of relief for the Browns and fans, especially after Za’Darius became a fan-favorite during the successful season in 2023. Smith is entering his 10th season in the NFL after a positive first season with the Browns. This year, he is bringing confidence, hustle, and a new haircut to the field. As this injury scare occurred on Monday afternoon, the Browns and fans were curious on who would step up if this injury was to linger into the regular season.
Fans are of course bound to overreact to injuries after the enormous amount of season-ending surgeries that took place last season. If Andrew Berry has done anything this offseason, it has made sure that injuries wont stop this team. After seeing how horrible the defensive line was in 2022 and the injuries last season, he knows that a poor performance by the defensive line is something that will quickly disrupt the game plan. Cleveland’s defensive front is very impressive from an overall standpoint and has the depth to keep up with Jim Schwartz’ game plan. Let’s take a look on who is primed to have a bigger role for the Browns defensive line in 2024:
Ogbo Okoronkwo
2023 stats: 14 games, 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks
Predicted 2024 stats: 16 games, 30 tackles, 5.0 sacks
Following the departure from his drafted team in the Houston Texans, Ogbo Okoronkwo signed a promising 3-year deal with Cleveland in hopes of the next big step for his career. The now veteran defensive end did that in his fifth season, the first in a Browns uniform. Ogbo was the first rotation defensive end for both Myles Garrett and Smith during the 2024 season. This key position put Okoronkwo in some vital spots during some of the team's biggest moments and will continue to do so as we approach 2024. The versatility of the former Houston Texan allows him to play both sides of the ball and fill in for either Browns starting defensive ends.
The 6th-year DE will hope to get through this season healthy and build off the very solid start to his Cleveland Browns career. He is one of the best “backup” defensive ends in the NFL, but has the skill set to be an every week starter.
Alex Wright
2023 stats: 16 games, 28 tackles, 5 sacks
Predicted 2024 stats: 15 games, 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks
The best ability is availability, and that was Alex Wright’s weapon as he found himself in some critical moments for the Browns in 2023. Wright’s improvement from his rookie season has been overlooked often when reviewing the defensive line position. The 3rd-year defensive end brings size, speed, and strength to the position when the Browns needed it most. Even though his tackle total went down from his previous season, those tackles were found to be more meaningful as he racked up 5 more sacks than the previous year.
As we approach 2024, Wright will most likely stay with the second team barring any (more) unforeseen injuries to starters Garrett or Smith. Though we will most likely see an increase in Wrights snap count in order to put Garrett in the best playmaking opportunities. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has shown that he likes to rotate players in on the defensive line when the situation presents itself. Based on his only season under the position, Alex Wright and Browns fans should have full faith in their defensive coordinator this upcoming season.
Mike Hall Jr
2023 stats (NCAA - Ohio State): 12 games, 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks
Predicted 2024 stats: 15 games, 27 tackles, 2.0 sacks
When it came to pass rush help, the Cleveland Browns selected the former Ohio State Buckeye in the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As the Browns figure out the best lineup to start with on the field and adjust to the new kickoff regulations implemented by the league, Hall has been receiving special teams reps. Hall stated he's prepared to play any position on his new club, despite the fact that he has no prior college experience playing on special teams at Ohio State. Hall has already impressed early on in training camp and during Browns private practice in West Virginia.
Last season, Schwartz used inventive blitz packages often. Seeing players like Smith or Garrett move inside on critical passing downs was a regular occurrence. In Year 2, the help of Michael Hall ought to let Schwartz accomplish even more with his defensive schemes. Hall faces some very tough competition in his first career NFL training camp. Fortunately, he has the high hopes that comes with a top draft pick and allows him every opportunity to earn his reps.
The Browns have the right talent and defensive mind at the helm to be very successful defensively. They can now only hope that they have better luck with injuries than they did in 2023. A healthy Cleveland Browns defensive front is one of the best in the NFL.