Browns' defensive line injuries open door for younger players, including Mike Hall Jr.

BEREA — Injury can often be the ignition switch that leads to opportunity. What it can't speed up, though, is development.

The Browns defense , specifically its defensive line , has spent the first 10 training camp practices trying to fend off a swarm of injury bugs attacking the group. The daily toll injuries have taken up front has been staggering in some regards, even if none are seen as potentially season-ending.

Those injuries, however, have opened up chances for some younger defensive linemen to grab the reins. That group includes draft picks from the last three years — defensive end Alex Wright, along with defensive tackles Siaki Ika, Mike Hall Jr. and Jowon Briggs — along with younger free agents such as defensive tackle Sam Kamara.

What Browns coach Kevin Stefanski warns against is the early reps serving as some kind of unnatural boast.

“Yeah, I don’t think you can as a young player accelerate the process just based on what’s going on with injuries or the roster," Stefanski said Tuesday. "Every player kind of develops at their own pace, some faster than others. … But with young players, they really have to keep up and keep pace. But we really have to work at their own pace in terms of how quickly they’re picking things up mentally, physically, if you will.”

The first preseason test of the year for those young linemen comes at 4:25 p.m. Saturday when the Green Bay Packers come to Cleveland. Stefanski has already said he was going to go with his starters for roughly 10 plays or so before handing it over to the rest of the roster.

Those young defensive linemen, however, could be among both the first group and the last group. Veteran Quinton Jefferson left Tuesday's practice after appearing to get rolled up on, but could still find his way onto the field alongside sixth-year pro Maurice Hurst II with the starters.

After that, it's going to be almost all youngsters at the tackle spots. That's the by-product of the run of injuries to that specific position that includes Dalvin Tomlinson (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Shelby Harris (undisclosed).

"That’s the beauty of the preseason," Stefanski said. "It’s opportunities for guys and its opportunities for us to evaluate them and the rest of the NFL. Everybody’s watching those reps, whereas you don’t get to watch these practice reps. It is a great opportunity. It is great for our players to put on their resume, and the guys that are out there we expect to compete like crazy.”

The fact of the matter is that, until some of the injured linemen come back, those younger players are going to need to provide something in the rotation. It's not just the tackles, but also at end, where Za'Darius Smith remains out with a left knee contusion.

Much of the conversation has centered around Hall, the Browns ' second-round pick in April out of Streetsboro High School and Ohio State. Smith, on Sunday, said the rookie "reminds me of (future Pro Football Hall of Famer) Aaron Donald a little bit."

Jefferson, on Tuesday, added to the praise for the youngster of all the young defensive tackles.

"Man, he has every intangible you ask for a D tackle," the nine-year pro said. "Super knowledgeable. He’s like a sponge trying to soak everything up. The sky's the limit for him. It is just about just getting his opportunity, which he’ll have this weekend and onward. So, I'm super excited for him and, yeah, he's going to be a special player."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' defensive line injuries open door for younger players, including Mike Hall Jr.