Cleveland Browns received some unlucky injury news to start the week.

The Browns will be without second-year defensive ends Isaiah Thomas and Alex Wright for an extended amount of time due to ‘significant’ knee injuries, head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed on Monday.

Both players were 2022 NFL Draft picks of the Browns and played during their rookie seasons.

The knee injuries stem from the preseason game against the New York Jets. Stefanski said that the injuries could keep them sidelined into the season.

As a rookie, Wright appeared in all 17 games and started five. He didn’t record a sack and did not play very well, his best play came by flashing his ability to bat down passes at his 6-foot-7 frame.

Thomas played in 10 games as a rookie seventh-round draft pick and had one sack. The Oklahoma product joins Wright as two players who hope to be depth for the Browns.

Neither player is a roster lock and the fact that they’re injured could make it tougher to keep them. With Wright being a third-round pick he may get more chances than Thomas would.

Cleveland’s top three pass rushers are as good as it gets with Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Past that, there are questions on who will emerge as the depth.

The Browns did sign edge rusher Charles Wiley and that move now makes a bit more sense.

Overall, this injury news is not good timing for two young players. 

Cleveland announced on Tuesday that both injured edge players underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and should return early season. 

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Featured image via Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports.