The Browns drafting Ohio State defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. and Michigan guard Zak Zinter Friday night was in line with the team’s plan of looking toward the future.
Let’s not fall into the trap of giving instant draft grades. Instead, let’s acknowledge that the Browns mostly kept things between the lines — staying focused on the lines, actually — and drafted two players who are different but were at least a little intertwined. Zinter suffered a broken tibia and fibula in November’s Ohio State-Michigan game after getting his left leg rolled up by Hall. Zinter missed the postseason, but he’s expected to be cleared to participate in football activities this spring.
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Why not trade down?
The Browns only had two selections in the top 150 of the 2024 draft. The draft room phone rang several times from potential trade partners, but Browns general manager Andrew Berry chose Hall at No. 54 over trading down and adding more picks.
The Browns viewed Hall as a near-perfect fit for the attack-style scheme implemented by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Though Berry had traded out of the second round in each of the previous two drafts, the Browns had already seen six defensive tackles get selected in the second round and didn’t want to pass on Hall.
“Ultimately, the offers weren’t enticing enough,” Berry said.
The Browns have big plans for Hall, a Cleveland native who’s just 20. Those plans just might not be immediate. Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst return to a defensive tackle group that also added Quinton Jefferson in March. It’s a proven group but an older one — and the Browns believe it’s a good one wherein Hall can grow, learn and mature.
Browns assistant general manager Glenn Cook said that Hall’s “talent won out” as the team weighed its options. The Browns plan on having Schwartz employed for a long time, and Hall’s fit for what Schwartz demands is part of that long-term thinking. That the team’s top three defensive tackles are in their 30s was a part of it, too.
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Why the Browns can wait
A wide receiver or tight end would have had a more direct route to immediate playing time. The same might be true at linebacker. But the Browns like the players they picked, and with Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio entering his 11th NFL season and Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller entering his seventh, Zinter can learn as he waits.
Though Berry acknowledged that “there typically aren’t any redshirts in the NFL,” the Browns always planned to draft with the future in mind and will not expect Hall or Zinter to win significant roles this summer or early in their respective rookie seasons.
It won’t be a full redshirt season for Zinter, who missed the pre-draft workout circuit due to injury but has returned to training. Zinter said he’s “cleared for everything, feeling great. I’m ready to roll.” Zinter, 23, started 42 games in his college career. Hall was never a full-time starter at Ohio State, but Berry said the Browns saw enough disruptiveness from Hall’s 28 college games to believe he can be an impact player in the NFL.
Berry has never been afraid of a trade, and the thought of adding more picks this weekend via a trade down probably appealed to him. But the Browns don’t have a lot of room on the roster for young players — and this is a roster built to win immediately. Bitonio and Teller aren’t the only players whose time with the Browns will probably last only another season or two.
What’s next?
Another long wait. The draft resumes Saturday at pick No. 101, and the Browns don’t draft until No. 156 in the fifth round. Berry might be tempted to jump in earlier for a certain player, but doing so likely would cost the Browns a 2025 pick.
Keep an eye on tight ends for the Browns on Saturday. Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott went one spot ahead of Hall. Tip Reiman of Illinois went at No. 82, three spots before Zinter. The Browns have a clear-cut No. 1 tight end for at least the next two seasons in David Njoku, but veteran backup Jordan Akins isn’t guaranteed to be in the plans and Harrison Bryant left in free agency. Don’t forget that head coach Kevin Stefanski loves tight ends — and has always found ways to use multiple tight end sets.
The Browns could add to their wide receiver and running back groups, too. It appears they’ll stick with their four returning offensive tackles for now. Edge rush and linebacker also could be addressed depending on how the board falls and how many picks the Browns end up using.
Most drafts start to take a significant fall off in the middle to back-middle of the third round, which furthers the Browns’ belief that making the two picks they made Friday was the right call.
The Browns have taken some chances in the fourth round in recent years. Dawand Jones looks like he might be a home run. Others have been bad misses. The Browns believe they started 2024 with different but similarly solid picks, and they’ll likely only be tempted to move up Saturday if they believe they can acquire a dynamic offensive skill player.
(Top photo of Zak Zinter: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
