Defensive linemen play on special teams all the time, but it's almost always in field goal protection and field goal blocking formations. Cleveland Browns rookie Adin Huntington dominated on both punts and kickoffs, often being the first coverage player down the field and putting up some highlight-worthy reps. The undrafted free agent is a bowling ball of talent, and his film shows a player who has the potential to be a long-term contributor not just on special teams, but also as a pass-rusher.
Huntington played three seasons at Kent State before transferring to Lousiana-Monroe and then to Tulane for the 2024 campaign. Listed at 6-foot-1 281 pounds, he earned an elite 90.5 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus last season, generating an impressive 16.8% pressure rate. He ranked inside the top 20 among edge defenders in college football in pass-rush win rate pass rush productivity on true pass sets, and that has him being graded against players like Abdul Carter.
Huntington is a tweener, with short 32-inch arms and standing barely over six feet tall at 281 pounds. He is not an edge rusher in the NFL, and the Browns deployed him at defensive tackle during the preseason, where his length and height are less of an issue, but his lack of mass certainly is. Future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald entered the league with very similar measurements and an even more similar athletic profile; Huntington is almost exactly the same height as Donald, four pounds lighter, and with arms that are 5/8" shorter. Donald also had slightly better agility testing numbers than Huntington, though Huntington's are still in the upper echelon of elite for the position. Huntington's explosion testing results were significantly better than Donald's (which were still elite), and his 40-yard dash was even faster than the longtime Rams star.