Seahawks Strengthen Edge With Auburn's Derick Hall: 'Tougher Than S***!' Says Scout
Addressing their pass rush for the first time in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Auburn outside linebacker Derick Hall with the 37th selection in the second round, adding extra punch to their edge group.
A former four-star recruit, Hall turned in a stellar collegiate career for the Tigers, racking up 19.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in four seasons. A two-time All-SEC performer, he also was named a team captain by his peers as a senior, a high honor for one of college football's blue blood programs.
“He’s tight-limbed and he’s more segmented than you want but he’s tougher than s*** and he’s going to be a great fit in a locker room," one AFC scout said, per NFL.com.
Known for his relentless motor and love of the game, Hall flies off the edge with a quick first step heralding from his background as a standout track athlete in high school. Transitioning legitimate 4.5 speed into power with long 34 1/4-inch arms, he regularly knocked tackles back onto their heels with devastating bull rushes and long arm moves before collapsing his opponent into the quarterback in the pocket, leading to high sack totals his last two seasons.
As a run defender, Hall can be incredibly disruptive thanks to his ability to split and cross gaps with his quickness, often finding his way into the backfield to blow up plays before they can get started. As a junior and senior, he totaled 24 tackles for loss and also forced four fumbles, showing an innate ability to punch the football out once he got to the ball carrier.
While his effort never wanes and he plays his heart out to the whistle every time he takes the field, Hall still has room to grow developing his pass rush plan and adding more polished counters to work off his initial bull rush. He's also not a natural mover in coverage and even with increased reps and an interception last season, he doesn't have the fluidity to take on running backs and tight ends in such a role on a consistent basis.
In regard to other areas of improvement needed, Hall's aggressive nature can work against him at times. While guessing on gaps can play into his favor with clutch plays in the backfield, such gambles have also led to massive creases for running backs at times and he will have to be coached out of those mistakes at the next level.
With Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, and Boye Mafe all set to return for the Seahawks in 2023, it won't be easy for Hall to earn reps in a suddenly crowded rotation. But with a vicious power rush game, leadership intangibles, and upside as a run defender, he will entering a situation where he can play his way into additional reps as a reserve with the upside to eventually be a starter in the team's 3-4 defense.
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