3 Cleveland Browns who need to play well against Indianapolis Colts

Defensive end Anthony Zettel

Freddie Kitchens was not lying when he said the defensive line was going to be the strength of the Cleveland Browns during the 2019 season. No matter who was in the game against the Redskins, the defensive line was making plays.

But that also means there will be tough decisions to make when it comes time for the Browns to whittle down their roster to 53 players. With how well several Browns defensive linemen played, it could be the toughest position group to make the final roster.

One of the players who could be on the roster bubble is Anthony Zettel, who has never really found his footing with the Browns since joining Cleveland early last season. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Zettel will have to earn his roster spot in 2019.

During training camp and the preseason, Zettel has been moved around on the defensive line, spending time with the first-team, second-team, and third-team defenses. Although the Browns are moving several players around on the depth chart, it will be important for a defensive linemen to make an impact whenever he is on the field.

In the preseason opener, Zettel made only one tackle and one quarterback hit. It is unknown how long the Browns starting defensive ends will play against the Colts, if they play at all. But Zettel is going to need to stand out before the third preseason game, when the starters typically play the entire first half and the second and third-teams have less playing time. So a strong performance against the Colts could help take Zettel off the roster bubble.