Getty Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns announced Monday that two of the team’s defensive ends have suffered knee injuries that will keep them sidelined for a significant amount of time.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke with reporters on August 7 and revealed that second-year players Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas have each sustained severe enough damage to their knees to bring into question their respective availabilities for the Browns’ season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 10 — and potentially beyond.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski said DEs Isaiah Thomas and Alex Wright will miss time with knee injuries. Said could stretch into regular season.
“#Browns Kevin Stefanski said DEs Isaiah Thomas and Alex Wright will miss time with knee injuries,” Scott Petrak of Browns Zone tweeted on Monday afternoon. “Said could stretch into regular season.”
Browns’ D-Line Rotation Significantly Hurt by Injuries to Alex Wright, Isaiah Thomas
GettyDefensive end Alex Wright of the Cleveland Browns produced a solid rookie campaign in 2022.
Stefanski did not immediately disclose the precise injuries that will keep Wright and Smith out indefinitely. However, that each player might return at some point relatively early in the regular season appears to preclude catastrophic issues — such as an ACL tear, or the like.
Luckily for the defense, Cleveland’s front office spent significant draft and financial capital to improve the defensive front in 2023, which struggled as a unit last season. The addition of Za’Darius Smith is particularly significant now, as the Browns’ depth on the edge took a major hit Monday.
Wright appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, earning five starts and playing 542 defensive snaps along with 53 snaps on special teams, per Pro Football Reference. While he didn’t get after opposing quarterbacks, which is typically a big part of a defensive end’s responsibilities in the NFL, Wright did tally 28 tackles, including two tackles for loss, notched five pass deflections and recovered a fumble.
Thomas saw the field less, appearing in 10 games with zero starts and playing a total of 162 defensive snaps as well as 22 snaps on special teams. He racked up nine tackles, including one tackle for loss, four quarterback pressures, two QB hits, two pass deflections, one sack and one fumble recovery.
Browns Still Have Plenty of Healthy Talent at Defensive End
GettyCleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett (left) and new teammate Za’Darius Smith (right).
The trio of Smith, Myles Garrett and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo should provide all the firepower the Browns need off the edge. Garrett earned first-team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive year in 2022, repeating his 16-sack performance from the year before — though this time in just 16 games rather than 17.
Meanwhile, Smith earned his third Pro-Bowl nod in the last four seasons after a 10-sack performance with the Minnesota Vikings last season. Okoronkwo put up a career-high five sacks with the Houston Texans in 2022 after switching positions from linebacker to defensive end.
Garrett, Smith and Okoronkwo combined for 92 quarterback pressures and 61 quarterback hits across 49 regular season appearances last year.
However, the Browns’ defensive end rotation gets thin after that. Wright is slotted as the second-stringer behind Smith on the right side, while Thomas is the third-string DE behind Wright, per ESPN.com. Okoronkwo is listed as Garrett’s backup on the left side, with Isaiah McGuire in the third-string position behind him. McGuire has yet to play a regular season snap in the NFL.