Had it not been for the herculean effort of Mike Hall Jr., the Cleveland Browns would have finished last Thursday night’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with two healthy defensive tackles on their active roster.
There was hope that the team’s injury situation would improve with some extended rest between games, but Thursday’s practice report came with some bad news.
Per Browns beat reporter Daniel Oyefusi, both Mason Graham (knee) and Hall (ankle) were nonparticipants “casting significant doubt on their availability for Sunday.”
To make matters worse, veteran Kalia Davis (quad), whose 21-day practice window was opened on Tuesday, was also out Thursday after opening the week with a limited session.
Cleveland’s interior defensive line could look a lot different for Sunday’s road game at the New York Jets. Here’s a projection for how the depth chart could shake out based on the latest practice report.
Cleveland Browns projected defensive tackle depth chart for Week 5
Starter No. 1 (left side)
Maliek Collins
The veteran has knocked off the rust after missing the majority of training camp while rehabbing last year's season-ending quad injury. Collins was excellent against Pittsburgh, notching a sack, three quarterback pressures, and three run stuffs, per Pro Football Focus.
The Browns are going to need Collins to hold down the fort for however long Graham is out.
Starter No. 2 (right side)
Adin Huntington
Huntington more than held his own in the Pittsburgh game after both Graham and Hall exited in the first half with injuries. The former undrafted free agent played a career-high 48 defensive snaps and stood out as a pass rusher, finishing with a sack and a team-high three QB hits. He nearly had a second sack, but it was negated by a defensive penalty.
If Hall is unable to go on his injured ankle, Huntington would be in line to make his first career NFL start on Sunday.
Top reserve
Sam Kamara
If the Browns make practice squad call-ups for this game, Kamara almost feels like an automatic.
He suffered an injury during training camp and ultimately wasn’t able to return in time to play in the preseason. The veteran’s been on the practice squad, though, and has a strong chance to be active for Sunday’s game.
Emergency option
Jared Verse
Verse rarely kicked inside during his two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, but with the Browns short on bodies, defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg could look to give his star edge rusher some reps at defensive tackle to try and get him going.
Verse is already one of the league’s soundest edge defenders against the run. He should be able to hold his own along the interior, especially with the Jets potentially being down starting guard Dylan Parham for this game.
The Browns also have fifth-year veteran Chris Williams and undrafted rookie Zion Logue to consider elevating off the practice squad. Either way, this could be an all-hands-on-deck situation for Week 5.
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