After the Browns' final preseason game against the Rams, DT Adin Huntington's friends were sending him a screenshot.
Huntington looked at the photo and wondered if what the screenshot said was real. To confirm the news, he watched a clip from head coach Kevin Stefanski's post-game press conference, and it backed up what the screenshot said – he made the 53-man roster.
"(My phone) blew up. I try not to get too high on those things," Huntington said. "My journey doesn't stop right now just because I made the 53-man roster, it's just beginning. So, whatever I did to get here, I have to continue to do that."
After signing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in May, he completed the uphill battle to make the regular-season roster, having an impressive offseason and preseason. He led the Browns in sacks in the preseason with 2.5 and notched 10 tackles. He was a versatile piece for Stefanski, playing fullback and special teams as needed.
"If you show up and you're playing physical on defense and then you do it on special teams, we have offensive coaches that are going to want to steal that physicality," Stefanski said. "So, the more you can do, and he's somebody that has certainly done it on defense, has done it on special teams, and we value physicality."
Making the 53-man roster and putting in the work necessary to do so took going out of Huntington's comfort zone.
At mandatory minicamp in June, DE Myles Garrett gave out an open invitation to all the defensive linemen to go to Dallas to work out with him. But Huntington already had plans to go back home to Virginia and work out by himself.
"I said to myself, 'Well, I was just going to go back to Virginia and just work out at home.' So, I called my dad, I said, 'Hey, this is the opportunity,'" Huntington said. "Fear would have had me stuck at home. Fear would have had me back at home trying to be comfortable. But I had to get out of my comfort zone."
Huntington ignored the fear that was in the back of his head and stepped out of his comfort zone, a challenge he had overcome before in college.
After playing at Kent State from 2020-22, he decided to move 17 hours away from home in order to pursue another opportunity at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). After playing the 2023 season at ULM, he stayed in Louisiana and spent his final collegiate season at Tulane. With the move, Huntington bet on himself again that he could continue performing at a high level against tougher competition.
Deciding to go to Dallas was a similar decision – did he want to work out with one of the best players in the NFL or did he want to be comfortable in Virginia and work out by himself?
Ultimately, Huntington texted Garrett that he was getting on a plane to Dallas and a few days later, he was staying at Garrett's house. For three weeks, Huntington worked out with players like Garrett, Micah Parsons and Will Anderson, as well as teammates DE Isaiah McGuire and DE Alex Wright. During that time, Huntington sharpened himself with some of the best pass rushers in the NFL and he showcased his progression to the Browns coaching staff when returned for training camp.
"Me stepping out of my comfort zone, it gave me a mental check to be like, 'Okay, you stack up. Okay, this is where you are at,'" Huntington said. "Myles (Garrett) is a different breed. But it doesn't matter. You have to compete every day. And for myself, I went in there every morning to compete, to get better. I feel like me just going there for those three weeks, it changed my body physically and mentally."
Before training camp began, Huntington told himself to remember what he did in Dallas, what he looked like and what he could do alongside top talent in the NFL. He didn't want to lose sight of the abilities that he had on the football field.
Throughout training camp, thanks to his self-reminder and his work in Dallas, he started to see the results pay off. Huntington received positive feedback and compliments from his coaches based on what he accomplished during practice. Huntington said he takes positive feedback to heart to improve but also tries to take lightly so he can keep his edge.
"I don't want to overload myself with (positive feedback) and lose my edge, lose my hunger. I try to stay starving," Huntington said. "If my coach tells me I did something good, well, let me continue to work on that. But it allowed me to continue to work on those things that I did to get me to that level, to this point."
The positives on Huntington began before July. Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel Glenn Cook said the Browns' scouting department had their eyes on Huntington in January after he finished his collegiate career. On video, he got off the ball and played in the backfield. Then, during the 2025 NFL Combine and at his pro day, Cook said Huntington excelled at the combine-style drills.
"I think he embodies what we talk about when we talk about toughness, competitiveness," Cook said. "You continue to get these data points that this kid may have something in his body but again, we don't know, he shows up. We didn't get in pads until August, and every day, he puts it on the field. You have to be the eye in the sky at some point and trust what you see in the guy. […] There's a lot of disappointment in not getting drafted, but for him to still be able to earn a spot and do it in the fashion that he did, I think was awesome."
The offseason work for Huntington culminated during the final preseason game against the Rams. With a spot on the 53-man roster not yet secured, Huntington confirmed what the scouting department already knew in January and gave the coaches two plays to remember. During the fourth quarter, Huntington strung together back-to-back sacks on Rams QB Dresser Winn in two different ways.
On Huntington's first sack, he lined up at defensive tackle. He swam past the right guard, hunted down Winn and brought him down along with DE Titus Leo. On his second sack, he lined up at defensive end. He stunted inside, crashed through the gap in the middle of the offensive line and hit Winn, popping the football loose.
"For myself, I see ball, I get ball. I have to go hit somebody," Huntington said. "If I'm out on that football field, I'm itching, I'm really itching to hit somebody. I just want to make an impact whenever I can, however I can."
After the game, Huntington received the news that he made the Browns' initial 53-man roster. The next day, he completed another one of his goals – being featured in a Brian Baldinger breakdown video. Baldinger on his social media breaks down different players in the NFL based on their game tape. He praised Huntington and showcased Huntington playing fullback and special teams and his two sacks.
Getting featured in a Baldinger video was positive reinforcement for Huntington that what he's doing is working, but he knows there's more to be done to stay on an NFL roster.
"I have to continue to work," Huntington said. "I have to continue to do the things that I did to get me here, and maybe even do a little bit more so I can stay here."
