Mike Hall, Jr. not expected to be on Browns 53-man roster

Ohio State defensive tackle Mike Hall, Jr. was the first player the Cleveland Browns selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite the position not being a major need, the Browns used the 54th overall pick on the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder.

Hall gives them a speedy interior pass rusher who is supposed to work in a rotation with Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst, Jr. While he's expected to be a reserve as a rookie, he has the talent to be a starter in the future.

Unfortunately, his career got off to a rocky start and he might not be on the initial 53-man roster. Due to a domestic violence charge from August 13, Hall could be on the NFL Commissioner's Exempt List according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

According to FOX 8, the victim in Hall's case recanted their statement. Even with that being the case, there was no report that the charges were dropped.

Despite the case lingering over his head, the Browns let Hall play in the preseason. They took a rather tone-deaf approach as he never missed practice time and was even playing against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 of the preseason, which was before the statement was recanted.

Should Hall be placed on the exempt list, second-year defensive tackle Siaki Ika might survive roster cuts. The third-round pick from Baylor has struggled mightily to get the job done and was widely seen as someone on the outside looking in. He's a one-tech, whereas Hall plays the 3-tech, but the numbers could still be in his favor with this development.

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