With the Cleveland Browns hosting the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the team released its first two-deep chart of the season.
While several rankings elicit queries, one ranking on the depth chart raises more questions than it does provide answers for heading into the first preseason game of the year.
Rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall’s spot as the third option behind multiple veterans is raising some eyebrows.
Hall just turned 21 years old, and the rookie – who Cleveland drafted in the second round this year – will have the opportunity to grow into the role.
The 6-foot-3 defender was slotted in the third position behind Shelby Harris, Dalvin Tomlinson, Quinton Jefferson, and Maurice Hurst.
Tomlinson – who is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list – will not play in the preseason game, so Hall will earn more snaps against the Packers’ backups, giving him a good taste of the NFL.
For comparison, third-round draft pick Zak Zinter is behind Wyatt Teller, meaning that despite all of the tackles the Browns added through free agency this year, the former Michigan Wolverine appears ahead of his veteran peers on Cleveland’s depth chart.
The same holds for sixth-round selection Nathaniel Watson as he is currently the backup for Devin Bush at the SAM linebacker position despite being a rookie like Hall.
Although Hall’s rank is nothing to be alarmed about, it certainly draws questions about where he fits on the team heading into the preseason matchup against Green Bay.
A strong performance by Hall against the Packers could change the depth chart quickly heading into the next preseason game.
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