BEREA ― Mike Hall Jr. is finally back outside on the practice field regularly for the Browns. It comes just in time for the team to try the former second-round defensive tackle out on the outside of the defensive line at end. The Streetsboro High School and Ohio State University product missed 10 days during training camp. That happened after he took a late hit on a block from running back Quinshon Judkins during a non-padded practice Aug. 1. That was the last time Hall was on the field until Aug. 18, two days before the Browns' joint practice with the Buffalo Bills. Two days after that, Hall started the preseason game against Buffalo at defensive end, a new look for him, at least with the Browns. Subscribe to Browns Insider newsletter
"Yeah, I played a little bit of end in college," Hall said Sept. 2, "so it's something new. But do whatever it takes to be out there for the team and do whatever for my brothers." Hall's interaction with Judkins in that camp practice led to plenty of questions, especially during his extended absence. He had initially returned to practice after Judkins blind-sided him on a block, but didn't practice again starting the next practice after a day off. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive linemen wouldn't expound on the reason for his absence other than to say he was "just dealing with some little minor tweaks, whatever, just dealing with training staff." He also brushed aside any questions about his relationship with Judkins. "Yeah, we're teammates at the end of the day," Hall said, "so it's just a little mishap on the field. But other than that, it's my brother at the end of the day. It's still my teammate, so we're getting ready to play Jacksonville and that's what I'm worried about."
#Browns DT Mike Hall Jr. on moving on from practice hit by Quinshon Judkins pic.twitter.com/CGmkEMVy8e — Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) September 2, 2026 The Browns clearly remain worried about their defensive end depth. Of the eight defensive linemen on the active roster, five are listed at end: Jared Verse, Isaiah McGuire, Adin Huntington, Derek Barnett and Sam Williams. Verse and McGuire are the only two who have been true defensive ends for the Browns for the duration of camp. Huntington's been doing the inverse of Hall by working more inside at tackle, while Barnett was signed to the roster Aug. 23 while Williams was signed Sept. 1 Hall was exclusively working at tackle up until the preseason game against the Bills. The move could easily be viewed at that moment, and even afterwards, as a response to Alex Wright's torn Achilles in the joint practice two days earlier. "The coaching staff really looks at what our players do well and how they can help us, and they don’t limit themselves necessarily to one role or one box and look at what kind of versatility we can have," assistant general manager/Vice President of Football Operations Catherine Hickman said Sept. 2. "Mike’s done a really nice job outside, and all of a sudden that just opens up possibilities and ways to navigate the things that happen in season, like injuries. Those are just part of the game, so flexibility has been helpful.” Coach Todd Monken acknowledged last week that he believed Hall was more disruptive from the interior. That makes sense as his natural position. 'However, Monken also believes the way Hall plays does create opportunities for the kind of versatility he's shown the last couple of weeks while working at end. “Mike likes football," Monken said Sept. 2. "He likes to practice, he’s fun to be around, and very competitive. The biggest thing is trying to keep him, because he’s reckless with his body, that abandonment that you want. Trying to keep that is the biggest thing. When he’s out there, he’s very disruptive. He’s a huge plus for us defensively.” The problem for Hall has been just staying on the field, such as the 10 days he missed in training camp, or the practice he missed Sept. 1. That's been a running concern ever since the Browns selected him in 2024, just being available to play.
#Browns DT Mike Hall Jr. on his training camp absence pic.twitter.com/bUQQ3MJPzc — Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) September 2, 2026 Hall's rookie season was limited to just eight games, missing the first five as a NFL-issued suspension for an Aug. 13, 2024, arrest on a domestic violence charge that was later pleaded down to disorderly conduct. A Week 11 knee injury in practice led to another four games out, while the season was capped by a torn medial collateral ligament and dislocated knee in the finale at the Baltimore Ravens. That injury prevented Hall from returning to the field until Week 8 of the 2025 season, although he played all but one of the final nine games. All of those injury concerns, though, have only added the need to stay on the field for his third season. "Yeah, definitely," Hall said. "Definitely put in a lot of work this off season, training with a PT (physical therapist) and just getting right as far as my knee standpoint, dealing with the last year's injury. Couldn't feel better." Whether Hall plays inside or outside, the Browns need to see something close to the potential Hall's flashed in very brief moments over the last two-plus seasons. That includes at times during this year's preseason. Buy Cleveland Browns tickets Hall has 2.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits and five tackles for loss in his career. There's been times when he's been on the field this preseason, including right before the Judkins hit, where he looked as explosive as he has since being in the league. That included Hall's first practice back after the 10-day absence, a day best remembered by Monken ending things early because of the chippiness. Part of that included multiple aggressive hits on Judkins, including one by Huntington and another where Verse grabbed Judkins by the Guardian Cap that was covering his helmet, then defensive tackle Mason Graham added a little extra shove as well. "Yeah, I mean our defense is just a loud mouth," Hall said. "We're in your face all game, and we an attack front, so I mean we're just vicious, we’re getting off the ball. So at practice we can get a little mouthy, but at the end of the day, we're still going to put our hand in the dirt and be ready to play." 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. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/ This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mike Hall Jr. back on field, finding new role on Browns defense Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.