3 Things to Watch: Jets vs. Browns Hall of Fame Game

Each year, the NFL celebrates its newest Hall of Fame inductees with its annual Hall of Fame game.

The league hosts this game in Canton, Ohio just outside of the Hall of Fame itself. This year's contest will take place this Thursday, August 3rd at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and will be aired on NBC.

The New York Jets will take on the Cleveland Browns as the two teams celebrate the inclusion of legends like Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis, and Joe Klecko, who spent much of their long careers playing for those teams.

To celebrate the launch of FanDuel Research, you can join a free play contest for this week's Hall of Fame Game: Hall of Fame Game FanDuel Research Free Play. And be sure to stick around for weekly free play opportunities through the end of the 2023 NFL season.

Jets vs. Browns Hall of Fame Game Betting Odds: Moneyline, Spread, and Total

• Moneyline:
  • Jets: -130
  • Browns: +110
• Spread: Jets -1.5 (-110)
• Total: 33.5

Jets vs. Browns Hall of Fame Game Analysis

1. Who Sits Out Thursday's Game?

Most teams avoid playing their starters in early preseason games.

Some teams, like the Los Angeles Rams, don't play their first-team starters at all in the preseason. While most teams eventually do get their studs some live game reps before Week 1, they often hold out on doing so until later in the preseason.

That means that the early weeks of the preseason are more likely to feature guys vying for roster spots than they are to feature established pros.

This becomes even truer for the Hall of Fame game, which takes place less than two weeks after most NFL training camps begin. In other words, don't expect to see stars such as Nick Chubb or Aaron Rodgers on the field on Thursday.

That said, it can be valuable to see which players do end up playing in these early preseason games. For example, while the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson is extremely unlikely to play, the rest of the Jets' receiver depth chart is still relatively up in the air.

Watching who plays and who sits could give us an early look at how the teams' depth charts are shaking out. Seeing which players teams hold out can give us a glimpse into which players are already set into defined roles on the team.

On the Browns' side, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick, is expected to play "quite a bit" on Thursday. The rookie is listed as the QB4 on the team's unofficial depth chart that was released this week.

Another player to watch would include backup running back Jerome Ford, whose 2023 role could end up being anywhere from being a 1-for-1 Kareem Hunt replacement to a pure backup role. If the Browns don't give Ford a lot of playing time in the early preseason, it could indicate a larger-than-expected role for him in the upcoming season.

On the Jets' side of things, free agent acquisition Mecole Hardman faces a lot of competition for snaps in a room led by Wilson, Corey Davis, Allen Lazard, and even Randall Cobb.

If he ends up playing on Thursday night, it could be a sign that he's on the outside looking in for regular-season opportunities.

2. Rookies and Sophomores

Sophomores who didn't get a chance to shine in their first NFL season can get extra reps in the preseason to show off their stuff. The same goes for rookies, for whom the preseason is the first taste they'll get of NFL action.

Browns second-year wideout David Bell did see a fair amount of playing time as a rookie but was largely unproductive vying for targets behind Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Njoku.

With those players unlikely to play much this preseason, Bell could earn himself a spot in the team's wide receiver room with a strong performance in the coming weeks.

Bell's new teammate, Cedric Tillman, could make a name for him this preseason as well. The third-round pick out of Tennessee is set up to compete for a similar role as Bell, making this a preseason battle to watch.

The Browns traded for Jets cast-off Elijah Moore earlier this offseason, making those final few roster spots even more difficult to lock in for the team's back-end receivers.

3. How Good Is the Jets' Defense?

The Jets' defense was one of the strongest units in the entire league last season. They tied the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in yards per play allowed (4.8), and their 316 points allowed ranked fourth-best in the NFL. If it weren't for their disappointing offense, the Jets could have been a playoff team.

As the Eagles illustrated last season, having strong depth on defense can make a huge difference for a team with playoff aspirations. The Eagles' depth allowed them to keep key players fresh throughout the year while mitigating the losses from inevitable injuries as the season developed.

The Jets showed that their first-team defense was not to be messed with last year, but we could get a glimpse of their defensive depth this preseason.

We're not going to see the Jets' second-team defense get any reps against the Browns' starters on Thursday, but the Browns will still be fielding a number of players with real NFL reps under their belt. If the Jets' second- and third-team defenses can hold the fort against the Browns' up-and-coming offense, it will bode well for the unit's prospects this season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.