NFL Draft Profile: Derick Hall, Linebacker, Auburn Tigers
#29
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6026
Wt: 254
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3448
Wing: 8258
40: 4.55
DOB: 3/19/2001
Hometown: Gulfport, MS
High School: Gulfport
Eligibility: 2023
Derick Hall
Auburn Tigers
One-Liner:
A special athlete who flashed in 2020 before exploding in 2021, Derick Hall has the versatility, bend, length, and burst to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL. That said, he must seriously overhaul his pass rush plan and technique. He needs to learn to play to his skillset. He currently projects as a valuable developmental piece and designated pass rusher with special teams value.
Evaluation:
The combination of high-level traits, college production, and experience against strong competition makes for an enticing NFL Draft prospect. Auburn’s Derick Hall fits that description. The pass rusher boasts impressive size and great linear and lateral movement skills. He has good speed and the range to defend the run or chase down screens. In fact, the Tigers’ star regularly fills a coverage role in the flats or from an off-ball alignment. As a pass rusher, Hall exhibits a quick first step and some real speed-to-power when his pad level is correct. He has notable length and can bull rush linemen when he plays at extension. Further, Hall displays exciting bend to get below a blocker’s reach and flatten to the quarterback. If linemen overset, he has the change of direction ability to work inside. Once engaged, Hall practices respectable leg drive to work through contact - especially when he plays with a low pad level. He can mix his bend and his strength to flatten through half-man cleanly. Hall’s suddenness and agility allow him to win with counters. He is a legitimate two-track threat with three-track potential. Against the run, Hall is patient and disciplined while reading the mesh point. He flashes gap integrity and vision. Hall’s anchor in the run game is there when he maximizes his length and gets low. He has the burst to penetrate and disrupt plays even if he is unable to bring the runner down. He is a fairly consistent tackler. In coverage, Hall flashes awareness and instincts underneath. All the same, the Auburn standout is extremely raw. His pass rush plan is almost nonexistent on most plays. He employs his hands late and inaccurately, regularly inviting contact to his frame. Likewise, his pad level is frequently too high which severely limits his power. What’s more, he hardly uses his excellent speed rush traits, instead opting to run into linemen in full-man. Hall is stifled once blockers manage to latch on. Further, he should not be trusted regularly off the ball at the next level. In run defense, Hall’s unreliable power hurts his overall efficacy. He can be driven or thrown around. Similarly, he struggles to consistently disengage. He often focuses too much on beating the blocker and misses his assignment. His tackling technique needs work. Hall is slow to diagnose the offense’s play and can misread the mesh point despite his patience.
Grade:
3rd Round
Background:
Derrick Hall is an excellent player from Gulfport, Mississippi and attended Gulfport High School. As a true freshman, he played on the defensive line and made an even bigger impact as a starter in 2020 and 2021, where in 2021, he started at edge. As an engineering major, Hall will look to be a defensive standout on the Tigers roster.
Quotes:
"I would say Georgia. Alabama has those guys. They have Evan Neil, the center a few years ago who flatten my freshman year. Alabama has a few guys but Georgia is all across the board. They play hard. They are physical, they’re tough, they’re strong. Their line coach does a good job with those guys. They move around well. They try to hone in on the small things to help you beat guys like that, because we lead as a D-line and they lead as an O-line. It comes down to little things, little match ups that you find. So, I would have to say Georgia." -- Auburn DE Derick Hall on his toughest opponent
