Mike Hall Jr. is set to make his debut for the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are dealing with quite a few injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Alex Wright is out for the season. Myles Garrett is battling through several injuries. Denzel Ward's status is uncertain after a hamstring injury. Jordan Hicks is week to week with a shoulder injury that made him miss last week's game.

On a positive side, the Browns are set to have their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft make his rookie debut against the Philadelphia Eagles this week. Mike Hall Jr., the extremely talented second round draft selection, is set to return from his five game suspension.

Hall as a prospect is full of promise.

While some teams had him off of their draft boards due to character concerns, the Browns decided his talent was worth the risk. During his time at Ohio State he had ten tackles for loss and six sacks. Hall was consistently disruptive during his time at Ohio State, racking up 10 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and 45 pressures.

Hall is now able to show the Browns that he was worth the risk. He has shown glimpses already this offseason with teammates saying that he reminds them of Aaron Donald.

While Hall is not slated to start he should be a rotational player that has the chance to contribute. The last three weeks, starters Shelby Harris and Dalvin Tomlinson are playing roughly 60% of the snaps on defense, with the others going to Quinton Jefferson or a defensive end shifting down. When Maurice Hurst played in Week 1 he played about 40% of the snaps.

This is probably a reasonable expectation for Hall in his first game. Rotating the defensive tackles to keep them fresh against a team like the Eagles that is capable of running the ball is a smart strategy. Hall will be a name to watch for this weekend, as he looks to show why the Browns believed in him and showcase his talent for the rest of the NFL to watch.