3 Cleveland Browns to watch in the Hall of Fame Game

Football is finally here. The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets will face off on Thursday, Aug. 3 in the annual NFL Hall of Fame Game.

Each year, the league kicks things off with this game in Canton, Ohio and the Browns are a part of the festivities thanks to the induction of Joe Thomas. This honor allows them to get in an extra preseason game which might not be incredibly exciting but it's a chance for some of the players on the bottom of the roster to make a name for themselves.

With that being the case, here are three players fighting for a spot on the team in 2023 that could help their standings on Thursday night.

3. Mohamoud Diabate, LB

This offseason, the Cleveland Browns didn't do much to bolster their linebacking corps. Instead, they simply re-signed Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki with their only external additions being Matthew Adams and undrafted free agent Mohamoud Diabate.

Adams feels like a lock to make the team due to his talent on special teams but Diabate is currently on the outside looking in. Fortunately for him, Cleveland's linebackers aren't exactly elite, so he has a chance to make the 53-man roster if he plays well.

He's likely going to get plenty of snaps on Thursday as teams typically keep their starters on the bench during this extra preseason game.

Diabate was effective not only against the run during his collegiate days but could also bring the heat as a pass rusher. Look to see if Cleveland tries to see what he can do in this department. If he proves he has the talent to get after the quarterback from his linebacker spot, it could be enough for Jim Schwartz to keep him around.

2. Kellen Mond, QB

Last year as teams trimmed their rosters down to 53 players, the Browns decided to claim quarterback Kellen Mond. A former third-round pick, the Minnesota Vikings gave up on him after just one season which isn't a great sign.

Despite this, he had something that Cleveland appreciated, so they kept him on the roster all year. Mond was QB3 behind Jacoby Brissett and Josh Dobbs but was retained when Deshaun Watson returned from suspension, as Dobbs was the one who they released.

Since then, Dobbs returned to the Browns and is expected to be the primary backup to Watson. They also added Dorian Thompson-Robinson, an exciting prospect from UCLA. The presence of Dobbs and DTR has not only pushed Mond down the depth chart but also made him a forgotten man.

On Thursday, he has a chance to remind everyone why he was a Day 2 draft pick. While reporting from The Greenbrier in West Virginia, Tony Grossi said it looked as though the Browns were preparing to start Mond in the Hall of Fame Game. He added that Thompson-Robinson would receive plenty of snaps as well but that Mond looked poised to take the field to start the game.

Even if he plays well, it's going to be hard to make the roster in Cleveland. Since DTR feels like a lock at QB3 due to his draft status and potential, Mond would likely have to beat out Dobbs and that's going to be a tough ask.

In the end, he might be auditioning for a job elsewhere but even if that's the case, it could be fun to see how he performs.

1. Jaelon Darden, WR/KR

It was extremely unfortunate that Marquise Goodwin was sidelined early in camp and we still don't know what will happen with him when the regular season begins. What we do know is that it's opened up snaps in practice for younger players who seemed to be on the long shots to make the team when camp opened.

One such player is Jaelon Darden who was a former fourth-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 but was released late in the year in 2022. Cleveland claimed him and he appeared in two games for the Browns, gaining a total of 15 yards on two punt returns.

Now, he finds himself fighting for a spot on a deep receiving roster while also trying to unseat Jakeem Grant — a former Pro Bowler — as the return man. At first, it felt as though he had a very slim chance of making it but he's taken advantage of every opportunity and even made a few big plays downfield during practice.

Listed at just 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, Darden was electric for North Texas. He ran a reported 4.46 in the 40-yard dash during his pro day but has always played much faster than that.

As a pro, he has 487 yards on 52 punt returns and 426 yards on 26 kick returns. On offense, he's put up just 82 total yards from scrimmage with an average of 8.2 per touch.

At 24 years of age, he still has plenty of time to make good on his potential and should get plenty of chances throughout the preseason. Thursday will be the first time we get to see if he's able to do enough to start climbing the depth chart.