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Alabama Game Week Scouting Report: Auburn Defensive Lineman Derick Hall
Per Lorenz Leinweber of NFL Draft Bible, Derick Hall's back story and development do a lot to explain the kind of player he's become at Auburn.
At Gulfport High School in Mississippi, Hall put his athletic ability on display on the football field and as a starter for the basketball team and a state finalist at 200 meters in track. He was an honor roll student and a consensus four-star recruit.
Playing in the 215-pound range during his high school days, Hall started his body transformation up to 230 ponds as a freshman. Choosing the Tigers over premier schools in the southeast like Ole Miss and Florida paid off as he got to contribute right away.
In 2020, Hall started the season at outside linebacker but got ejected for targeting during the opener. Following this setback, he put together an impressive season, racking up 3.5 sacks on the year and a forced fumble in the LSU game, which saw him earn SEC defensive lineman of the week for a second time.
Having completed his body transformation and being up to 250 pounds gives Hall the desired frame to play in college football's premier conference. He has long arms and a well-defined build, carrying his weight well.
Immediately apparent when watching him on film is Hall's outstanding ability to win on an outside track.
Using his burst and explosiveness, he gets himself in position to dip his shoulder, lowering his surface area. Ducking under tackles, Hall displays his bend and flexibility, not losing momentum while turning the corner.
Even if tackles can land their hands on him, he has the strength to stay on track.
The bottom line is he likes to hunt, both on and off the field.
Derick Hall
Jersey: No. 29
Position: Defensive end
Height: 6-3
Weight: 251
DOB: March 19
Draft Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Gulfport, Mississippi
High School: Gulfport
Pros
In a rotational role, Hall frequently lines up as a wide nine from a two point stance. He is a great athlete in a straight line, threatening the outside shoulder of tackles with his burst. Once there, he uses his bend to dip his shoulder and turn the corner without losing significant momentum and staying on track. He can counter with an inside spin move if tackles gain enough depth to match his outside track rush. Playing consistently low, Hall makes blockers work at unfavorable angles. His good functional strength and length allow him to impact linemen when initiating contact, opening up an inside track on bullrushes. Very good length means he can outreach blockers, helping him to set the edge. He can bench press opponents trying to latch to extend. Hall is a reliable tackler, wrapping up well. When unblocked, he is patient and low, maintaining gap integrity and absorbing blockers.
Cons
Despite his speed and length, Hall is very inconsistent when converting speed to power, missing out on frequent opportunities to beat tackles with it. His hands are underdeveloped, not beating the punch of blockers. A lack of decisiveness and slow hands prevent him from disengaging after extending. Hall is susceptible to getting twisted on the edge in obvious running situations.
Summary
Long and athletic pass rusher off the edge who can threaten the outside shoulder and bend the corner without losing momentum. His length and strength as well as flashes of inside counters give Hall an exciting skillset if he can do it consistently. In the run game, he has slow hands to disengage. Hall projects as a speed rusher who can get on the field in obvious passing situations as a rookie. Adding consistency to his counters and power rushes and developing a plan as a run defender would put him on track to reach a very high ceiling.
Grades
7.3 (current value)/8.8 (potential value)
BamaCentral Analysis
This is a key matchup as Hall is Auburn's edge guy. He'll try and bend the corner as a pass-rusher, but can be slow to disengage in the run game so don't be surprised if Alabama goes at him with its massive tackles. He's fourth in team tackles with 47, including 31 solo, and has 8.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. Hall's also had a quarterback hurry and two forced fumbles. Against Arkansas he had a sack in the end zone to force a fumble that Marcus Harris recovered for a touchdown. Auburn is second in the SEC and ranks 14th nationally in tackles for a loss, recording 81 this season (7.36/gm). He wasn't much of a factor against Alabama last year, finishing with just two tackles. If he has similar output this time it'll be a very good sign for the Crimson Tide.
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All this week, BamaCentral will profile numerous Auburn players as the Crimson Tide prepares to face the rival Tigers in the Iron Bowl. Also check out NFL Draft Bible for more evaluations.
