Seahawks Draft Profile: Bryce Hall

Over the course of the next several months, the Seahawks and 31 other teams will be evaluating the latest crop of incoming talent in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Up next in our prospect profiles series, Seattle may look set at cornerback on paper. But the secondary is in need of some competition and depth. Bryce Hall out of Virginia has the measurables to fit into Pete Caroll’s defense at cornerback.

Strengths

Always around the ball, Hall led the entire nation in passes defensed in 2018 with 21 and is all over the field, with five interceptions, 4.0 sacks, and 9.5 tackles for loss over his four years with Bronco Mendenhall’s defense at Virginia.

Bryce Hall, the forgotten man. pic.twitter.com/XF9FVUiabe
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) February 27, 2020

With good size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and 32 1/4-inch arms - exceeding 32 inches, which seems to be a requirement for Seahawks corners - he has the desired measurables to fit in Seattle. He willingly sticks his nose at the line of scrimmage in the run game, and excels at shedding blocks to arrive at the ball-carrier.

A physical fighter with a strong personality, Hall holds his own against big receivers and tight ends and is willing to fight for the ball, not intimidated by the big receivers he faced in ACC competition. An intelligent, long defender, he has vast experience in zone schemes which fits perfectly into Seattle’s style of cornerback.

Weaknesses

Despite his ball-hawking skills, Hall had zero interceptions his senior season, which was riddled with injuries. He had an ankle issue that kept him from playing in half of the Cavaliers’ 2019 season and that injury lingered into his pre-draft workouts.

The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native is not a speedster by any stretch. Hall was unable to participate in most of the NFL Combine workouts due to his ankle, which he is still rehabbing, but his 40-yard dash will likely not be eye-popping when he does run prior to the draft.

Hall has been criticized for his footwork and backpedaling techniques, which Seattle preaches vigorously. The Seahawks will either pass on Hall due to this or bring him in believing they can coach him up in their system as they have done with many cornerbacks before him.

Where He Fits in Seattle

Some teams are concerned with his lack of versatility in coverage, as Hall favors zone concepts over man coverage. Fortunately, Seattle seems like a great fit schematically, or at least better than other teams that use more man.

The scheme Hall thrived in at Virginia mirrors Seattle’s defense in a lot of ways and the former Cavalier would feel comfortable with Pete Carroll and Ken Norton Jr.’s playbook.

There is a growing desire for Seattle to select a cornerback to bring in and compete with Tre Flowers for the starting spot opposite of Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin. Hall has the measurables, zone coverage skills, and ball production to fit into what Seattle needs at the position.

After Griffin and Flowers, there is a big drop off in talent as slot corner Akeem King and special teams ace Neiko Thorpe will hit the market in a few weeks in free agency. Bringing Hall into the fold injects both talent and competition into the Seahawks’ secondary and he could be an option with one of the team's two second-round draft choices.