With some devastating injury news this week comes a world of opportunity for some recent Cleveland Browns draft picks.
There’s no sugar coating the blow of Maliek Collins’ season-ending quad injury in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran was playing as well as any defensive tackle in the NFL, and was the No. 2 graded interior pass rusher at the time of his injury, according to Pro Football Focus.
At 3-9, the Browns will be in full evaluation mode over these final five weeks of the regular season, especially along the defensive line. Rookie Mason Graham has shown a ton of promise, especially since the Jets game in Week 10; he’s racked up 16 QB pressures in four games, per PFF, and should only continue to get opportunities down the stretch. Veteran Shelby Harris is another obvious candidate for additional reps.
Browns fans should be most eager to see more of Mike Hall Jr. — their second-round draft pick in 2024 who’s been a complete mystery this year.
DT Mike Hall Jr. could be auditioning for his Cleveland Browns future over team’s final 5 games
Cleveland’s now justified decision to trade back for Graham in the 2025 NFL Draft was made partly out of necessity, as Hall entered the Browns’ offseason program coming off a severe knee injury suffered during the 2024 season finale at Baltimore.
Hall was limited to just eight games during his rookie season due to multiple injuries, and a five-game NFL suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Year 2 hasn’t gone much better for the former Ohio State standout, as despite being medically cleared, he was a weekly healthy scratch for the Browns over the first half of the regular season, and didn’t make his 2025 debut until Week 8 against the New England Patriots.
Hall figures to be the biggest beneficiary of the Collins injury and, frankly, the Browns need to evaluate him. He was Cleveland’s lowest-graded defensive player by PFF in Week 13 against the 49ers with a 28.6, and his film over these next five games could ultimately dictate his Browns future.
It’s no secret that the Browns could be searching for a new head coach (and potentially a new GM, too) during the NFL’s upcoming hiring cycle. Regime changes typically come with a roster overhaul, and Hall might be the recent Browns draft pick with the most to prove over the final month of the regular season.