2 Cleveland Browns rookies are playing like starters
By Britt Gerken
The Cleveland Browns had limited draft resources this year, still not having a first-round draft selection from the Deshaun Watson trade. This made it harder for the Browns to find talent that could be ready to step in right away and be a starter.
So far this preseason there are two rookies that are performing like they could start in the Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Zak Zinter
Zak Zinter is playing in football games again which is a welcomed sight. Zinter suffered a brutal leg injury during his game against Ohio State this past year. So far it seems that Zinter hasn't missed a beat and his coaching at Michigan set him up to be successful in the NFL.
Zinter has done a great job in pass protection this year. According to PFF, in his first preseason game he had 22 pass-blocking snaps and allowed 0 pressures finishing with a pass-blocking grade of 86.0. Even though the team has struggled to run the ball this preseason, Zinter has shown glimpses of being extremely effective.
A nice effort play by #Browns rookie Zak Zinter here.
— Matt Wilson (@CoachWilson66) August 14, 2024
He does a good job of helping Wypler get movement on the NT before peeling off to block the WILL. It's very evident that he was coached well at Michigan by @Coach_SMoore and @grant_newsome.
Too often you see backside OG's… pic.twitter.com/q9t80tnXe8
If the Browns didn't already have two of the best guards in the NFL, there is a good chance that Zinter would be the starter. Instead, he is relegated to backup duty until there is an injury or one of them is no longer on the team.
Mike Hall Jr.
Mike Hall has found himself in a lot of trouble off the football field. Truthfully, it's surprising that the Browns and the NFL have allowed him to continue to play during the active police investigation. However, if you are able to look past the allegations Hall is facing and focus on the football player, there have been several promising moments.
Between the first two preseason games Hall has played in roughly 50 snaps. He has consistently been able to get pressure on the quarterback, altough unable to get his first sack. It's promising that he has been able to run stunts effectively and use a variety of pass rush moves.
Obviously a lot going on with the person but 51 put on a clinic of interior pass rush yesterday. The football player is pretty good. pic.twitter.com/VB7a6YGmaT
— Browns Film Breakdown (@BrownsFilmBDN) August 18, 2024
This is the type of player that could be an immediate contributor being able to play alongside Myles Garrett. His teammates see this and it's why Za'Darius Smith has said that Hall reminds him a little bit of Aaron Donald. If Hall is able to stay out of trouble and on the football field, the Browns maybe have a special player on their hands.
More Browns news
feed