The Cleveland Browns’ defensive end depth chart took a hit last week when Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas both went down with knee injuries just days apart. However, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the damage does not appear to be long-term.
“Both players underwent arthroscopic knee surgeries Tuesday at University Hospital,” Cabot wrote. “But both are expected to make a full recovery early in the season after several weeks of rehab.”
This is noteworthy from a Pittsburgh Steelers perspective as they play host to the Browns in Week Two on Monday Night Football. While neither Wright nor Thomas showed the ability to affect a game like DE Myles Garrett, multiple injuries at a single position have a way of affecting teams despite Wright and Thomas sitting solidly behind Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo on the depth chart.
Wright suffered his injury after only playing 15 snaps in the Hall of Fame Game that kicked off the 2023 NFL preseason against the New York Jets. He appeared in all 17 games last season for the Browns with five starts. He had five pass breakups, 28 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one fumble recovery.
Wright was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He played in 31 games there and recorded 91 total tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, five passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Thomas sustained his knee injury during Cleveland’s practice on Saturday after playing 25 snaps during the Hall of Fame Game. He played 10 games as a rookie, recording nine total tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, two passes defended, and two quarterback hits.
The Browns drafted Thomas in the seventh round in 2022 out of the University of Oklahoma. Thomas played 31 games over the course of four seasons and recorded 80 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, six passes defended, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
While the Browns were unlikely to depend on Wright or Thomas to deliver in big spots early in 2023, their potential absence in Week Two could have potentially caused the players in front of them on the depth chart to rotate less frequently. That could have meant tired legs come the fourth quarter, giving Pittsburgh’s offense a potential edge.
To combat this, the Browns signed edge rusher Charles Wiley. He spent time with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2022 preseason and then was on the New York Giants practice squad for part of September. Wiley played for Ole Miss and the University of Texas-San Antonio in college, suiting up for a total of 51 games over five seasons. He recorded 136 total tackles, 31 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, two passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown.
