NFL Draft Film Breakdown: Is Logan Hall the Missing Piece of the Bengals' Defensive Line?

Hall had a pre-draft visit with the Bengals last week.

Author:
Mike Santagata
Publish date:
Apr 19, 2022 7:45 AM EDT

Defensive lineman Logan Hall was a tone setter for the Houston Cougars. Standing at a physically imposing 6-6, 280 pounds, he used his athleticism and physicality to win at the collegiate level.

Hall is a former 3 star recruit out of the state of Texas where he played defensive end. At the NFL level, he'll hope to continue his trajectory as a defensive tackle who is at his best playing from the 3 and 5 techniques.

Let’s dive into the film to see what makes Hall worthy of being such a high draft pick.

What He Does Well

Nov 7, 2020; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) is tackled by Houston Cougars defensive lineman Logan Hall (92) at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Owens-USA TODAY Sports — Jim Owens-USA TODAY Sports

Hall fires off of the ball and has an explosive first step. By having such an explosive first step, he can threaten a player’s outside, slant inside, set up pass rush moves, make contact with the offensive line deeper in the backfield and more. Having a good get off is paramount to playing defensive line in the NFL and Hall certainly possesses that trait.

Despite being 6-foot-6, he can still drop down to a knee against double teams to anchor in and become an immovable object. His ability to perform this technique at a high level is necessary for him to play on early downs in the NFL.

To go with his ability to drop to a knee and anchor in against double teams, Hall typically keeps good pad level in the run game. He will fairly consistently meet the offensive line at their pad level and then beat them with strength and leverage. This doesn't always translate to the passing game, but in the run game he shows great pad level which is remarkable considering his height.

Hall shows a very good bullrush and uses it as his primary pass rush move. He can get underneath the pads of his opponent and drives them backward with his strength. This leads to him collapsing the pocket as well as getting pressure and sacks of his own.

Hall has a few secondary moves that he can utilize as change-ups as well. He has a great club swim combination that he will utilize as well as a snatch/throw by technique. Both of these moves are great compliments to his bullrush because they counteract some of the ways an offensive lineman may try to stop the bullrush.

Hall sets up his primary and secondary moves well with a shimmy move as well. He puts the offensive lineman on skates before making his move. He has shown power as well as finesse out of this shimmy set up which leaves offensive linemen on their heels. Some players will shorten their set or false step when faced with this setup move so it serves a functional purpose, but also it's just very aesthetically pleasing.

Areas of Concern

Mar 5, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall (DL11) goes through drills during the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Despite playing with good pad level in the run game, Hall sometimes plays too high when he's rushing the passer. This usually occurs after initial contact where he will then rise up. It makes sense that this is an issue of his because of how tall he is, but if he's going to become a dominant pass rusher in the NFL, he needs to keep his pad level down after initial contact so he can plow through the opposition.

His hand placement isn't perfect. Fairly often he will place his hands too high up on the shoulder pad of the opponent and while it’s not detrimental at the college level, it stops him from extending his arms and truly utilizing his power.

Hall's height is the main concern when watching him. There haven't been many successful defensive tackles at 6-foot-6. Hall being a hit in the draft would require him to be an outlier. He's very talented and possesses many of the refinement and traits NFL coaches look for in an interior pass rusher.

Overall Thoughts

Nov 19, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive lineman Logan Hall (92) celebrates defensive lineman Derek Parish (0) sack against Memphis Tigers quarterback Seth Henigan (14) (not pictured) in the fourth quarter at TDECU Stadium. Houston Cougars won 31 to 13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports — Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Hall possesses the ability to play snaps early against the run with room to grow as a pass rusher.

When rushing, he flashes high level ability in his bullrush and secondary moves. He should have a decent floor as a pass rusher because of his stellar get off. He has the strength to overpower players with his bullrush while utilizing his secondary moves so that they cannot just sit on the power.

If the lineman sits back, he can use his shimmy club swim combination to beat them. If they try to get on him quick, he can either utilize that club swim to push them with their momentum or he can use his snatch/throw by move to throw them off balance. All of that combined with a high level bullrush would make for a very good pass rusher. He needs to shore up his hand placement and timing on his strikes so that he can maximize his power. He often lets his hands get too high which saps his power from him. I also think that he attempts too many swim moves which doesn’t help with how high he can play at times when rushing the passer and even when he does not swim, he periodically plays too high after initial contact. He will flash his talent as a rookie, but will most likely just be a cromulent pass rusher.

Hall will come into the league with a higher floor in run defense. This is mostly due to his ability to anchor in and drop his knee against double teams and his pad level. When he plays against the run, he will frequently meet the offensive lineman’s pad level unlike when he tries to rush the passer. There is still room to embiggen his ability to stop the run because, just like in the passing game, he utilizes substandard hand placement. This is mostly because he doesn't strike the sternum of the opposition, usually striking them on the shoulder instead.

With his hands placed too high, he is unable to maximize his power and ability against the run. Still, he does a nice job to lock out his opponent and shedding their blocks in the run game. He should be a positive contributor against the run game early in his career.

Scheme Fit

Hall is at his best along the interior of the defensive line. On early downs, he should be able to play from a 3 technique to a 5 technique depending on what the front requires. On passing downs, he is more of a true 3 technique.

Grade

Early 2nd Round

NFL Comparison

Darnell Dockett

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