Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Adin Huntington took a long and winding path to the NFL.
The journey began at Kent State, where Huntington spent three seasons, followed by a year at Louisiana-Monroe before finishing up at Tulane. His best season game in 2023 with the Warhawks when he posted 8.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Despite having one of the top relative athletic scores among defensive tackles, Huntington went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and ultimately signed with the Browns as an undrafted free
agent.
While Cleveland’s defensive tackle rotation was not exactly robust, the odds of Huntington making the final roster were long, but a key decision in the offseason helped Huntington flip the script.
Huntington met with the media on Tuesday after it was announced that he was part of the initial 53-man roster, and shared how a workout invitation from defensive end Myles Garrett helped Huntington to realize he had what it takes to play in the NFL:
“I remember in mini-camp, Myles said, ‘I’m going to be in Dallas for five weeks (and) I’m going to send the address where we will be working out. Pull up if you want to. Fear would have had me stuck at home … trying to be comfortable, but I had to get out of my comfort zone.
“I had to fly (to Dallas) on a whim, but I had the opportunity to stay with them and get fully immersed in the opportunity. I had the fear of staying the same, or I had the fear of getting better, and that was a big thing for me. I had to see where I aligned myself with guys like Myles, Micah Parsons, and Will Anderson. That gave me the mental check to (know that) I stack up.
“I went in there every morning to compete, and those three weeks allowed me to change (both) physically and mentally, and I was able to showcase that during training camp.”
It’s a great story, and it is always nice to see someone rewarded for putting in the extra work. Huntington being willing to step out of his comfort zone, rather than just being happy he was coming to training camp with the Browns, is a great start to his rookie season.
Now it is up to him to build off that good work and make the most of his opportunity when it counts this fall.
